Part of a first response team that provides a period of support and reablement for people in their own homes for up to six weeks , an initial pilot study proved the benefits of occupational therapy within the service , and so the new service was launched county-wide . On page 38 , Sophie Tooke explains how and why the service was developed , what the feedback has been so far , and how they have overcome some of the challenges thrown up by the pandemic .
Still on the topic of providing support to people at home , on pages 30 and 31 Louisa Durose , an occupational therapist at Wrexham County Borough Council , explains how a pilot Integrated Care Fund project is creating a more seamless service and helping people to live as independently as possible in their own home .
And collaboration and development projects also feature in this issue . On pages 22 to 25 , Gemma Wormald reflects on a collaborative approach to developing a digital tool – COG- OT – that aims to support occupational therapy practice .
While on pages 44 and 45 , Patty van Rooij explores the standardised assessment tool ‘ The Children ’ s Cooking Task ’ and describes another collaborative project to develop and embed the tool as an integral part of the occupational therapy assessment process at the Cambridge Centre for Paediatric Neuropsychological Rehabilitation .
Also in this issue , we hear from Kim Jones and Lucy Clarke about an innovative occupational therapy-led project to tackle domestic abuse , based at and in collaboration with the Domestic Abuse Safety Unit in Wales , to provide upstream , mental health rehabilitation and early intervention ( pages 18 to 21 ).
And on pages 40 to 42 , Merryn Turner talks about setting up a COVID critical care multidisciplinary team follow-up clinic during the first wave of the pandemic . While on pages 26 and 27 , Amy Smith reflects on the first six months of setting up a primary care occupational therapy service , with a focus on student mental health .
October is Black History Month in the UK , and as part of the ongoing work to make RCOT and the occupational therapy community a more inclusive place for we bring you news of two RCOT initiatives to help celebrate the month on page 11 .
And don ’ t forget that Occupational Therapy Week is fast approaching us , and with an overall theme this year of ‘ health equity ’ the Royal College ’ s is poised to launch a brand-new campaign , # OTsForEquity . Taking place between 1 and 7 November this year , we want you to work with us to raise the profile of the fantastic work that you already do to address health equity , so that more people understand the key role that occupational therapists play .
Turn to page 14 to see how you can get involved and to hear from a number of occupational therapists , including Linda Hindle , Deputy Chief AHP Officer for England at the Department of Health and Social Care , about what health equity means to them , and how tackling the factors that create health inequality can start to be achieved as a profession .
And finally , on pages 48 to 57 , we talk to this year ’ s Fellowship , Honorary Fellowship , and Merit Award , and RCOT Annual Awards and Research Foundation Grant winners , about their nominations and the work that will be supported through the schemes .
editor ’ s comment
Tracey Samuels , Editor
If you have any feedback about this issue of OTnews , or would like to contribute a short article or feature for a future publication , please email me at : editorial @ rcot . co . uk