COTSS-PLD Annual Conference - call for papers
COT Specialist Section - People with Learning Disabilities are now planning our annual conference. For those of you that have been before it is a great opportunity to learn, share ideas and meet other OTs working in learning disabilities.
This year the theme will be mental health and learning disabilities and it will be held on the 5th October 2012 in London.
July and August Mental Health update
July and August can feel like slow Summer months when we recover from the successes of the COT annual conference and hopefully have a summer holiday! Despite that, work has continued to contribute to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) project about the impact of debt and mental health.
Occupational Therapy in Social Care in the UK: Future Focus and Potential position statement launched at COT Conference 2012
This COT position statement is the result of work that has been ongoing over the past year with occupational therapists working in social care across the UK.
“Occupational therapists taught me how to live again”
Award-winning journalist Melanie Reid paid tribute at COT Conference 2012 to the support she received following a devastating horse riding accident. Occupational therapy has helped Melanie cope with daily living after being paralysed from a horse riding accident in 2010.
OTs have to articulate what they do and be 'bold and brave'
In a seminar exploring 'Recovering Ordinary Lives: five years on, a crisis or opportunity for mental health leadership?' Genevieve Smyth, COT policy officer for mental health, challenged delegates to think about five key leadership questions:
Can OTs become 'the profession of choice'?
Delivering this year's prestigious Elizabeth Casson Memorial Lecture, Dr Claire Ballinger explored the 'effectiveness, impact and legacy of occupational therapy', challenging delegates to ask themselves what the impact of their daily work is and how it can be evidenced and corroborated.
OT students pilot 3D immersive learning
OT students at the University of Salford and University of Derby have participated in pilot studies of virtual immersive learning. Two poster presentations at COT Conference 2012 have drawn delegates attention to this innovative approach to learning.
Be confident and take responsibility, delegates told
In a COT-led session to explore the strategic direction of the profession, Julia Scott, COT chief executive, shared her concerns around the 'levers and pressures' that will impact occupational therapy in the foreseeable future.
Work makes agenda for AHPs in Scotland
The consultation on the plan did not mention work or vocational rehabilitation, despite key reports on the topic being published for the Scottish Government in recent months (OTnews, June).
COT responded to the consultation that it was an oversight to leave it out of the crucial planning document.
World Federation of Occupational Therapists calls on OTs to work towards environmental sutainability
Delegates at COT conference 2012 heard from Samantha Shann, WFOT VP Finance, that climate change is the biggest challenge to human wellbeing. Introducing WFOT's position statement 'Environmental Sustainability: Sustainable Practice within Occupational Therapy' Shann encouraged OTs to work towards environmental sustainability in collaboration with clients and communities.
