Workforce reform
RCOT ’ s new blog series aims to share stories that attract , engage and retain talent within the profession . Here , we focus on four students , eight weeks and 118 completed assessments .
Workforce reform
Feature
The Student Project
RCOT ’ s new blog series aims to share stories that attract , engage and retain talent within the profession . Here , we focus on four students , eight weeks and 118 completed assessments .
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HS England has funded RCOT ’ s workforce reform 2024 programme , as part of its ongoing education reform priorities for the allied health professions . This investment from NHS England ’ s Workforce Training and Education Directorate supports our efforts to advance occupational therapy through four areas of work , between June 2024 and March 2025 .
As part of this work , our new blog series , ‘ OT in action : real stories , real impact ’, highlights the personal journeys of occupational therapy students and practitioners , showcasing how occupational therapy transforms lives across social care and the justice system .
These stories feature innovative , occupationcentred practices and highlight the diverse career paths for future occupational therapists .
This series is designed to attract , engage and retain talent within the profession . By spotlighting these journeys , we ’ re demonstrating the value of occupational therapy in opening doors to varied and impactful career opportunities .
Here we meet Hasan Ishaq , Advanced Practitioner Occupational Therapist , and Qasim Suleman , Occupational Therapist at Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council , who share how ‘ The Student Project ’ has supported four occupational therapy students to assess the needs of 118 people , over eight weeks , significantly reducing the waiting list .
This collaborative approach , centred on peer support and joint supervision , demonstrates the potential of team-based placements to enhance occupational therapy education and service delivery .
The concept
Initially , supervising two students simultaneously felt routine , but the University of Huddersfield considered it exemplary , inviting me ( Hasan ) to present on the experience .
Inspired by this success , I Hasan Ishaq aimed to scale the approach by collaborating with four students and another occupational therapist to create a collaborative , team-based placement model .
Rather than traditional one-on-one placements , this project aimed to foster a team environment where students could learn not only Qasim Suleman from educators but also from one another . I partnered with Qasim and received approval from management . Thus , we began planning the project .
The goal was to explore whether a proportionate assessment pathway could reduce waiting times , accelerate equipment provision and prevent ongoing care needs . We also wanted to test the benefits of a collaborative placement approach in modern social care , focusing on group reflection , peer support , and joint supervision to enrich the students ’ learning .
Induction week
Before the project began , we introduced students to the project via telephone calls , highlighting two key focus areas , bathing and access , as it was not feasible to cover the entire scope of social services occupational therapy practice within an eight-week placement .
We completed practical tasks , such as setting up IT access and ID badges , in advance . The first week served as an induction , covering the occupational therapy process , relevant policies , an equipment training session led by practice educators at the University of Huddersfield , and a role-play session for the students to practise their assessment skills .
This week prepared the students to handle occupational therapy cases related to equipment
12 OTnews November 2024