Occupational therapist (degree)

You will be able to:

You will know and understand:

Professional practice of occupational therapy

• Undertake occupational therapy assessment and interventions that demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between occupation and health and wellbeing.
• Select and use appropriate methods to identify occupational strengths and needs, using activity analysis as a core tool of practice. Make use of appropriate standardised and non-standardised assessments and outcome measures to critically analyse the findings.
• Assess, prescribe and facilitate use of equipment, assistive technology, and environmental adaptations when required to enhance occupational function.
• Use observation, verbal and non-verbal communication to gather information about occupational abilities and barriers.
• Use evidence based research, clinical reasoning and problem solving to formulate management plans in collaboration with the person to support occupational performance e.g. preparing a meal/feeding themselves.
• Develop a therapeutic relationship with the person to agree goals, choose specific occupations as therapy, and measure the impact of, and when to cease intervention.
• Analyse, develop or modify therapy and environments to build peoples abilities and enhance occupational performance.
• Conduct assessment or monitoring procedures, interventions, therapy or other actions safely, e.g. equipment provision, environmental adaptation and access to local community.
• Adapt practice to take account of new developments.
• Facilitate group work to address occupational needs that respect and reflect learning and change within communities.

• Key concepts and knowledge base relevant to occupational therapy.
• The origins and development of occupational therapy.
• The philosophical framework for occupational therapy.
• The structure and function of the human body and mind; development, disease, disorder and dysfunction relevant to occupational therapy.
• Theoretical concepts underpinning occupational therapy and occupational science, specifically the functional nature of humans.
• Activity, occupation and their relation to and effect on health, wellbeing and function.
• The occupational therapy process and related terminology, e.g Assessment, intervention and evaluation.
• The analysis and use of activities and occupations as therapy.
• The effects of occupational dysfunction and deprivation on individuals, families, groups and communities; the importance of restoring and facilitating opportunities to achieve health and wellbeing through occupation.
• Social, environmental and work related policies and legislation and their effect on human needs and services within a diverse society.
• The value of diversity and complexity of human behaviour.
• The range of occupations and activities used in intervention and why these should reflect the individual’s occupational needs.
• The value of critical reflection and supervision including the academic underpinning models of critical reflection; the potential of occupational therapy in new and emerging areas of innovative practice.
• The importance of health promotion, prevention and self-management.
• Group dynamics and roles; the importance of capitalising on dynamics within groups and communities to harness motivation and active involvement.

Professional values and behaviours

• Practice within the regulated scope of practice for Occupational Therapists as defined by HCPC and the RCOT.
• Practice as an autonomous occupational therapist assessing a situation and exercising professional judgement.
• Practice with a person centred, strengths-based approach.
• Work safely within your own scope of practice.
• Work within the legislative and governance frameworks in which Occupational Therapy is delivered.
• Recognise and take account of physical, psychological, social, spiritual and cultural needs and diversity of individuals, groups and communities.
• Shape or structure your practice according to recognised theories, frameworks and concepts of occupational therapy, selecting the most appropriate theoretical background.
• Appraise own performance and service delivery, taking account of political, social and economic contexts.
• Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning[i] by actively engaging and taking responsibility for on-going professional development.

• The HCPC Standards of Proficiency^[i], HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics^[ii], COT Standards of Professional Practice^[iii], COT’s Code of Ethics and Conduct[iv] and COT Entry Level Occupational Therapy Core Knowledge and Practice Skills[v]
• How to identify the nature and level of an occupational need using specific occupational focused enquiry and theoretical models for example the Model of Human Occupation or Person-Environment-Occupational Performance model.
• How to apply occupational therapy knowledge, skills and experience in partnership with the person to improve their occupational balance and performance.
• The relationship between occupation, health and wellbeing and the factors that facilitate or challenge participation in occupation.
• The impact of occupational disruption in relation to the occupational performance of the individual, carers, groups and communities, and the value of restoring and creating opportunities for participation in occupation.
• The importance of the impact of culture, equality and diversity on practice; how to adapt practice in creative ways to meet the needs of individuals and groups within the scope of occupational therapy practice in a respectful and dignified manner.

• Act as a leader by sharing a vision of occupational therapy and its value in all that you do to assure the quality of your practice and those for whom you are responsible.
• Use leadership and entrepreneurial qualities to lead, innovate and manage change, marketing and promoting the benefits of occupational therapy.
• Work collaboratively in partnership with others, for example charities, by using occupation to promote participation, health and wellbeing.
• Facilitate learning and awareness through designing and delivering activities for people, groups, partners and communities.
• Contribute to the delivery of effective and efficient services.

• The concept of leadership and management approaches and styles and the importance of using personal initiative.
• The value of participation in training, supervision and mentoring.
• The importance of professional relationships, integrated working and working collaboratively with those who provide and receive services across different sectors and communities.
• How to empower people to take ownership of their care; the importance of person centred approaches to motivate and involve people in meaningful occupation.
• The role of audit and review in evaluating the quality of occupational therapy practice and service improvement.
• The use of research methodologies used in occupational therapy practice; the principles and applications of scientific enquiry.

• Safeguard confidential information and maintain records in accordance with HCPC and RCOT standards, and local policies and procedures.
• Gain informed consent prior to assessment and interventions.
• Apply a range of communication strategies, interpersonal skills, media and technologies to support professional practice.
• Explain occupational therapy tasks clearly and in a way that people can understand (E.g. by using simple, clear language or pictures or other methods reflecting individual needs).
• You will be an effective advocate for your profession and the individuals you support and encourage self-advocacy where possible.

• The concept of confidentiality and the principles of information governance.
• The importance of managing records and other information in accordance with legislation, protocols and guidelines found in the regulatory, professional body and organisational standards.
• How communication affects assessment and engagement; how to modify communication to take account of age, gender, capacity, learning and physical ability, culture, ethnicity and religious beliefs.
• The importance of providing people, their families and carers with accessible information to make informed decisions in a way that is sensitive to their needs.