FEATURE HEALTH EQUITY
On the frontline of health equity
Occupational therapists around the UK helped create a real buzz for Occupational Therapy Week this year . Here we share two of your stories in more detail
Amanda Heaton , practice development occupational therapist at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust , is keen to showcase how the trust celebrated Occupational Therapy Week and is engaging with the # OTsForEquity campaign .
‘ We decided to go with RCOT ’ s request to “ create a buzz on social media ”, and so at 1pm on 1 November , all 40 of our occupational therapy-related staff within 11 clinical areas posted an image on their social media feeds with the strap line – Proud to be contributing towards the occupational therapy social media buzz because ... – and with their own respective reasons ,’ she explains .
‘ Blackpool Victoria Hospitals Trust communications team took photographs for us , and they also published an article in the our newsletter about the occupational therapy profession and the subject of health equity .
‘ As a preliminary move , we intend to do some training around raising awareness of the concept within our staff group , as well as hidden assumptions and biases that may impact patient care . We also intend to engage further using the online resources that RCOT makes available over the coming weeks .
‘ We hope by sharing our story of engagement , we may contribute towards showcasing engagement in this theme at every level .’
The Clifton Rehab Team just before 1pm on Monday 1 November
Occupational therapists in East London NHS Foundation Trust in Luton and Bedfordshire also took the opportunity during Occupational Therapy Week to promote health equity .
Rebecca Tee , senior occupational therapist , Services for People who have a Learning Disability , explains : ‘ We invited service users from Bedfordshire Opportunities for Learning Disabilities ( BOLD ) to help us refresh the planters outside of our offices at Twinwoods , as they were looking very tired in between the rain showers .
‘ Becky Coughlan , recovery specialist occupational therapist , and Simon Bedeau , people participation lead , Learning Disabilities Services , spoke to service users about the Recovery College and gained their ideas on how we can make it more accessible for
Maria Jones and Rebecca Tee after the planters had been refreshed them and for ideas on the groups that they would like to be made available for them to attend in the future .
‘ The occupational therapy service also held a friendly “ TikTok ” competition between the London boroughs and Luton and Bedfordshire services , to capture our creativity to promote recruitment and student uptake to the profession .
‘ Bedfordshire and Luton won the competition with their recording to the very catchy “ Jump on it ” tune theme and won a special prize that was judged by the head occupational therapists at their away day .
‘ A staff wellbeing session was also facilitated by Olga Itoua , on occupational therapist in the Luton community mental health team , for colleagues to take some time to pause and look after their wellbeing too .
‘ While Sihle Mwela , an inpatient occupational therapist on Crystal Ward , as a member of the BAME OT UK group , chose to address systematic issues and promote social justice and address occupational apartheid . She was featured by RCOT during the campaign .
‘ Last , but by no means least , Fountains Court promoted the Adaptive Seated Yoga group that was developed by the occupational therapists and our health development co-ordinator . The group is for older adults and people who have a learning disability , to enable them to maintain physical and mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic . This takes place on Tuesday mornings via Zoom .’
For more information and to watch the TikToks , follow at @ ELFTOT on Twitter .
14 OTnews December 2021