Occupational Therapy News OTnews January 2019 | Page 3

A s has become the custom, this first issue of 2019 carries the Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ Annual Review 2018, with comment from both chief executive Julia Scott and chairman of council Patricia McClure, who both cast their minds back over the year’s successes, for the Royal College, its members, and the profession as a whole, alike. The review also looks at the organisation’s steadily growing impact on social media – with statistics showing by what percentage our social media channels increased by, which posts had the greatest reach, how the website is performing and what new initiatives were launched over the year. And if you aren’t already aware of all the main pieces of work the Royal College has and continues to be involved in, the review brings you all the key highlights of 2018; from the publication of new guidance and reports, developments in the ongoing Improving Lives, Saving Money campaign, to the launch of the new Strategic Intentions for 2018-2023, it’s all here in a month-by-month digest. Turn to page 47 to read more. Back to this issue, and looking forward to 2019 and all the opportunities the new year might bring for members and the profession, pages 14 to 17 focus on the vacancies coming up on council and the RCOT Board: Learning and Development. If you’re ready for a leadership role or new challenge this year, then standing for election to BAOT/RCOT council could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for. But if standing for election to RCOT’s governing council isn’t quite what you are looking for, then what about joining one of our boards? New and outgoing members of the RCOT Board: Learning and Development explain why taking up such an opportunity is so vital to both the profession and for your own personal development. In features this issue we cover a wide range of practice areas. First, on page 20, occupational therapist Dawn Corse and physiotherapist Nansi Felton tell us how and why a pilot role emerging placement for physiotherapy students was set up within the South Gloucestershire Care Home Liaison Team. The team, they say, is often limited to ‘borrowing’ time from a physiotherapist in a sister team, or relying on community services, so the placement seemed like an ideal way to bridge a gap in services. Read on to see how the first two students fared (page 20). Still within the sphere of student education, this month’s cover feature, on page 24, sees Terri Grant and Alison Blank explain how students at University of Worcester have been encouraged to push their own boundaries to help them think about how clients may feel when asked to do something outside of their comfort zone. On page 42, Sophie Cook and Joe Scoble look at the positive outcomes from establishing a gardening group in a specialist amputee rehabilitation setting, while on page 18, Lynsey Drysdale and Claire Boyle explain why and how NHS Lanarkshire’s mental health occupational therapy service has been delivering behavioural activation groups. Finally, are you looking for advice on supporting your team to engage in and with research? On page 34, we offer some top tips from managers who are already doing it. editor’s comment Tracey Samuels, Editor If you have any feedback about this issue of OTnews, or would like to contribute a short article or feature for a future publication, please email me at: [email protected]