Staying connected as an occupational therapist
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C linical supervision is an essential part of clinical governance . Improving the quality of clinical supervision is useful for assuring high standards of care and compliance to clinical governance .
St Cuthbert ’ s Hospice , Durham , and Willow Burn Hospice , Lanchester , are neighbouring service providers in North Durham . Both are independent hospices , varying in population size and service provision . Both work together and with local health and social care services to deliver specialist palliative care services to the community .
Each hospice has occupational therapists within their multidisciplinary teams . Willow Burn Hospice has a generic post of Family Support Co-ordinator in its multidisciplinary team ; the current post holder is an occupational therapist .
St Cuthbert ’ s Hospice employs an occupational therapist in a clinical role and at present , the Day Services Manager is a registered occupational therapist . Like many occupational therapists , these post holders find themselves as sole practitioners .
Reflecting on their own situations and recognising the need for new ways of learning to support their continuing professional development , those in post working on both sites reached out to one another in late 2022 and started a supervision collaborative .
David McLoughlin shares an initiative to improve supervision through a collaborative initiative
Joanne Snowdon , Family Support Co-ordinator at Willow Burn explains : ‘ I became interested in occupational therapy while a carer for my husband , following his diagnosis with a brain tumour .
‘ After qualifying , I worked with people with neurological conditions . In 2015 , I went on a maternity break , returning to work in 2019 . I became employed at the hospice in this generic role .
‘ Although a generic role , this has enabled me to use my transferrable skills , while working with people living with a life-limiting illness , people at the end of their lives and those living with bereavement .
November 2024 OTnews 41