engagement and connection to families , friends and the wider community , for people living in care homes and in their own homes .
I work often at a strategic level , taking policy initiatives and translating them into practice . We know that the pandemic has had a huge impact on the lives of people in care homes and much of the guidance and mitigations to keep homes infection free had other unintended consequences for them , such as increasing their social isolation , reducing their mobility and impacting their quality of life .
I am privileged to be able to connect in with many occupational therapists from across Scotland , and AHPs in the Care Homes Network , which I co-chair with Professor Elaine Hunter , and the Local Authority Occupational Therapist Network , which I co-chair with Alison Keir from RCOT , are great examples of these connections .
As an occupational therapist , I do have a passion for promoting the principle that people experiencing social care can lead full and meaningful lives and that personal care , while of course important , is not the only focus of support .”
Get involved and join the network
The new forum for local authority occupational therapists in Scotland is open to any occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants working in Scotland .
We are aware of the interconnectedness across health and social care , so if there are others who would like to find out more from health , third sector or education , or have questions for the network please also get in touch .
Q
How did you identify the need for a forum for local authority occupational therapists in Scotland , and how have you gone about establishing the forum so far ?
A I have known Alison for some time and we had met over the past year to discuss key priorities for occupational therapists .
In light of the pending National Care Service in Scotland , we were very aware that local authority occupational therapists needed to be represented , given a voice and the opportunity to influence its development .
We were not aware of any other national forum for local authority occupational therapists , so following discussions with Carolyn McDonald , the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer in the Scottish Government , and colleagues in Social Work Scotland , we decided to test the water and see if there would be interest .
We sent out information about the network to all the Chief Officers in Scotland to share with occupational therapists in their local authorities and had a fantastic response , with more than 130 occupational therapists already signing up for the network .
Q
Can you tell us some more about what your vision for the forum is ?
A We are already starting to look at other priorities , including the role of local authority occupational therapists in primary care and singlehanded care / risk assessed care . This network will be able to discuss and develop new initiatives , link with key stakeholders and test out improvements .
Words HEATHER EDWARDS , Occupational Therapist and AHP Consultant at the Care Inspectorate , talked to Tracey Samuels , Editor of OTnews . For more information on Growing a Good Life visit https :// bit . ly / 3RlU4kj
February 2023 OTnews 49