Leadership
Feature
The importance of leadership , mentoring and coaching skills to the profession
Occupational therapy student Lydia Hill has received a CMI Award for Excellence in Innovation and Implementation , recognising her achievement among fellow students at Coventry University .
L ydia Hill , as part of her preregistration MSc degree programme in occupational therapy at Coventry University , has been studying an interdisciplinary professional development module , accredited by the Chartered Management Institute ( CMI ), which enables students to focus on leadership , coaching and mentorship skills .
Coventry University has a wellestablished postgraduate provision , with CMI accreditation , which provides students with accredited professional development opportunities in leadership and management practice alongside their discipline specific studies .
The pre-registration MSc in Occupational Therapy engages with this provision . The studies are interdisciplinary in nature , reflecting the diversity of people and skills in the workplace environment , and on successful completion lead to the Level 7 CMI Award in Leadership and Management Practice .
RCOT accreditors commended the course team at the approval event for responding to workforce needs and embedding the initiative .
Developing the leaders of tomorrow
In such unprecedented times as this global pandemic , students have explored leadership from a range of perspectives and different ways of working , drawing particularly on innovative and creative ways of coping with restrictions , transitions and change .
Live case scenarios from employers of a range of industrial backgrounds , businesses , and private , public and third sector services , are a core part of the module .
Studying the module alongside their professional practice experience has enabled students to realise the interrelationship of theory and practice immediately , thus bringing practice sharply into focus and being highly relevant , at such a pivotal time of challenge and need for leadership .
A strong educational aim of the occupational therapy course is to develop graduate practitioners who are leadership-ready , able to work with impact and influence occupational therapy from within the profession , and lead and advocate for services in the NHS and wider health and social care arena .
Through leadership they will be able to support and develop the teams of practitioners they work with for improving individuals ’ lives . By critically exploring their leadership capabilities students are being prepared to be practice-ready and to be evidence informed practitioners who continually seek to improve and influence service development , thereby having a positive impact on the lives of service users , the workforce and wider communities .
A call to action
The poor representation of allied health professionals within NHS leadership , together with the agreed benefits of this , are documented in NHS improvement plans ( NHS improvement 2018 and 2019 ), with a call for more action to promote AHP development within leadership and outline where trusts should address this lack of representation .
In 2019 , the NHS improvement document ( 2019 ) further advocated the promotion of leadership as part of the clinical career for AHPs , which , could lead to a greater willingness to move into leadership positions .
It is advocated that the personcentred focus of AHPs is valued for improvements already seen in patient safety , quality , productivity and patient flow ( NHS improvement 2019 ).
From a profession-specific perspective , the publication of RCOT ’ s Career Development Framework : guiding principles for occupational therapy ( RCOT 2017 ) draws the leadership pathway into focus for educators and clinicians alike .
Indeed , Tempest and Dancza ( 2019 ) call for occupational therapists to ‘ create opportunities to advance our understanding of leadership principles through education and critical discussions ’. They debate the concepts of social leadership and how well this aligns to the profession ’ s philosophical values .
This enhanced focus on leadership
34 OTnews January 2022