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In this new series of articles we explore psychotic depression

An OT’s role E

E E ESS

S tr o k e R e hab il itatio n

The bond with a client

S l e e py s e c r e ts

Helping children to catch some zzzz’s

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A S COLUMNS • PRODUCTS • EVENTS • RECRUITMENT & TRAINING 27/06/2016 14:53

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With sleep issues being one of the highest causes of stress and tension among families, it is important to try to ensure that children of all ages are getting the right number of hours of sleep. We speak to Cerebra to discover some of the techniques and advice they offer families through their sleep clinics. In addition to this, we discover the work being done at the Owl Centre for children with speech and language impairments and we feature a great selection of products to aid children with disabilities.

U P F O R Y O U R F REE S U B S C RI PT I O N

“ W e ar e c u r r e ntl y l o o k ing f o r O T s to ge t inv o l v e d fr o m different s e c to r s ”

T O D AY ! See Page 82

s you can see from our front cover, we have a strong focus on helping children with additional needs this issue. We find out about the vital work that OT, Deanna Middleton, undertakes with newborn babies and their families at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Pathway is an organisation that has developed a simple and successful model of enhanced care co-ordination for homeless people admitted to hospital. The work of an occupational therapist can be vitally important in the life of a homeless person.

Although it may be a fleeting period that you are in their lives, as an OT you can give people the tools to look after themselves in the future.

This issue sees the beginning of a series of articles on mental health. Each issue we will look into a different area of this vast and challenging topic and speak to the OTs who are helping people to manage and live with different mental health problems. We are currently looking for OTs to get involved from different sectors, check out page 14 for details on how to get involved in a future issue.

Outdoor adventure activity centre, Calvert Trust Lake District, have teamed up with brain injury rehabilitation and case management organisation, A Chance For Life, to introduce an occupational therapy focused, residential course that combines patients OT with outdoor adventure. We hear more about the outcome of the recent residential week that took place on page 68.

Member of PPA Scotland

S I G N

You may notice that we have given the magazine a bit of a facelift, we hope you like the new look. Remember that the magazine is also available as an app, so don’t forget to download it for free so you can access all the latest features at the touch of a button.

Rosalind Tulloch, EDITOR

T he T e am DISCLAIMER The OT Magazine is published by 2A Publishing Limited.

The views expressed in The OT Magazine are not necessarily the views of the editor or the publisher.

Reproduction in part or in whole is strictly prohibited without the explicit written consent of the publisher.

Copyright 2016 © 2A Publishing Limited.All Rights Reserved.

ISSN 2056-7146

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Editor: Rosalind Tulloch Staff Writer: Lisa Mitchell

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Staff Writer: Dionne Kennedy Designer: Katie White

Marketing: Sales:

Sophie Scott Robin Wilson

Contributors: Kate Sheehan, Adam Ferry, Dawn Fraser, Christine Dowling, Laura Rutherford, Kate Lovett, Cat Whitehouse, Adam Bernstein

t C O N T AC T D ET AI L S m t 2A Publishing Ltd, Caledonia House, Evanton Drive, Thornliebank Ind. Est., Glasgow, G46 8JT T: 0141 465 2960 F: 0141 270 8086 E: enquiries@2apublishing.co.uk m w w w .o t-m

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14 DOWNLOAD THE OT MAGAZINE APP FREE TODAY!

06 W hat’ s N e w

21 O T A ppr o v e d

We explore what’s happening in the healthcare sector

13 W ho ’ s L o o k ing A f te r

the T he r apis t?

Kate Sheehan speaks of the importance of looking after yourself

14 M e ntal H e al th In the first of our mental health series, we look at psychotic depression

19 P r o d u c t F o c u s A selection of innovative products

Adam Ferry shares his expert recommendations

25 A D ay in the L if e o f . . .

Each issue we speak to a different OT about what their job entails

27 H e l ping the H id d e n The role of OT in those without a fixed abode

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king ifference Philip Smith, winner of The OT Show’s OT Assistant Award, on his work with disabled children

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37 P r o d u c t F o c u s More innovative products to aid independent living

42 R e b u il d ing M ind , Bo d y

and S pir it OT Joanna and client Pam talk about their journey through stroke rehabilitation together

47 P r o f e s s io nal to P atie nt Mental health OT, Christine Dowling, on becoming a patient herself

50 T he O w l C e ntr e SLT and OT team up at the multidisciplinary Owl Centre

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c o nte nts

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52 T he S e c r e ts o f S l e e p

OTs and their part in a healthy sleep cycle for children

55 S pac e to C hange

Laura Rutherford speaks on her campaign for accessible toilet facilities

56 C hil d r e n’ s P r o d u c ts

The best children’s products on the market

61 N e w b o r ns and N e w L iv e s How OTs help families whose babies have been born with additional needs

65 M o nito r ing M o v e m e nt The benefits of technology in care assessments

68 A d v e ntu r o u s R e c o v e r y

75 R e c r u itm e nt and

T r aining The latest employment and training opportunities available

The Calvert Trust incorporate OT with outdoor adventure

71 S tu d e nt A d v ic e

OT student, Deborah Jewell, speaks to Dawn Fraser about managing Myasthenia Gravis with her studies

72 P e ns io ns f o r A l l

Adam Bernstein talks about the importance of auto-enrolment

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27/06/2016 12:10

T hir d s e c to r inno v atio n offers solution to looming NHS ‘bed blocking’ crisis

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he Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report published a few weeks ago hit the headlines when it raised the spectre of vulnerable patients being sent home from hospital, alone and helpless, many unprepared to fend for themselves again following injury or illness.

The apartments offer somewhere for patients to go, with short-term care packages structured around each individual. Three meals a day can be provided, as well as a range of therapies, support and activities. Care provision is available on site 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

The report pulled no punches. It said some families had been left ‘devastated’ by the treatment of their relatives. It found distressing numbers DOWNLOAD THE of people were being discharged OT APP TODAY too soon – or being forced to stay in Don’t let your busy hospital because there was nowhere else for them to go. The report blamed schedule keep you away from The OT Magazine, poor planning and inadequate you can now download communication in terms of to your mobile phone or admissions, transfers and discharge policies. tablet and read it on the go! Available on all iOS and Android devices, you And it’s a scenario being played out can download this issue across the country and for many people the picture of their overall care is like a and read it at your leisure, jigsaw puzzle with several significant as well as downloading previous issues to enjoy pieces missing. too. Simply search for ‘The Enham Trust is one of the charities OT Magazine’. attempting to restore some of those missing pieces. One chief concern raised by the Ombudsman report was the issue of ‘delayed transfer of care’ – bed blocking - when patients cannot be discharged from hospital because there is no suitable environment, with the necessary care, rehabilitation and therapy, for them to retreat to.

The apartments are available to people leaving hospital and needing a place to stay, while longer-term health and social care plans are put in place or necessary alterations are made to their homes. They can be paid for privately or with funding from the local authority.

Enham Trust has just opened ten new residences designed for exactly this purpose. Each of the new Cedar Park Apartments is furnished with a wetroom, kitchenette with fridge and microwave, a private patio with rural views and storage facilities.

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In February, Lord Carter’s review of English acute hospitals revealed that 8,500 hospital beds were taken each year by medically fit patients. This has a knock on effect on the entire NHS, in terms of admissions and elective procedure rates. Bed blocking is threatening to bring some aspects of hospital care to a grinding halt.

This effect is compounded by pressure from an ageing population and a confusing array of local medical services, which are often perceived as inaccessible.

Enham Trust’s chairman Khalid Aziz comments: “The Carter Review estimates delays in discharging patients costs the NHS £900 million every year. But that doesn’t alter the fact that these vulnerable people who are taking up the beds still need some form of treatment, constant care or support. You can’t free up the beds until an alternative form of care is in place.

“The Enham Trust Cedar Park Apartments are built on our specialist experience, innovation and knowledge – and our strong collaboration with all the agencies we work with every single day. These specialist units offer a workable and innovative alternative for patients.”

If you need to access care services or have a friend or family member that could benefit from Enham Trust’s support, please call Sharon Manzur on 0845 130 7504 or visit www.enhamtrust.org.uk

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e e plore what s happening in the healthcare sector from new products and services to inspirational stories

I nc l u s iv e L if e s ty l e s Registered charity, Mobility And Support Information Service (MASIS), was created with three principal objectives, two of which are to promote social inclusion and equality for disabled people and individuals with long-term health conditions. Founder of MASIS, Peter Lyne, believes that if these two objectives are successfully addressed, then the third, namely that of improving disabled peoples’ self-esteem, should automatically be achieved.

Although not physically disabled or sensory impaired, Peter was diagnosed with a mild (although long-term) neurological condition in 2007. During the last 35 years, he has been actively involved in voluntary work, all of which has focused on disability and medical matters. Since 2005 onwards he has participated in and advised numerous central and regional government stakeholder groups and forums some of which have included consultant physicians and surgeons as well as academics.

the last 11 years, that improving levels of self-esteem and well-being within the lifestyles of disabled people is as equally important as the medical and surgical intervention which people receive during treatment for their medical condition or disability.”

MASIS already works with an array of charities and organisations to provide information on independent living and Peter is eager to establish associations with the occupational therapy profession and allied healthcare service practitioners.

For more information please visit www.masis.org.uk

Peter comments: “It is often emphasised by senior personnel from the medical profession who I have had the pleasure to meet over

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DLF’s renowned event takes place on 21-22 September co-located with DNEX a leading regional disability exhibition.

The venue is the prestigious Gosforth Park in Newcastle renowned for its great links to public transport as well as offering free on-site car parking.

Following DLF’s trusted formula of two packed days of CPDaccredited learning, delegates attend four seminars, four

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practical hands-on workshops plus the plenary sessions including an Open Forum Q&A. Practical workshops include plus-sized people, dementia, moving and handling wheelchairs and single-handed care.

delegate places to readers of The OT Magazine worth £325 + VAT each. Delegates and their colleagues enquiring about the event before 31 August will be entered into a free draw and the five winners will be contacted

by DLF by 5 September.

Designed to provide a onestop-shop for moving and handling professionals the event is ideal for novices and experienced professionals alike.

