With September being the traditional month to start Uni and many professional courses. This months blog will explore the whole issue about professionalism, what it is, and how to be a professional occupational therapist.

In my previous blog we discussed the impact of appearance, hair colour, tattoos and piercings. While appearance is one thing attitude is completely another.

As an occupational therapist we are mostly working with vulnerable service users/clients/patients. One of the most fundamental core abilities of a therapist is to be non judgemental and empathetic.

So let’s just look at both of those concepts that can be glibly trotted out by therapists.

Starting with empathy, for me this is the crucial skill for any therapist, especially a client centred OT.

We are so often starting with quotas, targets and bed blocking that we can forget that we are actually working with people.

Empathy is about observing and listen to the concerns of another person. Imagine for a moment that they were you and you were them, actually longer than a moment if you wish carry out a reflection on this.

So you have actually swapped roles? How would you want them to speak to you? How would they show you they were listening to your concerns. Stay in their shoes, sometimes it’s uncomfortable but highly necessary. What is their story? How have they got to this point? This is the beginning of becoming empathetic and client centred in your practice. Seeing the world through someone else’s perspective rather than your own.

We like to think everyone’s world is a bit like ours, but take any task and break it down and ask three people to describe what they do and you will see how slightly differently everyone does something mundane like boiling an egg, a morning routine, including going to the toilet, brushing teeth, getting dressed.

These are some of the many the crucial components to independent living. Goals are vital as OTs we can identify with the clients the most valuable one to them. Then you can to start the whole process of developing a therapeutic relationship with them. Not goals we think will be useful or valuable.

This is where empathy and non judgemental attitudes come in. It’s vital to remember those attitudes all of your working day, week and year is not about you, the process or the system it is about a person. A person who could be you!

Try that reflection today and write down where you were empathetic and non judgemental with each person you came in to contact with.

A great exercise and clear evidence of Standard 4 of the HCPC requirements.

Of all the battles Occupational Therapists have to fight, and there are many of them, for me the abbreviation of our name is the very last thing we need to worry about.

Our first battle is that very few people have even heard about us, let alone have any idea of the outstanding life changing work that we do. Apart from that is the people who’s lives we change, quietly and steadily.

Our next battle is to listen, really listen to what our clients want, not what we think they need, or equally importantly what the system says they need. We can then work with them side by side supporting them in their goals. We can think of inventive and creative ways to enable our clients to put one step forward when sometimes they can’t even see a path ahead, to quote one of my own clients.

We battle to find the beginning of the piece of string with someone. To start the journey at the smallest step so there cannot be failure. We do that by using our professional skills effectively including our unique analysis of activities. We watch, we observe, we keep on listening and communicating.

We battle to work with others to challenge the notion that they are the experts in their own condition not us as health care professionals. We are their advocate, and they in turn will advocate for us.

All the people we work with have needs or are vulnerable in some way. If all they can manage to call me is OT, after they have had a stroke, head injury, are experiencing chronic pain, unable to read or write, or process clearly through a fog of drugs etc, etc. As long as they know OT means I am genuine, authentic, believe in them 100% and have made a difference to their lives, I will take that and be a proud OT.
I for one don’t care if people call me an occupational therapist or an OT, there are so many other important battles to fight.

Please get in touch I would love to hear from you margaret@ot360.co.uk

This is the third blog in a series of three in which we walk through the steps of the interview process. Applying for a job, preparing for the interview and finally this blog your performance at the interview.

To bring you up to speed.. you saw the advert, read the job description produced a high quality application that highlighted all of the key qualities that the post required, you were shortlisted and now you have been invited for interview, for which you are prepped and ready to go.

So before the big day dawns yet more preparation.

Where is the interview? If it’s local then you can go to the location, if possible, go at the same time as you will need to go for the interview. This will help with timing and make sure you are not doing a handbrake turn in to building seconds before your interview.

It’s always a good idea to have a visit if possible before the interview for the reasons just mentioned but also to get more information to help with your preparation and so the environment feels more familiar. It will also mean you have tried the route, know where to park or where to get off and on the bus. You will realise how long the journey takes, and if it’s an additional ten min walk once in the building, where the toilets are etc etc. If you can’t manage any of these don’t worry you can do as much detective work as possible via information on the website, and leave contingency time.

