PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES
New RCOT-Housing resource examines the legal and practical implications of COVID-19 on social care practice
As we all know , the COVID-19 pandemic has created significant disruption to occupational therapy services across the UK , impacting on our roles , responsibilities and duties .
Our governments have had to make changes to legislation and guidance as they respond and deal with the impacts across our health , social care , housing and third sector organisations , and our communities .
This has particularly impacted on our occupational therapy colleagues working in social care roles , creating challenges for them in keeping abreast of these changes and in understanding the effect of them on their day-to-day practice .
Recognising the above , the RCOT Specialist Section – Housing ’ s national executive committee commissioned Michael Mandelstam to write a paper for occupational therapists working in social care across Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland , outlining the legal and practical implications for their practice , both currently and into the future .
Michael is well known to many of us and has provided a range of legal advice , guidance , training and consultancy on social care and health matters for over 20 years , including specific support for occupational therapists working in social care , housing and health .
He has also written a number of widely-used legal books on social care and health matters relevant to occupational therapy practice .
The resulting document , Coronavirus : legal and practical implications for occupational therapists working in social care in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland is now available , and provides an invaluable and very readable resource .
Written for those therapists practising in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland , it covers the legal frameworks in the three countries , the Coronavirus Act 2020 ( with specific reference to each country ) , the pressures on social care and occupational therapy and how to manage them lawfully .
Areas covered include the use of remote assessments , the ramifications of COVID-19 , both now and in the future , and lastly , evidence , reasoning and recording guidance , including case law , ombudsman and judicial review examples from all four nations of the UK .
This is a fabulous resource for all occupational therapists working in social care roles , providing as it does practical support and guidance in an easily digestible format . We hope that you find it helpful and encourage you to use it and to share it widely with your colleagues .
While there are some issues and themes common across all our countries – including areas such as referrals , prioritisation , remote assessment , waiting times for both assessment and provision , and interim provision – where coronavirus has exacerbated pre-existing challenges and pressures , Michael has previously produced a briefing note on this topic in collaboration with InclusionMe that focuses specifically on England ( https :// bit . ly / 33OdwhU ).
Jill Pritchard , Change Management Practitioner ( APMG ), and RCOTSS-Housing Scotland representative . Download Coronavirus : legal and practical implications for occupational therapists working in social care in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland at : www . rcot . co . uk / node / 3948
Correction
Last month , Joanne Hogg , specialist occupational therapist , Glasgow Forensic Community Mental Health Team , should have been credited as an author on the feature ' Through drought , new shoots sprout ' ( OTnews , December 2020 , pages 34 to 36 ).
NETWORKING
Working through the coronavirus pandemic research
Are you an allied health practitioner who is currently employed to explore how these have changed over or self-employed ( agency workers ), within any area of practice in the last six months as the pandemic has the UK ? This research study wants to understand more about progressed . your quality of working life and coping in relation to the COVID-19 For further information about the pandemic . research , please contact Patricia Gillen on
https :// tinyurl . com / y4j68rz6 . The research is funded We are interested in professional quality of working life , social by the Public Health Agency HSC Research and and emotional wellbeing , including burnout and methods of coping Development in Northern Ireland .
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