Awards
Samantha Shann
Samantha Shann is passionate about occupational therapy and has been a strong advocate of the profession and professional associations for 30 years , during which she has held several key voluntary roles at RCOT , including Vice Chair of Council and WFOT Delegate .
Samantha is Director and Occupational Therapist , The OT Service UK , and President of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists ( WFOT ). She qualified in 1992 as an occupational therapist and gained her masters in 2011 . She also holds a post-graduate teaching qualification in academic practice .
Her clinical speciality centres on those with mental health concerns , while her wider role in independent practice involves supervision and mentoring , as well as consultancy to businesses focusing on training and occupational therapy expertise .
It feels a huge honour , if not a little surreal , to receive a Fellowship from RCOT . To be recognised by your peers is very humbling and special .”
Until 2016 , Samantha held the position of senior lecturer at Northumbria University and Samantha remains a regular guest lecturer at various national and international universities .
As WFOT President , she is committed to promoting and advocating for the profession by supporting the development of professional standards and new educational programmes . She is driven Samantha Shann by wanting to create a positive change for the future and has and continues to work alongside therapists in a variety of low , middle and high-income countries , working together in a political manner to effect change at government , institutional and service levels .
She told OTnews on hearing about her award : ‘ It feels a huge honour , if not a little surreal , to receive a Fellowship from RCOT . To be recognised by your peers is very humbling and special .’
Kate Sheehan
Kate Sheehan is a well-respected occupational therapist , with 35 years of clinical experience , having graduated from the Derby School of Occupational Therapy in 1987 .
She is a Director of The OT Service , and her specialist area of practice is accessible housing design , championing the need to understand the meaning of home to an individual and how poorly designed modifications can have a significant impact the wellbeing of our clients .
Kate has been an active member of RCOT and RCOTSS-Housing since its formation , having held posts on its National Executive Committee , including Chair , and has used this platform to develop close links within government to enable her to advocate on the benefits of occupational therapy in housing and the wider built environment .
To this day she continues to work with the Department for Levelling Up , Housing and Communities on the development of an accessible built environment and co-authored the Wheelchair Housing Design Guide for the
Centre for Accessible Environments , published in March 2018 , supported by the then Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government .
She was one of the first occupational therapists to be contracted by a mainstream company to advise on product development for an ageing population , which
During my career I never thought I would be privileged to receive a Fellowship and I am immensely proud and honoured that my colleagues felt my achievements warranted a nomination and selection for the award .”
Kate Sheehan
November 2022 OTnews 55