The big day arrives, your clothes are washed are ready, they don’t have to be expensive as long as they are clean and ironed. You need look like you have made an effort and not just rolled out of bed! Your route is already planned so you know the time it takes for the car or bus and you arrive with 15mins to spare, perfect.

Your name is called, deep breath you walk to the room sit down and the interview begins.

Here are a few things to remember…..

be yourself, you are the unique person they have selected.

it’s fine to say, ‘I am a bit nervous, I have brought my notes/questions etc’.

if you haven’t heard, or don’t understand the question, always ask for clarification, it’s much better than bluffing and not answering.

to sit up straight, maintain eye contact, and don’t fidget, it’s distracting.

this is your time to shine, tell them why you want to work there, and what you can bring within the answers to the questions

the interviewers are writing notes to remember what you say, don’t let it put you off.

the interviewers may be nervous too.

they asked you to interview, so they are interested in what you have to say.

to try and ask a question at the end if there is an opportunity it shows and understanding and interest in the job and organisation.

I wish you luck. If you get the job congratulations, if not, dust yourself down, ask for feedback and move on with a positive plan.

Any comments, suggestions please don’t hesitate to get in contact margaret@ot360.

I would love to hear how it went.

This is the second blog in a series of three in which we walk through the steps of the interview process. From the previous blog, applying for a job, to this one preparing for the interview and finally next month your performance at the interview.

Great news!

Your application form was shortlisted and you have been invited for interview.

So we are preparing for the interview for your new job as an occupational therapist. The first thing we need to think about is the client. Who will be you will mostly be working with, people with mental health issues, people who have had a brain injury or stroke, people with learning disabilities etc etc you get the idea?

First of all from your CPD file, check ruthlessly, identify anything that could illustrate how you can do the job from the person specification. Then moving on, what are the relevant NICE guidelines? Is there a Royal College of Occupational Therapy Briefing Paper? Examine any Government legislation that may have impacted on this area of work. What is the most recent, relevant and thought provoking piece of research that is relevant to your new job? Not forgetting an international perspective ( you want the job don’t you..?). What current research articles are there in Canada, Sweden, or Australia etc for your client group?

The reason you are doing this research is believe it or not to reduce your anxiety. You should now have a good working knowledge and understanding of the context of your new job. That information alone will give you a head start and help you feel more confident. You may not even use it but it’s there to say , ‘Yes there is information about that in….eg the RCOT (Royal College of Occupational Therapists) Briefing Paper..’ is valuable and shows you have done your homework.
Some interviews can involve a task or presentation. I know most people hate presentations but it is a means to an end so we just have to crack on. Try and take some pressure of yourself with some positive self talk. Think about a short and sharp presentation, include some of the info we have discovered. Practice the presentation, on your own, in front of the dog/friends/family until it feels natural, remember this is something you have worked towards for years. Let the interviewers feel your passion, see your motivation and hear your enthusiasm!

Finally before we finish just check, have the interviewers asked for a CPD file? In practice not many interviewers do, there simply isn’t the time to open them and plough through a lever arch file of plastic wallets. Try and find out before you if its going to be required before you get out your trolley to lug it to the interview. Anything relevant should already be in your statement/presentation or you should have the info at your finger tips ready to illustrate all the skills from the job description/person specification. Phew all ready..?

Next time: The Interview.

As the year marches on, we come to the beginning of Spring and the end of the financial year budgets. Within many organisations resources are reviewed, rotations rotate and the gaps in services are identified by managers look to fill new or existing posts and put them out for advert.

Simultaneously students in their final year begin to have a dawning realisation that the end is actually in sight and shock, horror they will have to start applying for jobs. Other levels of staff will also think about if they should stay in their current post, move clinical areas or try for a promotion.

This first blog in a series of 3 walks you through the steps in that process.

First of all though I have to tell you what happened when I went for my first OT job interview.

Unbelievably now, the District OT came to meet me at the train station and drove me back to the hospital. She then took me for lunch and after that we had the interview. I was the only candidate, I got the job and she drove me back to the station. How times change….

Now the interview applicants are capped after the xx person and obviously you have to make your own way there and back mostly without even a hint of a cup coffee.
That said, if this is the job you want, you need to get that interview and in order to do that, you have to stand out from the competition. The first step in this process is the production of a high quality application.

