This month, our cover story brings you news of a brand-new service, launched at the start of the year in the middle of the UK’s third lockdown, which is very much focused on putting people right at its heart.
Norfolk First Support is 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. Having proved the benefits of occupational therapy within the service with an initial pilot study, the new service was launched county-wide to much success. We hear from Sophie Tooke, who 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 vital support to people at home, we alo talk to Louisa Durose, an occupational therapist at Wrexham County Borough Council, who 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.
Back in October 2018, it was evident that shortfalls in domiciliary care in Wrexham were at a tipping point, presenting a perilous situation for Wrexham citizens at the onset of winter pressures. It was clear that a more seamless and efficient approach was needed between health and social care, and so work began on creating an integrated model of support.
The October issue also features collaboration and development projects. In the first, Gemma Wormald reflects on a collaborative approach to developing a digital tool that aims to support occupational therapy practice. The innovative COG-OT project has gone on to become an award-winning enterprise, and Gemma shares some fascinating learning from the experience of being involved.
In other features, Patty van Rooij explores the standardised assessment tool ‘The Children’s Cooking Task’ and describes yet 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.
And we hear from Kim Jones and Lucy Clarke about an 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.
Occupational Therapy Week 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. In this issue we 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, we talk to this year’s Fellowship, Honorary Fellowship and Merit award winners, and the RCOT Annual Awards and Research Foundation Grant winners, about their nominations and the work that will be supported through the schemes.
Thanks to everyone who contributed. We hope you all enjoy this issue.
OTnews is our monthly membership magazine. As well as the printed copy, you can also view the magazine online. If you would like to share your innovative service developments and reflections on new ways of working in a future issue, why not download the guidance or get in touch with the editor at editorial@rcot.co.uk or Tweet us @OTnews.