DLF is offering five free

Simply email DLF to mhp@dlf. org.uk quoting ‘OT magazine’ or call 020 7432 8006 and to view the full programme visit www. movingandhandlingpeople. co.uk/north

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26/06/2016 21:12

New sensory experience for special needs school in the Salford Diocese

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T he O T S ho w aw ar d s o pe n f o r e ntr ie s

upils at St John Vianney School are set to benefit from a state-of-the-art sensory room from the UK’s most innovative sensory equipment specialist thanks to funding from national sports charity The Lord’s Taverners.

Last year, The Occupational Therapy Show launched the inaugural Occupational Therapy Awards Programme, to celebrate OTs across the profession in the UK and they were a great success.

Leading sensory specialist Experia designed and installed the room at St John Vianney School, which uses state of the art technology to enable the environment to be adapted to the individual and changing needs of more than 120 pupils at the school.

The facility, which is designed to assist both physical and educational development includes a calming seating area, dynamic bubble wall and aromatherapy treatment to encourage sensory development.

We are delighted to bring you the news that the entries for the 2016 Awards are now open and The OT Magazine are delighted to be involved again by sponsoring the Outstanding Innovation Award (product, service or tool).

So if you know someone who deserves recognition for the fantastic work they do in the OT profession, why not read on and nominate them for an award?

The room, which was partly funded by a £3,500 grant from The Lord’s Taverners, will allow teachers, support staff and therapists to control equipment via their smart phones and tablets, using different sensory activities incorporating sound, light, touch and aroma to help develop balance, movement and co-ordination skills.

The awards will celebrate and acknowledge successful individuals and teams within the OT profession. They recognise all sectors of occupational therapy through these awards which are open to any OT professional, irrespective of career level.

Jen Gash from OTCoach who will be chairing the 2016 awards again said: “There is so much great work happening out there and many OTs work without due recognition or reward. These new awards are a chance to celebrate the work of OTs”.

GET INVOLVED

Have you started a unique initiative to help your patients in their recovery? Perhaps you work in a field of occupational therapy that you feel needs more recognition or maybe you have orchestrated a group outing for patients who really needed something to look forward to? Whatever your story, we want to hear from you. Please get in touch by emailing ros@2apublishing.co.uk and you could find your work gracing the pages of the next issue!

2016 CATEGORIES INCLUDE: • • • • •

Outstanding Senior OT Outstanding OT Outstanding OTI/OTA Outstanding Innovation (product, service or tool) Outstanding Innovator (person)

Last year, the winner(s) of each award (not per person) was awarded a prize of £200 to go towards enhancing their CPD. To find out more about entering visit www.theotshow.com/ Content/Occupational-Therapy-Show-Awards-2016

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Experia is the preferred supplier for The Lord’s Taverners, the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity dedicated to giving disadvantaged and disabled young people a sporting chance. Together, the partnership has designed and installed more than 100 sensory rooms for schools across the country.

“The Lord’s Taverners works hard to ensure as many young people as possible have the chance to develop their skills and working with the charity to develop these sensory rooms is a great privilege. We look forward to working with the team going forward and continue to deliver as many chances for young people to learn and develop through our equipment as possible.”

Eileen McMorrow, Head of St John Vianney School and Julie Griffin, Teaching Assistant and Governer, said: “In a specialist learning environment, it’s vital that we are using the very best technology to help our pupils and their sensory needs. The products in our new Experia sensory room are an essential part of our pupils’ development, providing a calm space for them to learn and grow independently.”

Peter Saunders, Managing Director of Experia, said: “We are delighted to work with The Lord’s Taverners on this project to create a bespoke sensory room for the pupils at St John Vianney. The range of products will enable staff to tailor the experience to suit the needs of each pupil and ensure students can develop their sensory skills in a way that suits them.

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Experia is the UK’s leading sensory specialist and designs, manufactures and installs sensory equipment to aid sensory development, working with schools, hospitals and specialist care centres across the country to create multisensory environments to enable users to develop their sensory skills. These include the company’s leading product, the Multisensory Interactive Learning Environment (MILE), a multisensory learning experience which can be tailored to the needs of the individual regardless of age or ability.

The company works with health professionals, teachers and parents to create tailored packages to enable individuals to develop their sensory needs.

For further information, visit experia-innovations.co.uk

PRINT • ONLINE • APP > THE OT MAGAZINE, WHEREVER YOU NEED IT! N e w

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S al e s D ir e c to r at P atte r s o n M

Patterson Medical welcomes Chris Rogers as their new UK Sales Director, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device arena with a successful record of leading on sales teams, specialising in providing strategic direction and boosting company growth.

Prior to joining Patterson Medical, Chris was UKI Business Unit Manager for Halyard Health, formerly Kimberley Clark EMEA and also UK Country Manager for Nayamed, a subsidiary of Medtronic.

Chris Rogers commented: “Patterson Medical offers huge potential UK wide, with numerous high quality innovative

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products driving the market forward. I am looking forward to successfully managing the UK Sales Team and being a part of the new branding of UK Patterson Medical.”

Chris brings proven strategic and executional leadership experience from both multinational, private and equity owned businesses in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.

Over the next few months, he will be shadowing various team members, to get to know our customers and what they require from us now and in the future.

Chris can be reached on chris.rogers@ pattersonmedical.com and you can find out more about Patterson Medical at www.pattersonmedical.co.uk

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26/06/2016 21:13

Independent practitioner conference perfect for novices and old hands alike

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Bookings are now open for the 2016 annual conference of COT’s specialist section for independent OT practitioners (COTSS-IP). The theme for this year’s conference, which takes place at the Belfry Hotel in Nottingham on 10 - 11 October, is Expanding Horizons.

REMAP: M ak ing things po s s ib l e hanging your newborn baby’s nappy is not the easiest task for anyone, but what if you have only one functional arm? This was the challenge facing first-time mum Jenny and she had the added worry of whether she would be able to carry the baby safely with her one arm. A solution was provided

by Remap; a charity that provides custom-made equipment for disabled people of all ages, free of charge.

Jenny’s OT Amy Wilkins writes: “The task of changing a baby’s bottom (especially a very young baby) can be challenging enough to anyone, as babies have this amazing ability to curl up in a ball and then have the quickest involuntary movements. A great length of time was spent surfing the web and browsing through catalogues to look for equipment that could support the baby during this process, however there was nothing on the current market that would enable this goal to be achieved. This was when I turned to Remap for their support with making something bespoke.”

Remap provides custom-made equipment for disabled people of all ages, free of charge. Their 900 volunteers are organised into local groups all across the UK, so Amy contacted the local group in Derby, close to where Jenny lives. Volunteer, Allan Sutton, went to meet Jenny and decided to design some means of holding baby’s feet up, while the nappy was changed. He made a ‘goalpost’ frame mounted on two long wooden feet that spanned the changing mat.

A small sling was then hooked onto

the frame; being suitable for looping around baby’s feet to hold them up in the correct position.

To solve the challenge of carrying the baby safely Allan made a harness, similar to those used in ‘reins’ for small children, but this one had an attachment ring at the front. Jenny wears a lanyard round her neck which she clips onto the attachment ring when she picks up the baby. This means that the baby is restrained and safe from falling if it wriggles or kicks out of Jenny’s good arm.

For over 50 years, Remap has helped thousands of disabled people like Jenny to live more independently. At a recent awards ceremony, projects recognised included: • Yacht modifications for three ex-servicemen competing in disabled sailing • Mouth operated controls for a Sony e-reader for a woman with MS • Chair footrests for children with hearing impairments at a special school • Modifications to ride-on floor sweeper which help Chris stay in work • Adjustable wheelchair footrests for woman with MS • Cutlery holder for Hazel who has post-polio syndrome • Aids to help Jenny with her baby Remap has a network of over 75 groups across England and Wales, so there is probably one near you.

To make a referral or for more

Conference steering committee chairperson Beth Cordrey comments: “This year’s conference is an ideal opportunity for occupational therapists who are contemplating setting up their own practices to find out about the opportunities available in the independent sector. It’s also excellent for established independent practitioners to meet others in the sector and find out what’s coming over the horizon.”

The programme includes sessions on: • How you can expand your business without losing the ethos you started out with. Business consultant Liz Lugt will talk about how to succeed whilst staying true to your values.

• How independent OT practices can win NHS contracts. Sue Pemberton and Carol Husler will talk about how to tender for and win contracts.

• Maximising the opportunities provided by OTs’ unique skills in physical and mental health. Genevieve Smyth will talk about how OT could set the tone for the future of health and social care.

The specialist section’s Medico-Legal Forum will cover a range of topics of interest to OTs engaged in expert witness work as well as an opportunity for novices to find out more about medico-legal opportunities for OTs. There will be opportunities to join day-long business workshops for those new to the independent sector, or contemplating making the leap into private practice, as well as established independent practitioners looking to grow their businesses.

information visit the Remap website at www.remap.org.uk or phone the national

For more information visit www.

office on 01732 760209.

centrevents.co.uk/cotssip2016.html

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A E S EE A Kate is the Director of The OT Service; the company provides high quality advice, consultancy and training to manufacturers, retailers and service providers. It also provides occupational therapy clinical services in housing and equipment to case managers, solicitors and private individuals via their handpicked network of occupational therapists.

For more information email kate@theotservice.co.uk

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o w of ten do we think of our ow n we l l - b e i n g ? H ow i s o u r personal health impacting on our occupational performance and our treatment of our clients?

and spiritual well-being, because if we do we can be more effective and understanding therapists.

b e y o u r o w n the r apis t We are all aware that a balanced life creates a more fulfilled person. We have things we have to do like work, pay rent/mortgage and there are things we like to do such as swimming and reading which all leads to a more balanced life. Work, I hope, falls into the things we like to do as well but we live in a rapidly changing work environment with considerable time and budget pressures, the fear of redundancy, the fear of being out sourced, the lack of salary increases.

These all impact us personally and effect the way we practice and not always for the positive.

I do believe there is one thing we must do to make ourselves better therapists and that is take a break or a holiday.

Now, a holiday need not be on a tropical island in the Caribbean with turquoise seas and blue cloudless skies, it may be camping five miles down the road from your home, however, what it should be is time away from work.

