A long and impactful legacy
Julia Scott will step down as chief executive of the Royal College at the end of this month . Here , she reflects on her 15-year journey and the changes she has driven during that time
Julia Scott
Julia Scott has been leading the Royal College of Occupational Therapists for 15 years , taking the top job at a time when issues around professional identity , particularly with the development of generic roles and the growing involvement of the independent sector within areas traditionally provided through statutory services , were emerging as ‘ hot topics ’ for the profession .
The impact of Agenda for Change and proposed changes to local government pension schemes were starting bite in terms of members ’ pay and conditions , and a surfeit of new policies , guidance and directives coming out of the Labour Government of the time could be seen as either potentially overwhelming for health and social care staff , or as offering up a raft of exciting new opportunities for the profession to demonstrate its value .
On a personal level , Julia told OTnews back in 2006 that being chosen to represent the profession across the UK was ‘ a huge honour ’ and she pledged to do her ‘ utmost ’ to ‘ serve the membership well ’ for as long as she was in post .
Fast forward to 2021 , and Julia has taken the ‘ difficult decision ’ to hand the baton to somebody else , standing down as chief executive at the end of the month ; but why now ?
‘ I decided to move to new pastures probably about 18 months ago ,’ she says . ‘ But there ’ s always a good reason not to go , particularly when you are in a leadership role .’ However , a number of things conspired against her ; not least the retirement of RCOT ’ s then-director of professional operations , Julia Skelton , and a hiatus period where nobody stood as chairman of council , which she feared might lead to a ‘ leadership vacuum ’ if she were to also step down at the same time .
Then Coronavirus struck at the beginning of 2020 .’ We could see the pandemic on the horizon , and I thought , I have to make sure that COVID doesn ’ t ‘ break ’ the organisation ,’ she reflects . ‘ How we carried on working for the members was really the bottom line .’
‘ By July ,’ she reflects , ‘ it became clear that we wouldn ’ t break and that we were all just as focused on delivering services for members ; in fact , more focused . We knew just what a tough time our members were having and we wanted to help them .’
Safe in the knowledge that the organisation was in a strong position , she decided that she had to make the move . ‘ It ’ s never easy and its a job I ’ ve absolutely loved ,’ she says . ‘ I want to leave on a high and with interests I want to develop in other areas . It was a big decision for me , but I think it was the right one .’
She adds : ‘ I ’ m excited for Steve coming in . It ’ s a good point in time – there are new things coming towards us and there will be plenty of new developments for him to get his teeth into ’ ( see page 6 ).
There is no doubt that Julia has worked tirelessly to support RCOT members and further raise the profile and value of occupational therapy over the years – the organisation has achieved Royal status and has grown its membership to its highest ever .
But what are the biggest changes she has seen – for both the organisation and the profession as a whole – during this time ?
After a pause , she says : ’ Membership of the organisation has never been higher , and I take that back to the fact that we are no longer “ faceless ”, and that we are all out there , engaging with members all the time .’
She adds : ‘ I think I introduced the concept of a professional community at one of our conferences and that ’ s been a very strong strap line for the organisation . Of course , you have a community where you work , you might have a strong community of friends , or graduates you are training with , or academics you work with , but this professional community is all of those people and more .
‘ I ’ m very glad we ’ ve recognised that , and of course [ during the pandemic ] we have seen that we are more valuable than ever to our members on the front line , because they turn to their professional body for impartial , honest and reliable advice .’
16 OTnews February 2021