up going back to the Small Change , Big Impact campaign , as challenge , change , impact is such a simple way to frame a service example , yet also allows for a great level of detail in the telling .
Starting to gather service examples and hearing from occupational therapists about the work they are doing was a really great way to end the internship .
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Sherri , you chose to take on this internship during your MSc . How did the work you did during your internship impact your studies ?
Doing the internship during my course did push back my course end date . My colleagues were all in their third or final placements . However , as someone very interested in the growth of the occupational therapy profession , this internship enabled me to have the insight I was seeking .
By working at RCOT I now have a greater understanding of how our professional body aims to support members and the day-to-day work of different RCOT employees . Additionally , by working at RCOT , I was able to work on myself . I grew a greater understanding of the research process , what a research career may look like and how CPD can be leveraged to effectively improve my skill set .
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Ros , what skills do you feel this internship has given you ?
The internship gave me the opportunity to think about how occupational therapists are shaping policy and public affairs . I also got to see the differences in policy and public affairs across the four nations . I had never fully considered how RCOT works differently in Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland , due to the structural , social and political differences .
The professional practice team works responsively to support , influence , inform and engage with occupational therapists , ministers ,
Occupational therapy is a unique profession . It is young , it is versatile , and it is filled with passionate people .”
other health and social care professional bodies .
I now have a basic understanding of how RCOT influences everyday practice and how it tries to use everyday practice to influence policy . I have never engaged with policy and public affairs in the way I got to at RCOT and it will inform my future practice and shape my future engagement .
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Sherri , what do you think the research and development team learnt from you during the internship ?
Throughout my internship , there was a mutual learning process , which made me feel valued . As students we are constantly being asked to challenge evidence and generate new solutions , so it was nice to have the space to share some of my ideas and perspectives .
A lot of my work at university has been around social justice and antiracist practice in occupational therapy . On various occasions , I shared this knowledge with my colleagues , and we had open discussions on how resources , structures or events could be improved or adapted .
One example is our work on the Evidence Spotlight , where we included JEDI Hints ( Justice , Equity , Diversity and Inclusion ). These hints prompted members to consider the evidence from a social justice perspective , further challenging members to think about how the evidence could be applied to make practice more equitable .
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Ros , how do you think your skills as an occupational therapist applied to the public affairs team ?
For me , working at RCOT , particularly in the professional practice team , almost felt like being an occupational therapist to occupational therapists .
I found myself using my theoretical base every day , and speaking about it in meetings , as well as using it in the work I was engaged in .
During my university studies I took a real interest in the broader scope of occupational therapy exploring ideas of society inclusion and participation ( Whiteford and Hocking 2012 ). Through this internship I got an opportunity to use my knowledge to engage in some of the work that goes into shifting ideas , influencing policy and shaping the conversation .
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Finally , Sherri , what is your biggest takeaway from the internship ?
Confidence . From this internship , I have found confidence in myself , but most notably in our profession .
Occupational therapy is a unique profession . It is young , it is versatile , and it is filled with passionate people . I would love to see greater engagement between members and RCOT , whereby we use the influence of RCOT and members ’ expertise to share knowledge , advocate for our professional identity and expand outside of the healthcare sector .
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Whiteford G and Hocking C ( 2012 ) Occupational science : Society , inclusion , participation . Chichester , West Sussex : Wiley-Blackwell
Words ROSALIND BROOKS and SHERRI KAPADIA . Hear more in OT and Chill episode 51 https :// podcasts . apple . com / gb / podcast / otchill / id1482376094 or follow
@ OT _ withSherri @ bobalind
January 2022 OTnews 57