It’s important for you to demonstrate to the interviewer/s that you have the qualities that they are looking for. The qualifications for the applications will be pretty much the same for whoever is applying. The personal statement is the thing to get you in front of the interview panel. The first thing to do is to is to print off the job description and highlight all of the key qualities that the post requires.
Everything highlighted has to be mentioned and evidence provided to illustrate how you have/could carry it out. This means you will have had covered all their criteria and added some more of your own. You should have examples either from your assessment booklets if you are a student or from your supervision records if you are already qualified. If the job descriptions go on for pages try and combine groups of similar activities.

Think about you, your strengths, what would you bring to the organisation, department and team. This is not a time to be shy, this is a time to tick boxes and sell yourself to someone who doesn’t know you, and never will if you don’t tick all the criteria for shortlisting.
Before you hit the send button, re read, check for typos, ask someone to read it through and use your job description as a checklist against your application form.

Everything included? ✔️ good to go.

Next preparing for the interview……..

Any comments, suggestions please don’t hesitate to get in contact margaret@ot360. I look forward to hearing from you.

How busy are your days?

Do you feel overwhelmed and question the quality of your work?

Having each day over filled is not the best way to work and doesn’t give the best quality occupational therapy to your service users/ clients/ patients.

Do you feel or know you have more tasks to do than there are hours in your day?

So why do you need to say no more often?

Because having every day spinning more and more plates means eventually one will break.

Because if there is no time for reflection, you will continue to repeat the same mistakes.

Because you owe it to yourself and your service user to have a quality experience. In order to do that you will need time to reflect and plan.

Because the delivery of a quality service is a requirement of your HCPC registration.

Because you need time to plan and work out what you need to do on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis to deliver an excellent service.

Because having time for quality supervision is essential and enables you to negotiate what is required to deliver a quality service.

Because occupational therapy is all about activity analysis, task analysis and goal setting so you should practice this with yourself before recommending a balanced life to others.

Because it is essential to allow time to measure and record your outcomes or you are not proving the need for your service.

Because you want to have a sense of achievement rather than a sense of anxiety and stress at the end of each day.

Because you should be able to cost your individual work and know exactly what your organisation is paying for.

A little give and take occasionally is fine but don’t forget at the end of the pay check you are an employee not a volunteer.

I make no apologies for returning to my marketing Occupational Therapy soap box for the first blog of the year.

On the train on the way home from London after our shopping expedition to Oxford St last week with my daughter, I was reading the back of packet of sandwiches plain ham and cheese that she had bought. It had been a long day I was tired..!

Anyway, on the back of the packet it said and I quote, ‘Honey roast British ham with farmhouse cheddar cheese, full fat soft cheese and seasoned mayonnaise on oatmeal bread.’

I think that most Occupational Therapists I know are guilty of apologetically explaining Occupational Therapy as the plain old ham and cheese sandwich.

We are moving into a different public health arena where some of you will be presenting tenders to commissioners for your own jobs, or doing it as part of a m ultimate disciplinary team.

At the moment the College of Occupational Therapy are promoting our services to the government as fantastic value for money, even money savers. As Occupational Therapists we are well aware of the value for money that we provide and for the client centred approach that we actually deliver and which most other health care professionals now argue to promote, but don’t always deliver.

So what makes us special? We really need to spell it out with bells on if we are to secure our place in the new emerging health care sectors.

We need to be ready to fully articulate our unique role with the client or service user, not JUST an Occupational Therapist but…….have a go at inserting your own with bells on personalised quote in here, to reflect your role in the ever complex health care that we are providing.

Imagine you are selling to someone with no knowledge of either the health service or occupational therapy. Someone who wanted to market you to people who have no idea who you are or what you do.

I have just had to do this recently to someone that I met at the Occupational Therapy Show. They were from product development, and kind of thought they needed an Occupational Therapist but not sure exactly why. They had absolutely no idea what a band 5/6/7 meant in terms of differences in wages and job descriptions. They didn’t know what CPD meant or why we required supervision, what it was, how often it was needed

This was my initial attempt,

‘……a fully qualified health care professional registered with the Health Care Professions Council with a degree in Occupational Therapy who delivers bespoke solution focused functional occupation based interventions which are meaningful for clients through specialised person centred assessment of need, prioritisation of client led goals leading to agreed outcomes which can be measured.

I would love to hear what you come up with.

Email them to me on margaret@ot360.co.uk I will look forward to reading them, or any comments you have.

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!

WORLD OT DAY

Our strap line should be ‘You can with Occupational therapy’, …simply the best profession.

