On Tuesday 7 May 2024, we met with key decision-makers in government, NHS England and other organisations to discuss how to realise our ambitions for the occupational therapy workforce.
The roundtable event brought together people with real influence in the health, social care and education sectors. They were all there to open up a meaningful discussion on how we could work together to realise our ambitions for the occupational therapy workforce.
Getting started
Karin Orman – Director of Practice and Innovation – opened the event and outlined our vision for the occupational therapy workforce and the impact it will have on people’s health. She covered how we plan to optimise the occupational therapy workforce, including career development, retention and workforce planning.
Jo Churchill MP made opening remarks about how her own experiences have inspired her to support all those who work in health and care roles. She also talked about the role occupational therapists play.
Making connections
The attendees then discussed how the occupational therapy workforce could:
- add value to their work priorities
- transition the OT workforce into community settings
- empower employers to access the resources they need to grow a workforce that matches projected population need.
Building ideas
It was a lively and engaged discussion which covered:
- the ways to bring more people into occupational therapy as a career, including later in life
- how to get better workforce data
- the opportunities and challenges of moving towards a community-first model and attracting occupational therapists to that model
- how to increase the variety of placement options for learners
- improvements to leadership opportunities for occupational therapists
- best practice for capturing innovation within the profession.
The discussion concluded with an agreement to continue the conversations and improve the way they collaborate – both immediately and in the longer term – with many taking away specific actions.
The first step in our journey
Guests included Linda Hindle MBE, the Deputy Chief AHP Officer at the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID); Jenny Keane, the Director of Rehabilitation at NHS England; and Matthew Clayton from the Health and Care Professions Council. There were also representatives from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy; the Council of Occupational Therapy Education Directors (COTED); Foundations; King’s Fund; the Royal College of General Practitioners; the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists; Skills for Care; and UNISON.
Making our Workforce Strategy a reality is a priority for us between now and 2035. This is just one of the ways – and the first step on the journey – that we’re starting to have discussions with and influence the people who matter and can make a difference. This includes representatives from all four UK nations. Through this work, we can improve the working lives of our members and the whole occupational therapy workforce.
Full list of attendees:
- Karin Orman, Director of Practice and Innovation, RCOT
- Suhailah Mohamed, Head of Practice and Workforce, RCOT
- Carolyn Hay, Head of Education, RCOT
- Jo Churchill MP
- Jean King, Deputy Director MSK and Health Joint Work and Health Unit, Department for Health and Social Care
- Ashley James, Director of the Practice and Development Directorate, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
- Professor Lesley Collier, Chair, Council of Occupational Therapy Education Directors (COTED)
- Dr Rachel Russell, Senior Regional Advisor - National Advisory Body for Disabled Facilities Grant and Home Improvement Agencies, Foundations
- Matthew Clayton, Policy Lead, Health and Care Professions Council
- Gwyneth Ataderie, Population Health Fellow, King’s Fund
- Sara Bolton, Chief Allied Health Professional – NHSE South East, NHS England and NHS Improvement
- Jenny Keane, Director of Rehabilitation, NHS England
- Julie Read, Strategic Lead for Workforce, Training & Education Programmes, NHS England
- Linda Hindle MBE, Deputy Chief AHP Officer for England and Engagement Lead for Police, Fire and Ambulance Services, Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID)
- Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair, Royal College of General Practitioners
- Judith Broll, Director of Professional Development, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
- Jenny Paton, Director of Strategy, Impact and Policy, Skills for Care
- Nick Entwistle, National Officer – Health Group, UNISON
Read our Workforce Strategy for more information.