She says : ‘ I want to inspire occupational therapists to confidently share and collaborate about their roles in change and improvement ’.
Also joining the group is Dr Maria Avantaggiato-Quinn , who told us : ‘ As Director of AHPs for the North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board , I advocate for the life changing contribution of all 14 of the AHP professions , to transform the quality and safety of health and social care and address inequities .’
Dr Vimal Sriram is a clinical academic and Director of Allied Health Professionals in UHBW , with research interests in mentoring , dementia , assistive technology , quality improvement and mixed-methods based research . He is keen on building capacity and capability and supporting early career researcher development .
Dr Rob Brooks is a healthcare educator , researcher , and leader with a passion for evidence-based practice and innovation in education . Rob has secured funding for research into mental health , occupational formulation , and equality , diversity and inclusion . He serves on an editorial board , and is an experienced advisor , examiner , and supervisor .
Dr Mary Birken is a Clinical Lecturer in Mental Health Sciences and a mental health researcher at the Division of Psychiatry , University College London . She says : ‘ I have experience of working clinically as mental health occupational therapy and conducting research in the area of occupational therapy and mental health .’
Julian Jeyasingh-Jacob , a clinical service lead OT at Imperial NHS Trust , is an OT Research Fellow at Imperial College London . He explores innovative technologies such as in-home sensors and AI for dementia care , advancing occupational therapy and helping to shape health and social care practice in the UK .
Emma Underwood is a Lymphoedema Specialist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust and Honorary Clinical Research Fellow with the South West Clinical School in Cornwall , with the University of Plymouth . She chairs the British Lymphology Society Scientific Committee and is an active member of Kernow CAHPR ( Council for AHP Research ).
Isaac Samuels has lived experience of inequalities associated with their own health and social care support needs . Isaac is passionate about supporting others to overcome these particular barriers and Lived experience of the effects of life-changing health conditions has shaped Isaac ’ s knowledge and approach .
Sienna-Mae Yates told us : ‘ Having autism and ADHD , I have a keen personal interest in occupational therapy research and innovation , as they both play crucial roles in improving patient outcomes .
‘ I have personal experience of accessing these services for myself , via a former employer , for help with my mental health and for elderly family members I have helped care for in the past .’
Meg Donohue is an OT apprentice with Devon Partnership Trust , in their second year of study . Meg explains : ‘ I work within adult learning disability services , where I ’ m deeply passionate about promoting patient-led participation and supporting individuals to take an active role in their own care along .’
And Nadia Mansour is a second-year OT student at Robert Gordon University . She says she is ‘ thrilled ’ to join group and views this as ‘ a wonderful opportunity to expand my knowledge and contribute meaningfully to service improvement ’.
She adds : ‘ I am grateful to be part of such an inclusive environment that upholds strong values and fosters a collaborative , supportive team .’
RCOT colleagues on the group are Dr Gill Ward , RCOT Head of Research and Innovation , Suzy England , RCOT Service Innovation Manager , and Dr Elizabeth Taylor , RCOT Research and Development Manager .
Next steps
We ’ ve analysed the data collected during the strategy shaping phase and are in process of writing the draft strategy with support from our Research and Innovation Advisory Group .
We ’ ll soon be ready for a targeted consultation with members , our expert advisory groups and key stakeholders , to give us their feedback on the draft . We ’ ll be linking with our national Country Advisory Groups , our UK-wide advisory group and Leadership Forum , and our wider research and innovation communities via our new online platform too .
Once the strategy is agreed , we ’ ll be working on the first of a series of three-year action plans to implement it .
R
Royal College of Occupational Therapists ( 2024 ) Workforce strategy 2024 . Available at www . rcot . co . uk / workforce-strategy
Words DR GILL WARD , RCOT Head of Research and Innovation . If you ’ d like more information or want to be involved in the targeted consultation we ’ d love to hear from you . Contact gillian . ward @ rcot . co . uk
Dr Rob Brooks
Dr Mary Birken
Julian Jeyasingh-Jacob
Emma Underwood
Isaac Samuels
Sienna-Mae Yates
Meg Donohue
Nadia Mansour
November 2024 OTnews 15