Obviously I am a little biased having been an occupational therapist for over 30 years.

Through out this time I have maintained my passion and enthusiasm about the profession and its role in society. With the work I do I am in contact with occupational therapy in all its breadth and depth, on a daily basis. From the undergraduate students tentative first day at University at the beginning of their career, sharing their light bulb moments along the way, to the educator with thirty years experience doing, being, and becoming and my own clinical work with clients I see the unique qualities and value of Occupational therapy.

On #World OT day this is the day, if one is needed, to be loud and proud about your profession.

We often work alongside people to explore what they can do, let’s just pause for a moment to think about why occupational therapy is such a great profession.
Identify what we can do, write down your own top ten reasons and see how many overlap…

Occupational Therapists can;

Work with a wide and diverse range of clients because we are dual trained and can be employed anywhere and everywhere there are people.

As a protected title, register on the Health Care Practitioner’s Council assuring the general public we are safe to practice.

Explore a range of clinical areas on a rotational post and gain a broad grounding in a range of areas

Specialise from the first day of employment

Work where ever we like, the list is endless

Start our own business

Develop a service from scratch

Quickly identify service user need

Assess the environment and occupation and the relationship between the two

Explore the world from the perspective of another person

I spend a great deal of my working days explaining what occupation
al therapy is to students, professionals and the general public.

I find a great way to do this is to get the person or organisation to identify the top ten challenges they currently have, and then I explain what occupational therapist can do for them.

I often find that occupational therapy is the missing piece of a jigsaw in an organisation or department.

This morning I was exploring the potential for an occupational therapy role between a GP practice and a social prescribing organisation. The missing link between the two organisations was an occupational therapist. A health care professional with an understanding of both the medical and social model of disability. Occupational Therapists are able to assess complex needs, prioritise, identify interventions and measure outcomes.

As occupational therapists we spend our lives exploring other people’s potential.

On World OT day take time to shine that light on yourself and celebrate what you can do as an occupational therapist and the potential impact occupational therapy could have not only in your town and country but in every area of the globe.

Drop me a line I would love to hear from you margaret@ot360.co.uk and hear your thoughts

 How do I know occupational therapy is value for money?

Welcome to Septembers blog the final one in the series of five, looking at the core components of Occupational Therapy. Last month we looked at goal setting and what it means for your practice. This month, we will be looking at outcome measures and will be linking your reflections and evidence to the HCPC standards.

What I would like you to do now is to take a few moments to reflect on your outcomes this month.

Maybe prioritise two or three times you could really identify that you made a difference, and that you thought that Occupational Therapy intervention was meaningful and valuable for your patient or client, and value for money for the service.

There are many different ways to measure this. Identify one time where you think it went really well, it was crystal clear what your role was and what a difference you made to the person, and most importantly think about how you captured that information?

In relation to those outcomes,, how would you rate your ability to communicate your role and the difference you made to the person, team and the organisation?

It’s great to make a difference but if no one knows that you made a difference, what it was, and you are unable to measure it then why employ an OT?

Take a moment to reflect on the outcome measure that you use on a daily basis.

I recently had feedback from a nurse that the patient had been to OT and had a cognitive score of 30. Really? What does that mean? Who is it useful for? How does it illustrate the value of occupational therapy?

Ok, let’s rate your skills, you should be getting good at this by now.

Look at your outcome measures the one you identified earlier, what information does it give to the client, what information does it give to other members of staff and what information does it give to the organisation? Is the same information or is it in different formats for each group?

Do they scream ‘WOW what a difference Occupational Therapy has made?’ Do they  indicate that Occupational Therapy is invaluable? If not they need to!

How could you do that?  When can you start?

As I stated earlier, your practice and your service delivery should be underpinned by making a difference to people’s lives. How you do this will be different for each person but it needs to be embedded in your practice.

It is essential you capture the difference Occupational Therapy has made or quite simply why buy it?

Well done.

You have managed to take time out of your busy schedule to review and reflect on your current practice.

In relation to HCPC standards, you have:

• Reflected on your practice and documented your action plan

• Identified clear evidence of how your goal setting has benefited the service user in your future practice

• You have reviewed your current practice and ensured your goal setting is client centred rather than organisation centred.

• Identified any changes required in the quality of your service delivery.

If you have any thoughts, questions or queries, I would love to hear from you.

margaret@ot360.co.uk