Retired members
Feature by : either including them in a training matrix for a discipline / area of work , or highlighting them for regular training opportunities ; identifying key people within alternative professions / services to take the lead ; or looking at improving connections between teams , ward-based teams and between professions , to see if these could be improved with simple steps .
Post-retirement , I began to explore my own boundaries , beliefs and motivators as a therapist and started with a period of professional selfreflection .
I would recommend anyone in a similar position to start at this point and follow this on with a personal skills analysis : What do I do that others will need to do when I retire ? What do I do that makes effective relationships work ?
The information provided by this period of reflection and examination of experience and skills will support your manager and team to identify learning needs and skill gaps within services , for example : offer to mentor colleagues for a limited period around retirement ; offer long-arm supervision to support a vacancy / recruitment period ; and offer support for new incumbents to post .
It is unlikely that there will be any crossover , but Zoom / MS Teams , or telephone links may ease the transition .
Much has been discussed by HEE around staff retention for occupational therapists and AHPs in the latter stage of their career and from reviewing accounts and literature on Twitter , I understand that many of these ideas have been expanded and utilised as a way of supporting AHPs nearing retirement age , encouraging a positive approach to staff retention .
There are now direct routes to encourage returning staff to re-enter the Health and Care Professions Council register , and this has become more pertinent with the impact on staffing due to COVID-19 .
A year on
Retirement activities and my obvious ‘ retired-ish ’ status have culminated in a point where I have active involvement in several areas of staff and service development , all of which have emanated from social media , and predominantly my Twitter community .
These include : links with Glasgow Caledonian University in supporting placement hours , by simulation / role-playing for online assessments ; and providing long-arm supervision for two students in role-emerging placements for the University of Plymouth , in conjunction with Devon Training Hub ( DevonCPEP ), Devon County Council and HEE ( South West ).
I was ready to leave work , but not to stop being an occupational therapist , and this was an opportunity to reconnect more strategically with the profession .”
In addition , I have been busy linking in and networking with HEE professionals , working with the Elizabeth Casson Trust , to look at legacy in healthcare and how retired AHPs can support students , newly-qualified practitioners and working AHPs with mentoring , and also engaging with RCOT , through discussion with chief executive Steve Ford .
Other things I have been involved in include reviewing research proposals for the National Institute for Health Research , contributing to a podcast , and founding and curating a group on Facebook for long arm supervision .
I also support charities , review patient leaflets for my local trust ’ s communications team on a voluntary basis , and belong to different groups for retired occupational therapists .
Creating online awareness
One of the major developments and achievements in my early retirement was setting up and curating @ RET _ AHPs , a Twitter account for retired occupational therapists and AHPs .
The account offers a forum for multi-directional discussions and at its heart offers its community a platform for camaraderie , compassion and togetherness . As its curator , the suggested aims for the page are that anyone can contribute , suggest a pathway for the page , and direct its content – the conversation is universal . Until otherwise advised , the objectives are to :
• Support therapists and AHPs transitioning to retirement and those who are ‘ resting ’ from active practice while juggling other life priorities .
• Give a voice to and engaging with those who have retired by encouraging voices and experiences that are available to support the current and future workforce of AHPs .
• Advocate for retirees , informing future retirees and those in late-stage careers using # RetiredNotRetiring .
• Champion the current workforce as # LegacyMentors with coaching , mentoring , arbitration available , and support those wishing to re-enter , or re-register for work .
July 2022 OTnews 53