Occupation matters : OT Week and tools to help you own occupation
OT Week 2023 starts on Monday 6 November and finishes on Sunday 12 November and it ’ s all about ‘ occupation matters ’.
We heard that you feel the value of your expertise isn ’ t always recognised . You also told us that you frequently spend time explaining what occupation is and why it ’ s important . That ’ s why this year , OT Week is going to be about what occupation is and why it matters .
What do we want to achieve together ? By supporting you to talk and consistently about occupation – what it is and why it matters – the people you work with will better understand the role of occupational therapy , its impact and value .
To support you to do that , we ’ re going to help you to talk occupation . You can spread the word about how essential occupation is by using the narrative , conversation starters , posters , social media graphics and email banner . These will all be available on our website from mid-October .
On 6 November we ’ ll also be releasing a short animation . Look out for it on social media and share it widely . These tools will help you talk consistently about occupation so that more people understand why it matters .
Occupation is our superpower ! How are you going to own it ? Look out for our activity calendar , which will be full of suggested actions you can take during OT Week and throughout November . Start thinking now about what you ’ ll be doing . Here are some ideas :
• add occupation to a meeting agenda
• start a conversation with someone new about occupation
• weave occupation into every conversation
• ask someone you meet what occupations they ’ d miss
• use the term occupation in your records
• share with someone the occupation that supports your wellbeing
• ask someone each day what they think occupation means
• update your service information about occupation .
Professions , Trust Head of Profession for Occupational Therapy at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust ; Mary Bamgbade Ogunlayi , Head of ASC Academy / Principal Occupational Therapists at Surrey County Council ; Katrina Bannigan , Professor of Occupational Therapy at Glasgow Caledonian University ; Rochelle Barrett , Occupational Therapy Student at Glasgow Caledonian University ; Anuj Dawar , Improvement Adviser at the Care Inspectorate ; and Jenny Okolo , Mental Health Occupational Therapist , Ted X Speaker and the founder of SASA Mental Health .
Register for the event now and access all the resources listed above at https :// bit . ly / 3Q9JIoo .
Emma Nicklin
Mary Bamgbade Ogunlayi
Katrina Bannigan
Rochelle Barrett
Anuj Dawar
Jenny Okolo
What ’ s stopping you talking about occupation ? Overcome the barriers and come along on 7 November to the ‘ Breaking barriers ’ event , to hear from our expert panel about how they ’ ve overcome the barriers they ’ ve faced in their careers .
The panel includes : Emma Nicklin , Associate Director of Allied Health
10 OTnews October 2023