I am just on the way home from this years OT show at the NEC Birmingham.

I had a fantastic day and met loads of wonderful Occupational Therapists. The great staff at RIG invited me to do a couple of stints on their stand as they had collated some of my blogs into a free CPD booklet. Hope you managed to get a copy? If not you can access them on the RIG website.

A number of Occupational Therapists were interested in locuming or more importantly getting away from their current working environment. Although some Occupational Therapists who came to the stand were already locuming there were many who seemed really anxious about the idea.

If you are thinking about moving out of the NHS maybe locuming is where you should be going?

Or could you become an independent practitioner?

Many of you said that, time after time at work you are being asked to do things that you don’t agree with, or that you could do them better, smarter, quicker and cheaper but no one will listen.

Well you know what, they will, if you just speak louder and to the right people.

Have the courage of your convictions, and believe that there is life outside the NHS contract, but start small.

Get together with other people who share your views, sit down identify how many years experience you have between you. Make a list of the gripes that you have with the current service you are delivering.

Now the exciting bit on another piece of paper identify all your knowledge, skills and abilities as a group of people, and do not tell me that Occupational Therapy is common sense!

What makes you unique? What do you deliver? What difference does it make?

Now go back to your gripes list and explore how you would do it if you were in charge, keep it simple, smart and clear.

Next make a list of who needs your services. Who holds the money to pay for them council/GP/commissioning groups ?

How much could you charge, remember you need to eat, pay the bills, run a car etc

Try and explore the market rate. Google similar services check out your local Physios, are there any independent Occupational Therapists in your geographical area? Any CBT therapists, life coaches etc What do they all charge? What do their websites look like?

Great start.

Remember you don’t have to leave your current job, try to look at condensed hours to free up a little time. If you are going to have more freedom, autonomy and control you need to work in a different way. You need to love it so that it doesn’t feel like work.

Think about what you could do, how could you achieve that.

So what will you be doing this time next year? Same old, same old or something new and excitingly?

Save the date OT Show NEC Birmingham 22nd and 23rd November 2017

See you there!