We need to look after our physical, emotional

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Physical - relax, do something you don't usually do, go canoeing, swim around the coast and play football with the kids (big and small).

Emotional - re-engage with your loved ones, play card games with the kids, have a quiet drink with your partner or reconnect with old friends.

Spiritually - give yourself time, WH Davies poem, LEISURE, states 'what is this life, full of care, we have not time to stand and stare', give your brain something to think about other than work, look at the beauty around you.

If you find it difficult to switch off completely, use the time to reflect on your practice, your career, your future, but more importantly, recharge your batteries.

So take that break, switch off from work emails or better still don't take any electronic devices, enjoy the moment, soak in the sun (if possible) revel in the conversations, enjoy the stroll and let your mind wander, reflect and revive.

Be your own therapist. Happy holidays everyone.

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he first instalment in our series of articles looking at mental health problems and an s role within them uncovers the facts behind psychotic depression ental health is an umbrella term. It covers a whole host of different symptoms and diagnoses. Mental health problems are only recently becoming understood and accepted as a genuine illness that has very real and physical effects on the mind and body. On the large majority, they are no longer scoffed at as being made up or over-dramatised. According to the Mental Health Foundation: “Mental health problems are one of the main causes of the overall disease burden worldwide.”

However, for real people living with depression with psychosis, the reality is much more terrifying.

P s y c ho tic D e pr e s s io n Psychotic depression is a major depressive episode that is accompanied by psychotic symptoms. Some people who have severe clinical depression will also experience hallucinations and delusional thinking; the symptoms of psychosis.

This kind of depression can also be called unipolar depression.

This contrast against bipolar disorder, where people can feel extreme highs then extreme lows. Unipolar suggests that the person feels a constant and intolerable low the majority of the time. Getting through a day with unipolar depression can feel impossible and if the depression is severe e n o u g h t h e y can begin to experience thoughts and feelings that aren’t true, or delusional thinking. People who are on the top scale of a major depression disorder can also experience hallucinations where they begin to see, hear, taste, smell and feel things that aren’t there. These hallucinations can be very strong, convincing people that what they are experiencing is real. Delusions and hallucinations tend to be grander manifestations of what their depression is making them feel. For example, people who are having suicidal thoughts can sometimes hear voices telling them to go through with it.

It is estimated that one in four people in England will experience a mental health problem. The most common mental health issues are depression and anxiety. These are the base foundational diagnoses, like most illnesses they grow arms and legs and there are a lot of sub-genres of each.

This is to be the first in seven-part series discovering more about the vast subject area of mental health. Over the course of a year we will look at different types of mental illness and how you as an occupational therapist play a role in their treatment and rehabilitation.

In the mainstream media, including films and popular television shows, they have delved into the world of mental health and naturally only scraped the surface. They haven’t gone into detail and explored all of the potential avenues a human beings complex mind could take.

These bouts of psychosis tend to be episodic. Most people with psychotic depression don’t suffer from continual delusions and hallucinations but do feel an almost unrelenting weight on their psyche.

When mentioning a character with depression they go one of two ways; they are either exponentially sad or they are ‘crazy’. Most of the time amalgamating many different mental health issues into one. Picking and choosing the ‘best’ characteristics of an illness to further the plot or create a better case for character development.

Unfortunately, the cause of psychotic depression isn’t fully understood. Like other types of depression there are many triggers for different people; stressful life events, bereavement, financial worries, divorce, serious illness. Many studies have shown that genes play a big part, severe depression can run in families, although psychosis tends to be a completely unique symptom for some individuals, however, other studies have shown that someone with psychosis may have experienced a serious traumatic event as a child.

Usually for cinema, psychotic depression seems to take centre stage. Painting people living with this type of major depression as unstable and dangerous, these kind of unfounded personality traits make for great horror and thriller characters.

When diagnosing psychotic depression, a GP will look at symptoms and rule out short-term causes, such as drug misuse. They will ask ›

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› questions to help determine what’s causing the psychosis.

example, many people see the faces of loved ones who have died or hear their voices; they may find this comforting and not at all as a problem. But if, for example, voices are very negative or drown out other thoughts, they can be very distressing and have a significant impact on their day-today life.

For example, they may ask: • whether the patient is taking any medication • whether they’ve been taking illegal substances • how their mood has been – for example, whether they’ve been depressed • how they’ve been functioning day-to-day – for example, whether they’re still working • whether they have a family history of mental health conditions • about their hallucinations – such as whether they’ve heard voices • about their delusions – such as whether they feel people are controlling them • whether they have any other symptoms

“Although there is no quick and simple treatment to deal with psychotic depression, people can and do manage the symptoms and recover. Most people diagnosed with a psychotic illness will be offered antipsychotic drugs. While not a cure, they can help control the symptoms and stop the distress caused by them. Talking treatments can also help reduce the distress caused and can reduce the intensity and frequency of the psychotic episodes.

The GP would then refer the patient to a mental health specialist.

“People who have psychosis may be referred to community care services to help them cope, which could include mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, nurses and occupational therapists. These roles are crucial in providing treatment, support and information, as well as signposting to other local services.

Claire Watt of NHS Grampian is a mental health occupational therapist and she spoke of the next steps for a client with depression with psychosis. She said: “Hypothetically for psychotic depression, we’d more likely be involved after the acute episode of psychosis and the OT input would follow the same structure as with any other condition i.e. OTs assess peoples’ ability to function, whether they have a physical illness, disability, mental health illness, addiction etc. We explore how it impacts on a person’s ability to function day-to-day on their self-care, productivity (work and/or home life) and their leisure and structure treatment based from the person’s goals/ recovery aim.”

“Despite the fact that one in four people will experience a mental health problem of some kind in any given year, there is still a huge amount of stigma and misunderstanding about them. People often tell us that the discrimination they face in their daily life can be worse than the mental health problems themselves. The anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, run

by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, actually found that nine out of ten people with mental health problems reported the negative impact of stigma and discrimination on their lives.

These attitudes make it harder for people to work, make friends and in short, live a normal life, so we all have a duty to stamp them out and accept that we all have mental health and physical health which will vary over time.

Sophie Corlett, Director of External Relations for the mental health charity Mind, explained: “Everyone has patches of feeling down from time to time, but depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time and affects your everyday life. At its most severe, depression can be lifethreatening because it can make you feel suicidal and give up the will to live.

This is the first in seven-part series detailing specific areas in mental health. The upcoming features will focus on: • Postnatal Depression • Schizophrenia • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder • Anxiety • Eating Disorders • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

“Some people who have depression will also experience psychosis (also called a psychotic experience or episode), which is when you perceive or interpret events differently from people around you. This could include experiencing hallucinations, such as seeing or hearing things that others don’t.

If you are an OT within this field and want to become involved

“Psychosis is more common than people think and many people who experience psychosis do not find it distressing. For

www.

with one of the features contact lisa@2apublishing.co.uk

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Please contact Paul for your FREE copies

Dementia Patient Guide & Managing at Home • There will be 1 million people with dementia in the UK by 2025 • Two thirds of people with dementia are women • One in six people aged 80 and over have dementia • 60,000 deaths a year are directly attributable to dementia • The financial cost of dementia to the UK is £26 billion per annum • There are 670,000 carers of people with dementia in the UK

New Product Alert Our most popular walking frames are now available in vibrant metallic RED These RED Days Walking Frames were developed to meet demand from the NHS market for use with patients with dementia.

Bright colours can highlight important objects, making them easier for people with dementia to find and use making this range ideal to help increase the mobility for patients with dementia and reduce the risk of potential falls.

The frames are being made available to inpatients on medical, orthopaedics, surgical, intensive care unit and neurology wards.

“We are starting dementia patients on a standard silver frame.

If they struggle with it – for example by not remembering to use it or struggling to find the handles – then we give them a red frame, which stands out much more against the pale green hospital floor.”

For further details contact Paul Smith, National Account Manager for Community Equipment on: Tel:

Untitled-1 5

07970 512 986 Email: paul.d.smith@pattersonmedical.com 27/06/2016 09:37

P r o d u c t F o c u s

P r o d u c t f o c u s

he independent living sector is filled with ama ing innovations to help people live more independently very issue we bring you a selection of products from daily living aids to ma or mobility products that make life a little easier for those who need it

T o p&

D e r b y C o m

pr e s s io n S o c k s

New from Top & Derby, these snazzy modern compression socks look great and are designed to keep your legs feeling energised all day long.

Manufactured to compression level 15-20mmHg, Top & Derby compression socks are designed for moderate compression to help relieve tired legs and minor swelling of the legs, ankles and feet.

pe r f e c t f o r te ac he r s o r m e d ic al s taf f

Top & Derby compression socks are perfect for teachers or medical staff and anyone who needs to spend all day on their feet. They are ideal for those travelling long distances and they are helpful during pregnancy to avoid varicose veins and spider veins.

Currently available in two cool colours (Not Your Granny’s Smith and Going Bare Black) and four different sizes.

W

ate r pr o o f Be d d ing

Prices from £22.95 For more information please visit www.designed2enable.co.uk

This 100% waterproof bedding comes in three stylish designs, is super soft and comfortable on sensitive skin and is an ideal solution for those who might experience small leakages, spills or sweats at night. Each set includes one double duvet cover and two pillowcases and is machine washable.

The bedding has been designed for anyone who wants the reassurance of protection whilst they sleep, yet crave a beautiful and uplifting design.

Prices from £59.95 Designed 2 Enable 0800 772 3771 www.designed2enable.co.uk

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P r o d u c t F o c u s

E r go T r aine r A new bodyweight-supported rehabilitation invention from Danish mobility company Ergolet, has been designed to offer earlier rehabilitation including gait-training, which improves motor function and strength after serious health problems such as an acquired brain injury. bariatric patients or children born with disabilities.

The Ergo Trainer linear body relief system gives patients an equal body-weight support during training, removing the risk and fear of falls or strain which can delay recovery and props up user confidence along with their weight to let rehabilitation start earlier.

