To deliver the change required and make our Workforce Strategy vision a reality, we need all our members to feel equipped to take on their role, talk confidently about occupation and the unique role of occupational therapy in health and care.
You can reinvigorate your knowledge and understanding of occupation through attending our member-only 'Complexity of Occupation’ lecture series.
Six lectures, included within your membership, will be held between October and December 2024 each focussing on our core principle – occupation.
Each lecture will be supported by a follow-up discussion café, providing a space to reflect on the lecture and your next steps to put learning into action.
Find out more and claim your space at rcot.co.uk/complexity-occupation
Samantha Turner, independent occupational therapist, educator and lecture series lead, says:
‘I’m delighted to share with you an upcoming continuing professional development (CPD) opportunity that I have the privilege of leading on behalf of RCOT.
Why focus on occupation? It’s simple. Occupation is our unique contribution as occupational therapists, however many of us struggle with confidence, articulation and application of occupation-centred practice. This lecture series aims to address these challenges head-on.
We believe that by providing invigorating, informative, and applicable lectures, we can equip our members with the tools they need to put occupation at the forefront of their practice. This is not just about enhancing individual skills, but about elevating our entire profession. By becoming more confident and articulate in occupation, we can better support those we serve and contribute to a broader social movement within OT.
Professor Katrina Bannigan powerfully articulated this vision in her recent Elizabeth Casson Memorial Lecture. She emphasised the need for a social movement within OT, one where we boldly champion the transformative power of occupation. She made it clear that ‘we need to shape the narrative of occupation’ and these lectures will be a fantastic opportunity to increase our confidence in doing just that. '
Despite occupation being the unique contribution of our profession, many of us can find it challenging to maintain occupation at the forefront of our practice. As a professional development team, we understand these challenges. We strongly advocate for all occupational therapists to feel skilled and confident in their ability to demonstrate an occupationally focussed approach to their practice throughout their career journey to advance the profession and your own professional development. We’ve developed this CPD opportunity to help you recognise, reflect and record your learning, and the ongoing impact for your professional practice, the quality of your service and the benefit to your services users.
Hannah Halliwell, Professional Development Manager
These lectures are not just about learning; they are about inspiration and empowerment. After each lecture, we’ll host an online café-style session to encourage informal discussion, debate and exploration of how to apply what you've learned to a range of contexts. This will be a great chance to deepen your understanding and connect with fellow professionals.
If you ever wish you’d had an opportunity to revisit some of your university lectures or have some time to focus on core occupational therapy theory, this is the lecture series for you! We are providing an opportunity for occupational therapy practitioners to come together. Each lecture, supporting café and resources provides an opportunity to have a shared learning experience with your colleagues. I’d encourage you to watch the lectures with colleagues or OT friends and then come along to our discussion café or host your own to take forward your learning and actions. How will this (re-)learning reinvigorate you, shape your practice and enhance your ability to promote our unique contribution as occupational therapists? Let’s keep the conversation going and increase your confidence to articulate the essence of what occupational therapy is all about.
Carolyn Hay, Head of Education
To find out more about each lecture and to book your place visit rcot.co.uk/complexity-occupation