PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FEATURE
Our service The aim of the Get Set to Go service is to enable to people to take up and sustain a physical activity independently of the service , and to enjoy its other benefits , such as reduced isolation and increased self-esteem . We have three offers :
• a 12-week programme run with key stakeholders , providing an hour of activity and social time for afterwards ;
• taster sessions where people can try new activities – these provide engagement with very limited commitment , so reducing pressure on individuals ; and
• a person-centred signposting service , finding where someone can do an activity they want to , and supporting them to start this .
Challenges Although I discuss challenges below , I don ’ t believe everything is difficult . For some people , just a telephone call may be needed for them to become more active .
People can self-refer , be referred by other agencies , or we can complete our referral form with individuals . We want people to engage , so have made the form ( https :// bit . ly / SMReferralForm ) as simple as possible .
One challenge for us is the limited time to work with individuals . Most of our communication is done by telephone and email , which both inhibit creating a rapport . As a consequence , the referral form asks for information that is often difficult to share with someone you have never met , with a checklist of barriers individuals may perceive they have *.
I also added a physical activity interests checklist . Providing this information in advance makes it easier and quicker to discuss .
A common challenge when working with people with mental health difficulties is how to overcome initial anxieties in starting a new activity ; in these instances we can provide a volunteer peer mentor .
Our volunteers are selected for their lived experience of poor mental health and personal knowledge of how physical activity can improve wellbeing . Our first one-to-one peer mentor session supported someone to attend his local leisure centre , and with just that one session and another conversation , the person had gained enough self-belief to be able to sustain his gym journey alone .
Our 12-week programmes involve not just the participants , but volunteer peer mentors , Sheffield Health and social care trust occupational therapists and recovery workers . Support is used to accompany people to the sessions , as well as in some cases participating in the sessions .
There is anecdotal evidence that programmes are more successful if workers participate too and our programme seems to bear that out . One participant even wanted their weekly one-to-one recovery session to be held at the leisure centre .
I was concerned that our 12-week programmes might not be sufficiently person-centred , but the partners we have worked with have been flexible and asked participants what they would like to
Bullen and Clarke ( 2020 ) conducted a qualitative study , based on phenomenological principles , to explore occupational therapists ’ experiences of enabling people to participate in sport . Five occupational therapists working in non-traditional settings participated in semi-structured interviews . Two over-arching themes emerged from data analysis : ‘ practising through an occupational therapy lens ’ and ‘ challenges and opportunities for occupational therapists ’. Findings included that participants demonstrated the uniqueness of occupational therapy
EVIDENCE LINK when enabling people to participate in sport , and there were opportunities to reach wider communities and promote the value of occupational therapy . However , there were also challenges when working outside traditional settings . The authors conclude that the study highlights opportunities for occupational therapists to expand their practice , forge new partnerships in sports and leisure environments , and address the national inactivity crisis .
Reference Bullen D , Clarke C ( 2020 ) Occupational therapists ’ experiences of enabling people to participate in sport . British Journal of Occupational Therapy , Nov 25 . [ Epub ahead of print ].
do and how they have enjoyed each session . In most cases , new activities are able to be programmed in .
Another challenge is securing GPs ’ agreement to participation . During the assessment for the 12-week programme , I ask potential participants if there are physical health conditions that may affect their ability to exercise . If there are , I ask if they can secure approval from their GP in advance of the programme .
At the first session , the instructor will ask a similar question and , if approval has not been secured , the person may not be able to participate fully , or at all .
Securing the evidence takes time ; one participant with memory problems had been unable secure the information , despite support , to participate by week six of the programme . The # EasierToBeActive national conversation ( https :// bit . ly / Easier2bActive ) is picking up this issue .
Another challenge is transport . For weekly sessions , where there is flexibility over venue and activity , other local Minds have run activities closer to where individuals live , for example in community centres .
We aim to run taster sessions in different parts of the city and sometimes it can be difficult for an individual to get there . Sheffield Cycling 4 All ( www . sheffieldcycling4all . org ), an inclusive cycling group , has secured funding specifically to pay for transport costs so that people can attend their first session free .
OTnews January 2021 19