Developed in collaboration with Copenhagen University, its inventors say it offers increased mobility for people recovering from acquired brain injury caused by strokes, accidents and tumours or learning to use prosthetic limbs. It can also assist those who are wheelchair users, recovering from sports injuries,

Sei ure

etection

UK sales director David Lomas comments: “Therapists have told us that it transforms the morale of someone who struggles to walk, by letting them stand on their

it offers incre sed mobilit or eo le reco ering rom c uired br in in ur own two feet, move their legs and stare them in the eyes, all while boosting cardiovascular health and strength or just stopping muscle loss.”

It was developed in co-operation with the Centre for Rehabilitation of Brain Injury (CRBI), Copenhagen, and used in patient studies there with dramatic results.

CRBI’s neurorehabilitation specialist Jørgen Jørgensen, said stroke patients facing paralysis improved their walking speed by an average of 65% after a 12-week period.

l rm

Easylink UK have launched the Medpage MP5V2S epilepsy seizure detection alarm. The MP5V2 offers mobile phone connectivity. The monitor is supplied with an alarm pager with a range of up to 400M. A free app is available that enables your Smart phone also to receive alarm signals and collect seizure movement data. The app automatically updates a seizure diary providing date, time and duration of seizures. The app also allows the carer to reset an active seizure alarm without disturbing the user. The monitor can be set up manually or via the app and it is suitable for babies through to adults.

“Traditionally it is hard to rehabilitate patients with impaired walking abilities because the fear of falling prevents an effective and continuous rehabilitation process”, said Jørgensen. “This shows you can remove that fear which will improve overall health and it is now the cornerstone of our intensive gait rehabilitation work”.

The system works with a walking harness and takes moments for the patient to start the training programme. The adjustable weight relief system is controlled by a simple hand control. It is designed for people weighing up to 200 kg (almost 32 st) and can take up to 85kg (13 st) of individual body weight creating applications for bariatric clinics too.

Contact Easylink UK on 01536 264 869 or visit

For more information please call David Lomas on

www.easylinkuk.co.uk for more information.

0161 477 7900, email info@ergolet.co.uk or visit www.ergolet.com/en

o ou

e n inno ti e roduct ou t ink e s ould e ture so get in touc ont ct us t lisa@2apublishing.co.uk www.

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O v e r al l a v e r y s u c c e s s fu l inte r v e ntio n

O T A ppr o v e d

A

BY ADAM FERRY

E

T he r apo s tu r e R o to F l e x b e d

Adam Ferry, UK Therapy Services Adam Ferry is an occupational therapist both in the statutory and independent sectors. He is also the co-founder of UK Therapy Services.

With combined experience of over 30 years, UK Therapy Services specialises in providing high quality occupational therapy assessment, rehabilitation and consultancy packages for the private, statutory and business sectors.

In this regular feature Adam will explore and review products he experiences in practice, giving insight and reflection to those who it may benefit.

You can contact Adam on

Many times I have seen and heard discussions about long-term management at home versus 24-hour care with decisions hinging on overnight needs. In some cases, the ability to transfer to and from bed, particularly to support toileting, makes the difference between remaining at home or not.

In other cases it makes the difference between maintaining dignity, supporting independent toileting and return to bed over spending the night in a chair or using pads to manage what would otherwise be a fully continent individual.

Theraposture were incredibly responsive and arranged for an assessment with the bed in the hospital (this was to support a discharge). The Rotoflex was excellent and supported an independent transfer from sitting on the edge of the bed to fully adjustable lying position with only one button. There were no complex sequences or multi-motors to control and it was very user-friendly as a result. I was also very impressed by the extensive range, including flexible double bed models and plus sized beds, as well as the purchase options which included rental.

I was recently involved in such a case where all other bed transfer aids had been trialled with independence unable to be facilitated. Having seen the Theraposture RotoFlex at The OT Show I advised the therapist involved to get in touch to see if it could help.

Overall a very successful intervention and end result with an impressive piece of equipment.

For more information on the Theraposture Rotoflex visit www.theraposture.co.uk/ beds/rotoflex

N e ate r S o l u tio ns – N e ate r E ate r I recently attended a Neater Eater demonstration only two weeks after discussing the merits of said device with an associate of UK Therapy Services who at the time was making recommendations to a case manager on behalf of a client who had suffered significant spinal trauma following a RTA. I attended the session to resolve my own ignorance, as well as to provide more educated support to the therapist in question and likely others in the future. In honesty, I was initially sceptical, however, in this instance I am happy to say my scepticism proved to be a result of my ignorance.

The Neater Eater is available with both manual control, potentially supporting clients with peripheral tremors or neuropathy, as well as electronically programmed options. The electronic programme allows clients who have either no or little upper limb movement to feed independently (once positioned correctly, which requires support) at their own individual pace.

A

BY ADAM FERRY

E

adam.ferry@ uktherapyservices. co.uk or visit www. uktherapyservices.co.uk for more information.

Although unlikely to be suitable for everyone this piece of equipment certainly goes a long way to supporting active participation in an occupation often overlooked or where assumptions are made that deficits may not be able to be compensated for.

For more details on the Neater Eater visit www.neater.co.uk/eating-aid

www.

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SAFE

Bathing

Buckingham Lodge in Aylesbury is one of the latest care homes in the UK where residents and staff are benefiting from the Compact bath from Active Bathing

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ar t of the Anchor Group, a not for profit charitable organisation, Buckingham Lodge was opened in April 2015 and, as part of the construction, a total of six baths were installed over three floors.

Home Manager Wendy Luck explained.

“At Anchor, we are always looking for the best possible solutions when specifying equipment for our homes. Buckingham Lodge is primarily for people living with Dementia and we were looking for equipment that has been designed for this condition, which would allow them to bathe as independently and safely as possible. The Compact bath from Active Bathing met all our requirements”.

The Compact bath has been designed with the residents and staff in mind and this was a significant factor for Wendy and the team at Anchor. “Our aim is to keep our residents living as independently as possible for as long as possible and the Compact bath helps ensure this. The chair lift offers a very safe and smooth transfer into the bath and once the resident has been lowered into the water, the design of the chair and bath means many do not even realise they are still in the chair and can bathe themselves, depending on their level of mobility, which is excellent for their confidence and dignity. The Compact bath provides a very relaxing experience for our residents; in the past I have worked in care homes which have spa baths and these often left the residents feeling unnerved and even scared by the noise and sensation of the jets in the water. From a staffing point

of view, the Active Bathing baths are very easy to operate, clean and maintain and offer exceptional value for money,” continued Wendy.

Also available within the Compact bath range is the Compact DC which is available in two bath lengths of 1600mm and 1700mm and with an extensive range of features, the Compact DC is the only specific Dementia bathing solution available in the UK.

demonstration so the staff can see the benefits first hand. As well as providing free CAD drawings, we can offer free advice on the design and layout of the bathroom in which the equipment will be installed. In addition to our own product range, our team of engineers are qualified to service products from other manufacturers and offer full LOLER testing when required”.

For more information on the full range of bathing solutions available, call 01242

The Compact DC can also be used with any floor or ceiling hoist system and is without doubt one of the safest bathing solutions for Dementia settings and in addition to the residents and carers, it offers peace of mind to relatives who know their loved ones are being cared for in a safe environment.

820820, email sales@activebathing.co.uk or visit www.activebathing.co.uk/info

From the initial enquiry through to installation and after sales support, Active Bathing believes in putting the customer and its residents first to ensure the right bathing solution is provided. Sales Director Anthony Kilgarriff explained, “Unlike some manufacturers, we will take a bath to the client for a free product

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27/06/2016 13:37

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D ay in the L if e o f ‌ A SSE S S is an independent OT who works with children and adults who have complex disabilities. Her work has a strong focus on postural needs and here she gives us an insight into a typical day.

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hat is y o u r c u r r e nt j o b r o l e ?

I am an independent OT; I work with adults and children with complex disabilities who have movement difficulties and postural problems. I provide assessment and support with postural care, wheelchairs and seating. My role also involves training therapists; I provide accredited and non-accredited training. I also work with manufacturers including Simple Stuff Works Associates and R82 UK; this is extremely interesting and gives me a different perspective.

For the last six years I have also been working as an Expert Witness; this can be challenging but again it adds another dimension as an OT.

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hat m an O T ?

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When I was 17 I worked as a care assistant in a social services day centre for adults with physical disabilities and elderly people. I loved what I did and didn’t see it as work! An OT came on placement to the centre and I found what she was doing to be really interesting; this inspired me to go back to college and gain additional qualifications to get to university to do my degree. Whilst on a placement from college at the local hospital I spent the whole time with the OTs and this clarified what I wanted to do. That was 26 years ago.

D e s c r ib e a ty pic al d ay . . .

My days vary immensely depending on whether I am doing assessments, training or expert work; but I always try and start the day

25 Day in the Life_RT_KW.indd 25

www.

with a big dog walk! I may be carrying out joint visits with physios, OTs or case managers in order to complete a postural assessment with their clients; or I could be trialing equipment with a variety of suppliers. On the other hand I could be delivering training or be at my desk all day report writing. The beauty about working independently is the variety and being able to manage your own diary.

W

hat d o y o u e nj o y ab o u t w o r k ing in po s tu r al c ar e ?

Personally, I feel the importance of postural care is not fully understood. It is not acceptable for a person to be compromised in terms of function and participation and to be experiencing pain and other secondary complications due to changes in body shape.

Therefore being able to share knowledge and skills with other therapists, families and carers is very satisfying. Likewise, providing solutions for people with postural problems, and enabling function and participation gives me a huge feeling of achievement!

Understanding what is driving postural asymmetry is crucial, likewise with making the link between lying and sitting postures.

Knowing that I have made a difference to either an individual with postural problems or to a team of therapists by sharing knowledge is hugely satisfying and keeps me doing what I do. Having a passion for what I do led me to further study; I think CPD is extremely important and valuable to all OTs.

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27/06/2016 12:46

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27/06/2016 13:30

H o m l e s s ne s s

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ete is the man sleeping in the shop doorway down the road.

He sometimes smells of drink, and sometimes just smells. You probably walked past him on your way to work today. Maybe you looked away because you didn’t want to give him money (‘he’ll spend it on drink’), maybe your heart hurt because you felt you couldn’t help.

