ANNUAL CONFERENCE REPORT
Occupational therapists ’ skills and experience are needed more now than ever before , says RCOT chief executive Steve Ford
In closing the hugely successful RCOT 44th annual conference – chief executive Steve Ford ’ s overall summary of the two-days was : ‘ Wow ! What a conference .’
Just three months ago , Steve joined the Royal College and set himself the challenge of having ‘ 100 conversations in 100 days ’ with members – # TalktoSteve – and he used the opportunity of the final plenary to share his reflections on what he has learned from members so far , and to share his new and exciting vision for the future of the organisation .
‘ There is a real sense that now is the time for occupational therapy ,’ he said proudly . Recognising that all of the issues and challenges facing society today , and the policy drivers in all four countries , are in all the areas where occupational therapist work , he said : ‘ All the stars are aligning ’.
‘ The key part of leadership is making sure that you are regularly listening to your community ,’ he stressed .
His first reflection was around understanding the breadth and diversity of the profession . ‘ It ’ s been amazing to see the impact of occupational therapy in so many areas ,’ he said . ‘ But that ’ s part of the challenge . People talk about the constant and exhausting task of defining occupational therapy ... there is a real sense that it is easier for other professions to describe what they do .’
His second reflection was that ‘ occupational therapists love their job !’ He said : ‘ I ’ ve seen so much passion and enthusiasm ; people want to be involved [ with RCOT ] and they are cautiously optimistic about the future .’
What does ‘ senior ’ or ‘ experienced ’ member look like when it comes to joining Council ? Is it years qualified or the impact of your work ? It ’ s not really about how long you have been in post , or what areas you have worked in , but about what you can bring to the role and how you can contribute .
RCOT Council members
Steve Ford
But , he said in his third observation , ‘ people feel like the underdog – other professions are better at grasping the opportunities .’ Other important issues that have become clear during his 100 conversations include that ‘ there are so many impressive leaders who are influential in their local systems , but they don ’ t always feel connected with or supported by the Royal College ’.
‘ Is RCOT ahead of the game ?’ he mused . ‘ Are we standing alongside them , or lagging behind ?’
When it comes to research , he said that the profession needs a stronger evidence base to position itself and its interventions . He noted that the profession is changing , saying ‘ newer recruits are more confident and demanding ’ – and he made it clear that the equality , diversity and inclusion agenda is widely seen as vital .
Finally , he shared some detail on a new strategy and direction for the professional body , posing the questions : Are we clear what the opportunities are over the next 10 years ? What do we want to achieve ? Where does leadership for the profession sit ? How can RCOT bring everyone together around the table ?
The new strategy is all about ‘ how we present ourselves ,’ he said . It ’ s about ‘ how we connect everyone up so that you feel your voice and contribution is really important ’. It ’ s also about the membership offer and being relevant to the whole occupational therapy community .
‘ How do we grasp the biggest opportunities ? How do we get occupational therapy on the front foot ?’ he asked .
‘ I ’ m really excited about the future ,’ he said in conclusion . ‘ Occupational therapy is a fantastic profession – occupational therapists ’ skills and experience are needed more now than
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ever before .’
Occupational therapists are good at thinking about people in the 3D – person , environment , occupation – so how are we applying this to consider what people ’ s barriers are and supporting them to overcome them ?
Lauren Walker RCOT professional adviser
OTnews July 2021 21