CAREER DEVELOPMENT FEATURE
The working world is always evolving, but it certainly
feels over the last few months that this has accelerated
significantly. Allied health professionals (AHPs) are
simply not working how they were six months ago and
this will have a longer lasting impact going forward.
It seems then to be a good time to discuss these changes
more openly and what this means for occupational therapists
and their future careers.
When portfolio careers are discussed, what does this mean?
Well, by definition, a portfolio career refers to multiple part-time
jobs. Many also see it as simply having diversity in working or
multiple income streams, but ultimately portfolio working allows
control, preference and flexibility over who you work with and the
influence you can have.
Many occupational therapists are already portfolio working
and this includes all of the occupational therapist team at
Jacqueline Webb.
A number of the organisation’s occupational therapists were
approached to talk about their clinical practice, the benefit
of portfolio working to their clients, and
how it changed them as an occupational
therapist.
So, by sharing their experiences it is
hoped that it will encourage more people
to reflect on this way of working and
evolve their clinical practice.
Diversity of work stream
Every occupational therapist who
shared their experience of portfolio
working came across it in a different
way. But all noted the diversity of
work available to them that they had not
appreciated was there.
This professional diversification allows
reflection on the skills you have developed, what is
important for you as an occupational therapist, and how you
can have the biggest impact on the client group you desire to
work with; often with one source of employment naturally leading
you to another.
Elaine Miller spent much of her early career working in NHS
acute and community settings, but sought out portfolio working,
beginning with contract work with the Care Quality Commission
(CQC).
For Elaine, the focus was on un-restricting her skill set. She
explains: ‘I felt that my skills were not being fully utilised in
the NHS and I was restricted in the service I could provide; I
wanted to have a new challenge and learn new skills to be at the
forefront of showcasing how diverse and important occupational
therapists are in different work sectors.
‘I was able to maintain my role with CQC and working
in orthopaedics in an inpatient setting while starting out as
an expert witness. Following this, I made a move into case
management, which seemed like a very natural transition, and
left my NHS role.’
Similarly, Caroline Wright began her career in acute hospital
settings, progressing to a more senior team leader post in social
care. She found time to incorporate her statutory services work
with a gradual increase in portfolio working, before diversifying
fully in 2008.
This way of working has allowed Caroline to hone her skills in
areas she enjoyed and create a diverse working week. The work
she has combined would not be feasible to resource unless put
together in a portfolio style of work.
the
opportunity to work with
lots of different clients,
clinicians and multidisciplinary
teams means I am always
learning something new,
‘‘Having
picking up different skills and
techniques and not getting
stuck in a rut.
‘I eventually left adult social care in 2008,’ she says, ‘and set
up my company. My current portfolio of work comprises expert
witness work and, alongside this, I undertake case management,
insurance assessments for three large insurance companies, and
occupational therapy projects, such as major adaptation works
and advice on equipment and rehabilitation programmes.’
Work with those in other professions
The occupational therapists who contributed
to this article all reported that through
mixing more directly with other
professionals, often in other
industries, significantly benefitted
their ongoing clinical practice.
The emphasis being that
choosing who you work with
generates greater knowledge
sharing and learning.
By working with different
individuals and in more diverse
multidisciplinary teams, with more
specific client groups, you can
exponentially enhance the toolkit at
your disposal.
Carol Kendall has a portfolio of five work
streams, so works with a wide variety of other
professionals. ‘Having the opportunity to work with lots of
different clients, clinicians and multidisciplinary teams means I
am always learning something new, picking up different skills and
techniques and not getting stuck in a rut,’ she reflects.
Angela Ariu adds to this further by stating that she is more
connected to her profession because of the choice she has in
who she works with.
‘I am much more connected to other professionals and enjoy
being an occupational therapy ambassador and spreading the
word about the profession, this constantly reminds me of what is
so great about occupational therapy.’
In addition, your enhanced toolkit can greatly benefit your
colleagues. Angela Jamieson comments that by varying who she
works with in her portfolio she is better positioned to manage her
team in her statutory job. She says: ’I am more enthusiastic and
better able to motivate the team in statutory services.’
OTnews August 2020 59