Maybe it’s such a familiar sight you barely noticed him.

Have you ever stopped to think what occupational therapy could do for him?

Homelessness is rising in England, latest statistics show a 30% increase in rough sleeping last year. There are also increasing numbers of ‘hidden homeless’ people, sleeping in squats or drug houses, moving around between friends or exchanging sex for somewhere to stay.

The emotional and physical toll of homelessness is high; around 80% of homeless people have physical or mental health problems. Sometimes their condition has caused their homelessness, at other times their health › deteriorates because they are on the streets.

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H o m l e s s ne s s

› Like Pete, a sizable number of

homeless people have, or develop, drug and alcohol problems. Some have not had a chance to learn life skills such as cooking, cleaning and budgeting. Many have had disjointed childhoods in care settings, without the security of a stable home and family.

These issues impair a person’s ability to obtain and maintain a home, but without a home, a place of safety, it is incredibly hard for a person to address these problems and rebuild their lives.

Marie came to the UK eight years ago to join her husband.

She struggled to learn English, limiting her work options. Her marriage floundered under the strain and eventually failed. Two years ago she left. At first she stayed with a friend, but when she asked her to leave, Marie lost her job. Unable to find work that paid enough to rent a room Marie began staying with unknown men and sleeping rough.

Homelessness took its toll and after six months Marie was admitted to hospital with severe dehydration and possible psychotic symptoms. Whilst in hospital, it was discovered that she was 18 weeks pregnant and had Hepatitis C. The Pathway Homeless Team supported Marie into her first independent accommodation and referred her to local community services in the area. The OT helped her learn to pay her bills on her own, access English classes and arranged extra support around her pregnancy. The network of care the team created also helped Marie to build a new social network for herself and her baby.

Pathway team

Many homeless people feel overwhelmed facing multiple complex issues and could benefit from the skills of a specialist homelessness occupational therapist, but very few have that opportunity.

Secondary care referral processes are almost impossible to navigate without a fixed address and patients who are referred often fail to attend. For most of us, a medical appointment would come second when faced with the immediate need to find food and shelter.

Ironically, our system excludes the people who need our support most.

H o s pital H o m T e am s

e l e s s H e al th

To resolve this issue some hospitals are now providing OT support to homeless patients on admission.

Pathway, the UK’s largest homeless health charity, supports teams in 11 hospitals across England, helping patients without a home. Occupational therapists work within or alongside many of the teams.

Pathway teams offer homeless patients a holistic assessment of their needs, including their housing history, finances, mental and physical health problems, substance misuse history, relationships, offending or risk history, work and occupational history. It’s a process that may take some time, with many patients who have been let down by services struggling to trust a professional enough to share their story.

O Ts w o r k a s p a r t o f a l a r g e r multidisciplinary team, with GPs, nurses, legal advisors, housing officers, social services and welfare support workers on hand to work with patients.

www.

The OT’s role can be pivotal in ensuring a patient has the best chance of recovery upon discharge, for example helping hospital staff understand that patients needing bed rest cannot be discharged to a night shelter (premises that do not allow residents to remain in the building during the day), making sure that a person who has detoxed from drugs or alcohol in hospital is not placed in a hostel where these things are tolerated, in case this causes relapse and ensuring that housing staff recognise the need to find accommodation that matches a person’s physical abilities.

OTs also work with hostel staff caring for people who frequently attend hospital, helping them to manage their healthcare needs as part of their daily routine and link in to Primary Care and prevention services.

M

o b il e O u tr e ac h S tr e e t H e al th ( M O S H ) Rebecca Marval works as part of the Mobile Outreach Street Health (MOSH) service, in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Eastern Canada. The innovative service started in 2009, Rebecca discussed their success so far and what makes the service so unique.

“Our core service is composed of registered nurses and myself as an occupational therapist, plus 12-20 hours of administrative support each week. We also work with community health centres where we have three family physicians that meet with us once a week and talk about cases as well as offer us appointment times

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uide Sophie Koehne is a mental health practitioner and occupational therapist with the Pathway’s largest team, operating across three London hospital Trusts and supporting over 1000 patients every year.

basic information and explaining how housing and other systems work can improve their experience of healthcare in hospital and beyond, even if we cannot immediately resolve their homelessness.”

She also chairs the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health’s Occupational Therapist Network, for OTs with an

She also cautions that from an OT perspective, it is important to remember that periods of disengagement are

“ e ngage m e nt w ith u s m ight b e eeting but erson’s o n skills nd strengt s re it t em or li etime interest in helping vulnerable patients, such as homeless people, migrants and trafficked persons, people involved in the sex industry and gypsy and traveller communities.

Sophie is renowned for her ability to connect with patients, building rapport by listening to the individual’s story, being honest about what they can expect, and working towards their goals in a person-centred approach.

Sophie says: “Our patients have had to be incredibly resilient and resourceful to survive, they’re stronger than you might expect. Often listening, then providing

to see different people that we come across in the community.”

The Primary Health Care (PHC) service looks at health outcomes, targeted at people who can’t access PHC or using emergency services when things had gotten serious. The service aims to offer preventative primary care.

Rebecca discusses that many barriers were from people who had addictions, h a d c h a o t i c l i fe s t y l e s o r we re concerned about judgement from the typical healthcare system.

The need for such a service was recognised in Rebecca’s community.

“There was a network of non-profit and charitable organisations in our community that were meant to serve

to be expected, these patients are in life-changing situations and are often engaged with multiple agencies.

“We need to recognise that engagement with us might be fleeting, but a person’s own skills and strengths are with them for a lifetime. This can be as simple as understanding the individual after completing a MOHOST, asking the person how they would deal with their problems, recognising them as the expert in their own life, or helping a person identify their own motivations to keep them on track.

It’s the most basic tenet of what we do we must help our patients be individuals, and not just another statistic.”

folk who were homeless or street involved, but they weren’t situated in health so these organisations that have been around for a long time saw how poor the health of the folk visiting the centres were. The community themselves identified that unmet need and came forward to work together to champion the idea of getting a specific service that would target healthcare.”

As part of the service, Rebecca notes that they also have to consider many of the social determents that would normally be taken for granted in order for people to access healthcare.

“We give people bus tickets, or things like food, or when people go into

www.

A guide to working with homeless patients building trust • Don’t expect someone to trust you immediately - most homeless patients have been let down repeatedly.

• Don’t expect trust because of your position – your patient may distrust you because you are in a position of authorit y.

• Do have short informal chats to build a human connection • Don’t insist on long indepth sessions, concentration may be hard, especially for people with addictions and mental health problems.

• Do be clear about the scope of your work and what you can and cannot offer.

• Do recognise that the ending of a therapeutic relationship with an OT may be experienced as a loss.

The Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health (including specialist occupational therapy) www.pathway.org.uk/faculty/join Pathway Homelessness Teams www.pathway.org.uk/teams

hospital we might even take care of their cats or be feeding them for a few days. We do a lot of things that fill in the gaps of regular care that when people don’t have family or friends or the income to pay someone often go overlooked.

“What makes our programme different is that we have an OT on board, other programmes often only involve street nurses that go out and do wound care, immunisations etc. My role is a little bit different because I’m looking at their quality of life, function, safety.

It’s about trying to figure out how to support someone with a head injury living in a homeless shelter, it’s a different application of occupational therapy but important ones.”

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Designed to Fit a Child’s Body Precisely BES Rehab Ltd has brought to the UK, a range of buggies designed to provide varying degrees of postural support while facilitating functional activities.

A

vailable in three different models, TRAK™, DYNO™, and REACH™, Leggero buggies are highly adjustable, comfortable, functional, lightweight, and folds compactly making them the best in class.

LEGGERO™ TRAK™ - A buggy that can be used instead of a primary wheelchair The TRAK™ is a highly adjustable buggy. For parents who prefer not to have their children in a wheelchair, the TRAK™ is a good option as it delivers excellent positioning and postural support to the child, similar to that which can be achieved in a wheelchair.

The seating system contours to the body to provide the right fit. The TRAK™ offers 21cm seat-depth adjustability, 15cm seat-width adjustability, and 20cm back-length adjustability: making it the most adjustable buggy of the Leggero™ range. The TRAK™ allows for tilt-in-space and recline. The angle and height of the knee and footplate can also be adjusted. Available with a RESPOND™ contoured seating system including a lumbar support, the TRAK™ is a comfortable buggy to sit in.

LEGGERO™ DYNO™ A dynamic buggy for active children and parents As the name suggests, the DYNO™ is a dynamic buggy that allows for children to be active while seated. For parents who love the outdoors and would like to take their children with them, whether walking or jogging, the DYNO™ is an excellent outdoor buggy. It comes with pneumatic tyres, and individual wheel suspension to absorb bumps and external forces,

thus making it a comfortable ride for the child. The DYNO™ is also highly adjustable with 20cm seat-depth, 20cm back-length, 14cm leg-length, 17cm chest-width, and 15º of knee-angle adjustability to enable good posture, thus promoting active functional activities.

An important feature of the DYNO™ is its Activator Dynamic Seating System, which has been anatomically designed to give a child the ability to move into flexion or extension, while maintaining proper pelvic positioning. Dynamic seating enables freedom of movement, especially for children with high tone. Available with a RESPOND™ contoured seating system the DYNO™ is a comfortable buggy to sit in.

LEGGERO™ REACH™

A buggy that can be used as a secondary chair The REACH™ can be used at home or in school as a secondary chair. It is available in three frame sizes: 12”, 14,” and 16” seat widths, and allows for some degree of adjustment. It is also an excellent chair for children who do not have complex positioning needs.

The REACH™ offers up to 13cm of seat-depth adjustability, and up to six positions of seat-to-back angle adjustments.

It allows for three fixed tilt-in-space settings. The REACH™ has the smallest footprint when folded away and the brake locks can be used as a stand when folded.

It comes with a basic head support, with the option of adding the RESPOND™ head support for better cushioning.

For children who require low to mid level of support, the REACH™ is a good option.

