Teenager lands top prize in global tech competition for occupational therapy app
13-year-old student Saanvi Kaushik , from County Cork in Ireland , has used her problem-solving skills to develop an award-winning occupational therapy app .
Competing with over 5,900 girls from around the world , the teenager was selected as one of six junior division finalists in an annual competition run by Technovation , a global tech education non-profit that empowers girls to become leaders , creators and problem-solvers .
Saanvi ’ s app Stellar is an easy-to-navigate app that helps to develop innovative solutions for children ’ s occupational therapists .
She was inspired by her occupational therapist mother Sarika , who worked hard to deliver care to her patients throughout the pandemic , and the fact that 30,000 children are currently waiting for occupational therapy in Ireland , with waiting times worsened due to COVID-19 .
Supported by her mother , Saanvi developed a simple 10-question survey that she posted on occupational therapy Facebook groups , concluding from responses that there was a need for a safe platform to offer remote appointments , monitor progress , and develop individualised programmes for children .
She says that Stellar offers to fill these gaps and will also host evidence-based high-quality content developed by experienced occupational therapists .
Final checks are in place to make sure it is GDPR and HIPAA compliant before any planned launch .
RCOT calls for urgent action on social care pay
RCOT is one of a number of leading healthcare organisations and charities calling for the government to take urgent action on pay to address the recruitment and retention crisis in social care in England .
The social care sector faces 105,000 vacancies this winter and the impact of this is becoming clear . There are already reports of care packages being squeezed , including reduced hours for respite and domiciliary care as well as delays in discharge from hospitals .
Occupational therapists , alongside other allied health professionals , are a fundamental part of social care , helping people across the UK . However , social care is often seen as the poor cousin of the NHS , with chronic staff shortages , inferior pay and inconsistent professional development .
Occupational therapists work alongside social care support workers , many of whom are the lowest paid .
As part of the Social Care Coalition , RCOT has signed a joint letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer , The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP , calling for him to finally address the poor pay in the care sector to help retain and attract future workers .
Recruitment campaign launched to encourage work in social care
A new recruitment campaign looks set to encourage people across England to pursue a rewarding career in adult social care , during the biggest period of change in a generation .
The ‘ Made with Care ’ campaign is encouraging people with the values that embody carers to join a workforce dedicated to helping others and build a career that helps people live happy , healthy lives .
With almost half a million extra job opportunities in adult social care expected by 2035 , and more than 105,000 vacancies needing to be filled , the campaign aims to encourage people to apply for rewarding roles across the country .
Health and Social Care Secretary , Sajid Javid , said : ‘ Over the next three years we are investing at least £ 500 million to support the training and development for carers . The launch of the new campaign follows the announcement of £ 5.4 billion of additional funding to reform social care over the next three years .’
Minister for Care Gillian Keegan said : ‘ I am dedicated to making working in social care not just emotionally rewarding , but a career opportunity with future development for people . The workers represented in our Made with Care recruitment campaign are passionate about working in the sector and the impact they have on those they care for has really moved me .’
The campaign kicked off in November this year , and is running for five months to March 2022 , highlighting vacancies in the sector , as well as showcasing the amazing work care workers do , celebrating the way they empower the people they care for and shining a light on the emotional rewards of the role
It will also tackle the perceived barriers to taking up care work , emphasising the importance of personal qualities , the opportunities for training to develop a career in the sector , and the availability of flexible working .
For more information please visit : www . adultsocialcare . co . uk / home . aspx .
© FredFroese via Getty Images
6 OTnews December 2021