RCOT welcomes new Council members , thanks departing volunteers and shares AGM news online
Following this year ’ s Council , elections we can announce that Dr Anita Atwal and Andrea Lothian will join our Council as members for Research and Development and Learning and Development , respectively , and that Odeth Richardson will remain as Chair for another year , after her nomination was unopposed .
Sadly , we say goodbye – along with a big thank you – to Professor Priscilla Harries , Carmel Harney , and Lisa Ledger .
On taking up her new role , we spoke to Anita to find out more about her and what motivated her to become a Council member . ‘ I wanted to make a difference and was always moaning , so I decided to make a difference from the inside ,’ she says . ‘ Watch this space !’
Anita adds that there are ‘ two things she loves most ’ about being an occupational therapist . ‘ First , knowing what we do makes a real positive different to patients and families and second working with OTs – their talent never ceases to amaze me , alongside their kindness and compassion .’
Andrea ’ s main motivation to join Council was around learning opportunities . ‘ It wasn ’ t something that I had really thought about , but I was prompted by the OTnews article calling for new council members . I was drawn to the Learning and Development role as I ’ m currently a Practice Development Occupational Therapist in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde , so it ’ s a good fit .’
Andrea has been an occupational therapist for 30 years and she says she has ‘ always loved working with people and supporting people to maintain and achieve activities that are meaningful for them ’. Adding that ‘ it brings out my creativity too and you just never know where a niggling idea might take you ’.
We also caught up with Odeth to talk about the highlights of her first year in post . She said : ‘ I ’ m particularly proud of the development of our Equity , Diversity and Belonging strategy and the way this has been co-created .
‘ My priority has always been to help engage with all our members and to ensure that equality and inclusion is at the heart of all the work we do . Our consultation on our draft EDB strategy is now open and I encourage everyone to get involved .’
Other highs include being able to meet with a wide range of members and our Annual Conference : ‘ It was brilliant to see the engagement and the breadth and depth of the occupational therapy profession on show . Our reach has been quite significant , so that ’ s one of the things I ’ m proud of .’
You can find out more about all our Council members on our website at : bit . ly / 44aKqGy .
We would also like to thank everyone who attended this year ’ s AGM , with special thanks to Elaine Hunter and Mary McCarron , who were our member facilitators .
If you want to watch the AGM you can see the recording on our website , which includes highlights of the year and Elaine and Mary ’ s interviews with Odeth Richardson , Chief Executive Steve Ford , and the Senior Leadership Team .
AGM minutes with questions asked and answered will also be available on our website www . rcot . co . uk / about-us / governance / agm .
Older People ’ s Housing taskforce launched
A new taskforce will focus on ensuring the government is offering a range of housing options for older people . This will help ensure that the housing market works for older people , now and in the future , and gives them greater choice in where they choose to live .
The Department for Levelling Up , Housing and Communities , working with the Department for Health and Social Care , has brought together a team of experts to lead this crucial work , that will report back to Government on how it can improve housing for older people .
It is hoped that providing homes with support will help reduce costs to the social care and health systems , giving older people more independence in their own homes . Visit bit . ly / 3rbbZRt .
© Centre for Aging Better
12 OTnews July 2023