Call: 01179666761 or email: marketing@bescorporate.net

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NEW Growth Adjustable Leggero™ Buggies *GET 10% OFF

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BES Rehab Ltd 131 South Liberty Lane, Ashton Vale, Bristol, BS3 2SZ UK T: +44 (0) 1179 666 761 W: www.besrehab.net E: info@besrehab.net © 2016 BES Rehab Ltd EOE FS644625 FS644625

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O T A w ar d W inne r

e caught up with S winner of he how Assistant Award to ďŹ nd out more about the valuable pro ect he is involved in that loans vital e uipment to children with disabilities www.

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O T A w ar d W inne r

O T A w ar d W inne r What drew you to your role as an OT Assistant?

for the first time together or has made the holiday experience much easier and enjoyable.

I had worked for many years in different roles in social care with children and families, mainly as a Social Work Assistant. During this time working with children with disabilities was of particular interest to me. The OT Assistant role was a newly created post in the Children’s OT Team in Nottinghamshire therefore I saw this a great opportunity to work with children with disabilities, take on a new challenge, to learn new skills and develop a new role.

How long have you been in your role with the children’s equipment loan scheme at Nottinghamshire County Council?

I have been working in the team for five years now. My core role in the team is holding a case load of children and young people and completing assessments to identify their needs then follow up work, which may include provision of aids/adaptations or linking them with support from other services. The Children’s Equipment Loan Service has always been something that I have had to work on outside of my core role.

Can you please explain what the service is?

The service loans specialist pieces of portable equipment, that enables children and young people with disabilities to access holidays, short breaks, school residential trips and community activities.

In many cases it has enabled disabled children and their families to go on holidays and short breaks

The equipment includes specialist flight chairs, buggies, hoists, ramps, safe sleeping systems, bathing and toileting equipment. A lot of time has gone in to researching new pieces of equipment that are portable and easy to use.

Can you please explain what your role involves?

Working on the project has involved many different elements. This has included writing all of the processes for accessing the project, development and management of an equipment database, liaising with the Council’s legal team to produce an agreement of hire form, working with our community equipment provider the British Red Cross in terms of the storage, maintenance and cleaning of the equipment, sourcing new pieces of equipment through online research or trade shows, carrying out demonstrations of equipment to families loaning the equipment, marketing of the project, which has included producing flyers and posters, attendance at family information events around the County and having articles published in the IRIS magazine, which is the County’s information magazine for families of disabled children and young people.

The service is continually evolving so the work on the project has been constant. The biggest challenge is finding the time to fit this in outside of my core duties. Regular service development meetings are held with the Red Cross and their support has been invaluable in the development of the project.

How did you tackle the lack of funding for the service?

We have been fortunate for the first few years of the project that we were able to obtain funding following successful bids for Aiming High for Disabled Children

www.

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T he O no w y o u d e s e r w w

T S ho w A w ar d s ar e o pe n f o r e ntr y , s o if k no w s o m e o ne w ho v e s r e c o gnitio n v is it w . the o ts ho w . c o m to nd out more

money and Capital Grants through Nottinghamshire County Council. However, we are now in a position where we are no longer able to access this funding so we have had to consider a charging system for the loan of the equipment to ensure the sustainability of the project. The equipment is subject to much wear and tear and in some cases has had to be replaced. We have carried out a lot of research, which has included investigating costs of private hire companies, consultation with the families who use the project and looking at the development of groups and organisations who could use the service. We have already made links with local special schools and national organisations including Center Parcs and Whizz Kidz. If we do move to the charging hire model then any revenue generated will be re-invested in to the project to ensure it remains sustainable.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

The development of the Children’s Equipment Loan

www.

Service has been particularly satisfying, developing it from the bare bones of a project when I first arrived in the team to the service it is today. It is no longer seen as a ‘add on service’ to the OT Team but a service in its own right.

Winning the outstanding OTA award at the OT show last year was fantastic as it has put the spotlight on the project. You don’t expect to receive awards but it felt great to be recognised after all of the hours of hard work that have gone in to the development of the service. My colleague, Jean, who works alongside me on the project, nominated me for the award.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really enjoy meeting the children, young people and their families and the fact that even the most simple piece of equipment or minor adaptation can make such a positive difference to their lives and in some cases is actually life changing.

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h EW ig 2 on N m h Mk g so 0c t in 12 asco com M ot

c

Trusted adjustable care cots and paediatric beds from the market leader

re ca

Exceptional quality yet surprisingly affordable prices Theraposture are renowned for providing outstanding quality top end products.

Our care cots are often chosen as the best because of their quality, design and longevity. Our prices are NOW CONSIDERABLY CHEAPER making it possible to buy the best for much less than perhaps you thought.

Challenge us today to beat any comparable childs bed or cot bed quotation.* • Understanding OT and client needs for 35 years

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The Person into Bed System The Person into Bed System was developed to enable the carer to assist a person with reduced mobility and weaker upper body strength into bed.

• Developed with the ‘Single Carer’ agenda in mind.

• Can be used with ordinary beds single or double.

• Is comfortable for the person being assisted reducing the risk of harmful handling.

• Reduces the risk of carer injury.

Take a look at our new YouTube video!

Osprey Sling Company | sales@ospreyslingcompany.com | 01869 252 015 | www.ospreyslingcompany.com

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P r o d u c t F o c u s

P r o d u c t f o c u s P and a S te p

This handy step is made from bamboo wood, which is attractive, strong and naturally resistant to water. It can be used next to the bath, the bed or anywhere else in the home where someone might need a step up. It is 10cm in height

W

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ar m

and has rounded edges and slip resistant pads underneath.

Prices from £32 Living Made Easy 0300 999 0004 www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk

e r s

These microwavable wheat warmers are 100% natural containing treated wheat grain to give hours of relief from aches and pains.

Taking just two minutes to heat, the packs are available in a selection of different designs to suit all tastes. A great way to help relieve migraines, headaches, stress and tension too.

Prices from £15 Blue Badge Company 0117 923 2594 www.bluebadgecompany.co.uk

V anil l a Bl u s h L inge r ie Lingerie company, Vanilla Blush, creates stylish underwear and swimwear for people who have an ostomy bag. Created by Nicola Dames, following surgery to remove her colon, Nicola refused to be resigned to a life of ‘big grey pants’ and took matters into her own hands. Vanilla Blush was then born.

The knickers and boxers come with internal pouches to support stoma appliances and ostomy bags, protecting the wearer’s skin and reducing risks of leaks caused by irritated, sweaty skin. There is a lingerie and swimwear range for women and a range of boxers produced for men too.

All the styles are beautifully and functionally designed, ensuring the wearer is not resigned to only wearing unattractive, plain underwear and can feel sexy once again.

For more information visit www.vblush.com

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P r o d u c t F o c u s

e S u ppo r t

ransforming manual wheelchairs for further freedom

Ottobock, a leading manufacturer of mobility solutions, has created the perfect solution for those who want to stay active but still want to have the option for power assistance when required.

With its sleek design combined with being safe, durable and reliable the eSupport is the perfect answer for those looking for independence when wanted and support when needed.

The eSupport is a power assist for manual wheelchairs designed to be used both indoors and outdoors. It is robust, reliable and easy to operate and handle – these characteristics set the eSupport apart as an individual power assist.

It is compatible with the following Ottobock models; Motus, Avantgarde, Ventus and Start wheelchairs and additional wheelchairs upon request.

The eSupport has up to a 30km range and thanks to a short charging time doesn’t take long to be ready for use again. It can be personally configured with the two drive programs to the individual’s requirements and preference. The design of the eSupport makes it particularly transport friendly, due to its low overall weight and low-weight components. In addition, the eSupport does not prevent the wheelchair from folding in the usual way.

KEY FEATURES • Power assist compliments user’s arm strength, with individual adjustment • Directional stability • All components are integrated into the two drive wheels • Efficient drive • Choice of lithium-ion or nickel-metal-hydride battery • Easy adjustment • Wheelchair can be folded with the eSupport in situ For more information visit www.ottobock.co.uk or follow @ottobockuk

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D e m

e ntia W

as hb as in

Apart from symptoms such as forgetfulness or speech disorders, dementia patients also lose their orientation ability. For people with this disease to retain their independence, it is particularly important to provide them with orientation aids in the form of clear structures and an environment that is easy for them to perceive.

HEWI has developed a washbasin especially for dementia patients. The function is signalled by a permanently attached red-coloured marking. This is designed to give the person with dementia the perception of the washbasin within the room and help them to understand how to use it promoting functional independence in the bathroom.

Qualitative studies have shown that the colour red is most easily perceived by people with dementia, it is also the most easily registered colour for people with agerelated impaired vision or inoperable eye diseases, for example, macular degeneration. The dementia washbasin is therefore also suitable for people whose vision decreases with age.

Prices available on request HEWI, 01634 258200 info@hewi.co.uk www.hewi.com

D o y o u hav e an inno v ativ e pr o d u c t y o u think w e s ho u l d f e atu r e ?

I f s o , ge t in to u c h! C o ntac t u s at lisa@2apublishing.co.uk

Be l l o S o nno P ar tne r With 12 choices of wood finishes the Bello Sonno Partner concept is for couples that want to be in the same bed, although they may have different needs. The Bello Sonno Partner concept presents you with two beds that look identical, even though one of those beds may not have the same functionality as the other.

One common complaint is when partners have different requirements yet want to share the same bed. The Bello Sonno Classic Double and Partner Double can be split for care purposes. This means that if any care needs to be administered, the bed can be split to give easy access for the care giver.

KEY FEATURES: • Anti-entrapment safety system fitted as standard to height adjustable Bello Sonno Partner Bed models • Electronic braking feature on height adjustable models • Anti-stomach compression for comfort when profiling • Four section electronic profiling Prices available on request Bakare , 01752 512222, info@bakare.co.uk, www.bakare.co.uk

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L o o pw he e l s

e

xperienced mountain biker Chris Morton thought his off roading days were over following a serious accident while on a mountain biking holiday in Switzerland in 2014, which left him with a T12 complete spinal cord injury.

with his Quickie Argon 2 wheelchair.

The attitude bike is a hybrid hand cycle featuring double crank propulsion with a top-end battery powered motor for extra assistance – something Chris knew he would need when on rougher terrain with steep inclines.

