Creating a valuable platform for engaging with our community
Fauve Chapman , Annabelle Clark and Anna Smith explain why they have invested precious time and effort in developing a Facebook page for their service .
T he Children and Young People ’ s Occupational Therapy Service – NHS Borders ’ Facebook page was set up in October 2018 , in response to Ready to Act , a Scotland-wide plan developed to transform how allied health professionals plan , develop and deliver children ’ s services .
Scotland ’ s Digital Health and Care Strategy , which looks at how technology will be used to reshape and improve services , improve outcomes and support person centred care , was also an influence in setting up and developing the page .
Universal working is an integral part of Ready to Act and recognises the importance of a preventative approach , as well as promoting wellbeing for children and young people and their families and carers . Developing a Facebook page for our service has given us a valuable platform to share information , activity ideas and advice , and has made us consider innovative ways to engage the wider population .
The Facebook page , which now has over 1,900 followers , was set up in order to promote the service to the public and service users , and help us to further engage with them . It was decided that this would consist of creating original ‘ in house ’ content , as well as signposting to and sharing content from partner agencies . The page would also give our service users and the public a platform for giving us feedback on our service .
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32 OTnews February 2022