OTnews February 2023 | Page 54

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Work – is it really everyone ’ s business ?
The Vocational Rehabilitation Association ( VRA ) wants to continue to spread the word that work really is everybody ’ s business , by making sure it ’ s firmly on the agenda .
It says : ‘ One of the very first questions we might ask somebody we first meet in a social situation can often be “‘ so , what do you do ?” It can be a great
icebreaker , but underneath the surface it can be a question about the identity , purpose and meaning in our lives that work or indeed any other vocational activity can give .
‘ Day in , day out with our clients , how often do we ask them about their occupational or vocational identity ? And whose responsibility is it anyway ?’ OTs are already aware that there have been some exciting developments made when it comes to supporting people to return to work . Most recently , last year there was a change to the Fit Note regulations , which means that occupational therapists are now able to issue these .
This also adds to the already well-established AHP Health and Work Report , which AHPs are able to use to support individuals with the process of returning to work by providing recommendations or suggestions in relation to health-related / functional difficulties the client may be experiencing .
Alongside its member-only resources , VRA now has some freely available material to support AHPs working in this area . Visit https :// bit . ly / 3JMy4x0 .
Research study : could you help ?
Are you an occupational therapist working with people with learning disabilities , who fall or are at risk of falling ? Are you willing to share your stories in the name of research ?
Karin West , a student at the University of Brighton , is completing a Masters in Health Research ( MRes ), supervised by David Haines , and is looking to recruit research participants . The inclusion criteria is that you are :
• A HCPC registered occupational therapist .
• Have experience of actively working with adults with a learning disability .
• Have experience with people who have fallen and have a learning disability .
• Have access to be able to use Microsoft Teams .
The exclusion criteria are any occupational therapists who work within Kent Community Health Foundation NHS Trust , community learning disability teams and / or have been part of the Patent and Public Involvement ( PPI ) for this study .
You will be asked to participate in two sessions over Microsoft Teams on a one-to-one basis , for a maximum of 90 minutes in total . As a thank you , you will receive an electronic voucher to purchase refreshments of your choice .
If you are interested in joining and you meet the criteria , contact Karin West at K . West2 @ uni . brighton . ac . uk .
New professional framework could help boost cancer workforce
A new professional framework has been launched as part of the UKwide Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development programme ( ACCEND ).
Developed by Health Education England in partnership with Skills for Health , the framework provides a common language to support transformational reform in the education , training and career pathways of cancer support workers , nurses and AHPs .
The framework lays out seven levels of practice from supportive , assistive , pre-registration and registration through to enhanced , advanced and consultant , supporting practitioners at all levels of the career pathway to develop the core knowledge , skills and behaviours to care for people affected by cancer .
To download and view the Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development ( ACCEND ) framework visit https :// bit . ly / 3l0QHmH .
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54 OTnews February 2023