Chris was repatriated several weeks later following surgery and after five months in hospital he returned home to begin adapting to life as a wheelchair user.

Initially, Chris was using a standard NHS wheelchair which he thought did not look great and was fitted with rigid wheels, as he explained: “Being a mountain biker I always suffered with ‘bike envy’ and this soon transferred to ‘wheelchair envy ’, when I first saw the Loopwheels I knew I had to have them, even without realising what an amazing difference they would make to my comfort when in my chair.

As soon as I took delivery of my own chair I set about making it more ‘me’ and the Loopwheels were a major part of that”.

“The combination of my hand cycle and the Loopwheels is just amazing.

I never thought I would be able to access the local off road trails I had enjoyed prior to my accident, but the comfort and stability I get from the Loopwheels allows me to do just this. As a result of the surgery, I have a fixation in my spine and from the first

unexpected pot holes with my bike. I even used them on my chair for my first festival experience since my accident.

“I would not hesitate in recommending Loopwheels to other wheelchair users, either for standard wheelchair use or for use with a hand cycle. In fact, when a friend from hospital saw the benefits for himself he immediately got in touch with Loopwheels and ordered himself a pair!”

Available in 24” and 25” rims and a variety of colours, Loopwheels are shockabsorbing wheelchair wheels that offer a smoother ride and help the user push over uneven streets, rough tracks and gravel paths, with less effort. Loopwheels’ springs provide the user with increased power when manoeuvring their wheelchair up and down kerbs and the design ensures the user has an increased level of comfort as they absorb tiring vibration, as well as bumps and shocks.

For more information on the range of Loopwheels

Chris contacted Emma at Loopwheels who helped him though the ordering process, part of which was ensuring he could get a pair that matched the colour of his chair and hand bike. “Emma was brilliant, she explained the engineering behind the Loopwheels and asked many in-depth questions to ensure they would be right for me and my chair,” continued Chris.

At around this time, Chris also took delivery of a Quickie Attitude hand cycle that is designed to work in conjunction

and CarboLife push rims

time I used the Loopwheels with my wheelchair I noticed the increased flex and associated comfort when travelling over any type of uneven ground. There is always a risk of damaging my back if I have no suspension and the Loopwheels provide me with the required flex either when I am using my wheelchair on its own, or when used in conjunction with my hand cycle. I feel confident and stable when using my chair over uneven surfaces such as small kerbs or when tackling rough terrain and encountering

www.

available call 01623 860909, email info@ loopwheels.com or visit www.loopwheels. com

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RAZ AT

The stainless steel, height adjustable modular shower chair

Tilt-in-space Assists with positioning and safety Adjustable seat depth Ensures aperture is located correctly

ORDER ONLINE AT

wealdenrehab.com

Moulded seat Provide stability for the pelvis Flipup arm rests for excellent access Tension adjustable backrest Accommodate and support the spine

Call 01634 813388 or visit wealdenrehab.com Visit us at the OT Show on 23rd & 24th November

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S tr o k e R e hab

he crucial role of in stroke rehabilitation

a

s troke is undoubtedly one of the most traumatic things that can happen to a person. It affects a person not only in the moment they have it, but the fallout of a stroke can seriously affect someone when they try to continue on with their life.

Depending on how hard a stroke hits, a person may need to relearn to do everything again they once took for granted, such as, independently going to the shops, putting on washing, making dinner, even going to the toilet. Stroke rehabilitation will become a major part of their life.

Occupational therapy is a massive part of that. When discharged from hospital, a patient will be put in the care of an OT to make sure they are on the right path to become the person they were pre-stroke.

As an occupational therapist you will assess what the patient can and can’t do and then help them set goals.

This is an important part of the process, as you will get to see where they are mentally, seeing how much they

can take and how soon they will be able to take on bigger and bigger challenges.

This will be daunting for a client. Patience, as always, is a must. Depending on the age of the client, they may or may not be willing to readily return to what they were doing daily before the stroke.

The Stroke Association is one of the UK’s largest stroke charities. The staff at this charity is only too aware of the difficulties facing people who have had a stroke and occupational therapists who are crucial in the effort to get these people back to where they were before. Alexis Wieroniey, Deputy Director of Policy and Influencing at the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke is one of the most challenging health conditions an occupational therapist can face. The condition is one of the largest causes of disability: aphasia, sight loss, depression and memory loss are just a few of the common problems stroke survivors’ experience.

“We know that support from OTs in the weeks and months following a stroke is vital. The right help at the

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right time can help people return to their job, regain their independence and rebuild their lives.

“We’re currently calling on the government to commit to a new national stroke strategy and help stroke survivors access the rehabilitation they need. To sign our petition, just visit www.stroke.org.uk/petition.”

T he I m

po r tanc e o f O T

Joanna Bresi-Ando is a Stroke Lead occupational therapist. She spoke about just how important occupational therapy and its team work with other therapies makes a massive difference to stroke survivors. She said: “I started working in an intermediate care unit and worked with all different sorts of conditions. I saw people with neurological conditions and I was always found those people the most interesting. It was something you could get your teeth into, trying to help them. That’s why I wanted to specialise in neurology.

“Stroke rehabilitation is firstly about being able to help someone come to terms with the fact that they have

www.

had a stroke and secondly to helping them find a way of getting back to those things that they loved the most. It’s seeing what impairments they have been left with after the stroke but trying to show them that there is life after a stroke. It’s about guiding them through that adjustment period after having a stroke.

“I love when people realise even if it is a small thing that they can still do the things that they did before. I feel that’s the best part, when they realise for themselves that they can do things for themselves and you have helped them get to that stage. It is really fulfilling because they have just given themselves a confidence boost.

“OT is very important to stroke rehab, but OT would be nothing on its own. It really is a multidisciplinary effort. OTs work so closely with physios, SLTs and psychologists and without all of that, without the team, it would be difficult. You need that support, it really is a team effort. Everybody is singing from the same song sheet. Therapy is very much about rapport but not everyone you are going to meet you are going to ›

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S tr o k e R e hab

› get on with, so the fact there is a team is important

in that respect. Because if one person on the team has more of a rapport with a person we can use their discipline to approach the client “It is very important to help try to keep your client motivated but at the end of the day that motivation has to come from them. As therapists, we can try encourage and there are lots of skills we can use to try and get somebody to set goals and as an OT we try and do something that is meaningful, something they really want to do then obviously that is where the motivation comes in. Motivation really makes a difference to rehab and maybe to how well a person will do.”

S tr o k e S u r v iv o r Pam Pomsford, 74, had a stroke last November when she was making dinner. Pam heard a loud popping sound in both her ears, and as her left leg and arm began to feel heavy and realised she was having a stroke. Pam’s husband quickly dialled 999 and Pam was rushed to hospital.

Despite her stroke, Pam was determined to get on her feet again. Pam worked hard with physiotherapists, occupational therapists and the Stroke Association to aid her recovery.

Pam was then sent to the Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington where she was treated and then discharged home into Joanna’s care.

Pam said: “After the stroke, I was in hospital for two weeks and then I was discharged to the care of the Jo and the physio, Kate. I had to set goals for the first two weeks of their care. At the time I couldn’t walk by myself, I couldn’t actually stand or do very much by myself, all I could do was sit. My goal was to be able to take myself to the toilet and to take myself to the front door, so I didn’t have to have someone with me all the time. They helped me achieve that and that made an enormous difference. Jo was very good for my confidence. She made it possible.

“With Jo, it was doing things practically, right from the word ‘go’. The first thing, my husband and I expected that a handrail would be installed on our stairs and so did everyone else. They made me come down the stairs and I was absolutely terrified and when I got to the bottom she said I didn’t need one. I argued the point because I was frightened, but she was absolutely right.

www.

OT Joanna (left) and patient Pam (right)

I wouldn’t have been able to hold on to it properly, I had to be more independent. It was the same with having to use the shower, at first I was using the shower with a shower stool, but that wasn’t good enough. I then had to learn to shower standing up and I achieved that too. I am very grateful, they set the bar high. Although she was very encouraging, there were times were she insisted on me doing things, that had I been left to my own devices, I would never have done.

“I also wanted to get back to volunteering. Jo took the time to find out about volunteering opportunities that I would be able to do. I was very worried about how much of the person I was before the stroke I would get back to being, but Jo’s catchphrase was ‘never say never’ and that has become something I think about as well.

“I can’t emphasise enough how much Jo and Kate’s efforts were invaluable to me. There was no clash, their teamwork was seamless. It was obvious they wanted me to do well and they appeared to take enormous pleasure when I achieved anything. I really felt they were on my side and we were a team. I couldn’t have asked for better.

“I recently took part in the Step Out for Stroke event and I walked 1.3 miles in 35 minutes and raised over £1000. None of that would have happened without Jo and Kate. If I didn’t have the type of solid support they gave me when I first came home from hospital.”

Jo commented on Pamela’s occupational therapy journey: “Pam was very determined. She was determined stroke wasn’t going to beat her. She was a real joy to work with and see her progress.

She did brilliantly.”

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Supporting Recovery Through Outdoor Adventure Together we can move mountains Bringing together outdoor activities and occupational therapy intervention. Our programme aims to develop: Ability to make choices Social interaction, spontaneity and expressiveness Motor skills Attention, concentration and memory Release potential

Discover what’s possible and contact The Calvert Trust on 017687 72255 Supporting Recovery Through Outdoor Adventure is a collaboration between

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27/06/2016 10:05

O T to P atie nt

A

E

Christine owling is a community mental health occupational therapist who is at the moment dealing with a physical disability he spoke to he aga ine about her new found point of view when she herself became a patient of occupational therapy

“ i

’ve been an OT for over 10 years now and work currently as a community mental health OT for adults. My job involves lots of driving and home visits. My first band 5 rotation was elective orthopaedics, but this is my first personal experience of being physically disabled. I live alone in a ground floor flat. I’m moderately dyslexic and dyspraxic, right hand dominant but left foot dominant. I had an ongoing Achilles tendon problem and was due to have gastrocnemius release surgery after 18 months of discomfort. So I was preparing to go off sick, but in the end it all happened very suddenly and unplanned.

I went for a routine orthopaedic appointment following an MRI scan and the Achilles tendon problem had caused a stress lesion to my 3rd metatarsal. I left in an air cast boot and partial weight bearing.

I very quickly had to learn crutch technique and cancel all my work appointments for the near future. I thought I was OK telling people, as it was a broken toe, not some great terminal illness. I had offered to ring my service users personally but after repeating my story over and over again to them it just became too much. I had to take time off from it all.

I was plunged instantly into social isolation and occupational deprivation.

My diary went from being full to empty. No Slimmers World, pottery, attending my church or home group, visiting my 86-year-old mum and caring for her. Suddenly everything became hard work and involved much pre-planning. I thought as it is only my foot, my brain would not be affected, but discovered I became easily tired physically and ›

www.

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no t al o ne O T to P atie nt

› emotionally and forgetful. As doing even simple tasks such as making a cup of coffee involved greater cognitive and perceptual planning.

Environment really does enable or disable. The simplest of obstacles can appear overwhelming and induce mild anxiety. My rugs around the flat went and a nonslip bath mat appeared in the bathroom. I borrowed a raised toilet seat purchased for my mum that I grew to love as it instantly made such a difference. My rocking chair went for a short holiday to be replaced by a chair with arms borrowed from my mum. A perching school was acquired and I bought a large piece of foam to raise my mattress. I confess, I frequently wanted to and at times did push up on the sink. (I don’t know how many times I’ve advised service users not to do that).

I wanted to preserve and strengthen my muscles. I began by walking a short distance each day, it involved going down a slightly sloping path. One day there were a few loose pebbles on the path. I stood temporarily frozen on the spot, did I head off path to the uneven grass or negotiate the pebbles that may move and slip under the boot and crutches. Suddenly I became aware of cambers and slopes I was previously unaware of.

The day my internet grocery order did not arrive was a real low. It was my final pre-op shop, I was desperately trying to get organised before hospital admission.

I’m aware in my job as community mental health OT some of my service users with agoraphobia are totally reliant on internet deliveries and hate to think of them being left in this vulnerable position. As they had not taken my money technically they had not fulfilled their contractual responsibility. Not much consolation when you have three slices of bread left and not enough milk to last out the day!

I have felt very vulnerable at times and totally reliant

“ I e x pe r ie nc e d w hat it f e e l s l ik e to f e e l a s e ns e o f po w e r l e s s ne s s , l ac k o f c o ntr o l and e x pl anatio ns www.

on others. People have been mostly kind and have not taken advantage. But when out walking I could so easily have been knocked over or had my bag stolen. It made me reflect on some of the situations my service users get themselves into and how sometimes you may have to tolerate things that are not ideal just for survival. I had a particular week where I felt resentful about feeling that I had to be so nice and grateful to people as you can’t upset anyone as you rely on them.

Also privacy, I’ve had to let people access areas of my flat and rummage in my cupboards that they would not usually. Although I have no skeletons in the cupboards it felt strange.

It has been an interesting journey. I want to say a big ‘thank you’ to all those who have helped and shown care. It has been great to have OT and healthcare professional friends who have offered advice, assistance and chided me about my crutch technique.

Although I work predominantly in mental health some of the service users have additional physical health problems and some issues are universal. My experience of this temporary disability has made me appreciate more what it feels like to be socially isolated and struggle to access facilities in the community. As an OT I hope to investigate more fully what services and facilities are available to my service users when I return to work. The frustrations of how environments can disable and simple changes can make them more accessible. I aim to be more forceful as an OT advocating accessibility of places and public transport for all.

I experienced what it feels like to feel a sense of powerlessness, lack of control and explanations.

Particularly when appointments and operations are cancelled and rearranged. I had duplicate, contradictory appointment letters. One of my service users has multiple physical health appointments and when I visit I usually review them with her to put them in a pile in date order, discard any that have been changed and write in everyday language or draw a symbol on the envelope so she knows what they are.

I like to think that I am a caring professional. But what stood out to me most as a patient on the receiving end was the kindness and care that particular staff showed.

Those who gave just that little bit extra. A kind word, understanding smile, a careful and appropriate sense of humour can make many situations just that little bit better. No matter how stressed and overworked I may feel at times when I return to work I hope I can maintain a caring and empathetic attitude.”

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he multidisciplinary therapy centre that helps to make speech and language skills a hoot to learn

s

T he O w l C e ntr e peech is an incredibly important area of daily life.

Most people can’t imagine what it is like to have an issue with their vocal skills because it is so simple for them and comes as second nature.

People that do have these issues can build them up in their head and it only becomes worse. It affects their confidence and they can put a mental block up which seriously harms their ability to have a quality of life that they have a right to.

A speech and language problem in children can be a result of an on-going condition or can come from problems that they have either physically, mentally or emotionally.

The Owl Therapy Centre is a place where children can come to try and battle these problems. They have access to not just speech and language therapists but a whole host of professional help to try to assist them in becoming verbally proficient.

Founded by Nicola Lathey, a qualified speech and language therapist, in 2011, she wanted to help children struggling with the spoken word in the Oxfordshire area, covering everything from mild lisps to complex needs.

The centre proved very popular and grew from there developing into a multidisciplinary practice as new and talented therapists joined the team.

Increasing demand saw new centres open in Gloucestershire, Cambridgeshire and North West London soon after.

This year alone has seen five new Owl Centre launches in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Herefordshire, Kent and Worcestershire.

Occupational therapy also has a massive part to play at the centre. Children diagnosed with conditions such as autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, learning disabilities, sensory integration disorder and dyspraxia, for example, can benefit greatly from the combined approach of SLT and OT. Addressing sensory processing skills prior to and/or during feeding and communication sessions can help by: • Increasing attention and the ability to maintain focus in an appropriate seated position • Improving body awareness and motor planning (which includes the muscles of the face and mouth) for increased ability to imitate actions, sequences and sounds • Improving the ability to tolerate a variety of touches, textures, tastes and smells to help learning • Increasing or decreasing arousal

levels to put a child in a more optimal state for learning • Providing movements (vestibular and proprioceptive input) to increase sound production • Providing vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile sensory input to enhance muscle tone and strength across the entire body • Providing appropriate oral motor stimulation to help prepare for better feeding and communication Nicola, who is also the author of Small Talk, Small Talk Bedtime and Small Talk The Park, spoke to us about the benefits of the amalgamation of occupational therapy and speech and language therapy can have for the children that attend the centre.

Nicola, said: “The Owl Centre is a set of children’s independent therapy practices that are sweeping across many counties in Britain. The Centres are very much multidisciplinary practices and the most common ‘joint therapy’ sessions take place between the SLTs and OTs. “These two disciplines overlap to keep children calm and focused, offering sessions on emotional awareness/

“ T he O w l T he r apy C e ntr e is a pl ac e w he r e c hil d r e n c an c o m e to tr y and b attl e the s e pr o b l e m s www.

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S pe e c h & L angu age

regulation and for eating and drinking skills. In the past, we have run summer groups where children with particular difficulties have been ‘therapied’ together; for instance, children who need work on both language building and hand skills exercises have been amalgamated together.

“Usually we take a theme for a session such as ‘under the sea’ where the children have to make fish shapes with their hands whilst following auditory instructions, or the children cut out the fish from the book ‘Hooray for fish’ and work on saying the ‘f’ sound at the beginning of the word and put two or more words together into a short sentence to label the fish - spotty fish, striped fish, Sky fish, hairy fish etc. Or we’ve run eating and drinking groups where the children work on sensory feeding skills, food play, oral sensitivity, oral motor and positioning.”

Feedback for The Owl Centre has

“ I t u nd e r s tand s that par e nts hav e c o nc e r ns and w is h to b e s e e n as s o o n as po s s ib l e been incredibly positive. Parents, local authorities and others who use the service have benefited from its efficient administration and dedicated professionals. The Owl Centre can usually translate an enquiry into an appointment within a week (and once received an enquiry at 10pm and offered an appointment the next morning). It understands that parents have concerns and wish to be seen as soon as possible.

More importantly, its therapists are highly skilled and experienced and, in some cases, attract clients from many counties outside its natural catchment area.

Possibly the best aspect of The Owl Centre is its joined-up service. As its team of therapists is close-knit and a genuine team, they are able to advise each other

www.

on every kind of issue that one of the therapist’s clients might experience.

This sets their service apart from standalone therapists, which is why The Owl Centre continues to attract excellent therapists and parents, schools, LA’s, and, most importantly, children in need of assistance. The Owl Centre can help children on every level of the spectrum, from mild lisps to highly complex needs.

As a Centre which can help parents avoid NHS waiting times and which c a n p rov i d e t h e i r c h i l d w i t h a n individualised, bespoke and highly beneficial ser vice with hands- on therapy, its popularity is obvious.

To learn more about The Owl Centre and what therapies they provide visit their website www.theowltherapycentre.co.uk

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s s hhhh 7

a m; bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to take on the world. Or so we should be.

The Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher was famously said to have run the country on a mere four hours sleep. Whilst stumbling into the office with sleep still in your eyes might work for many an adult; sending children to nursery and school without the required amount of sleep can be detrimental to their growth.

According to the Millpond Children’s Sleep Clinic, a good night’s sleep is just as important to their well-being and development as healthy eating and exercise.

From one week old, right up to sweet 16, the amount of sleep you need decreases, for an eight year old, the approximate amount of sleep needed is 10 hours, 15 minutes. Sleep problems are all too recurrent in children, from initially falling asleep to waking in the night, but sleep and paediatrics is a growing area of occupational therapy and something that family and children’s charity Cerebra, aim to help address.

Cerebra give families who have a child with a brain condition the chance to find a better life together. Families who have a child with a neurological condition, learning difference or development delay often experience problems with their child’s sleep. Cerebra offer a Sleep Service to provide support to families.

Their team of Sleep Practitioners can provide parent presentations, workshops, sleep clinics, telephone support and in some cases home visits to discuss the sleep difficulty.

Sleep for some children is just like any other skill that has to be learned, taking time and patience, and repeating many times before it becomes mastered.

When a child isn’t sleeping well it can

have a huge impact on the child and the whole family. The child may find it difficult to concentrate at school, be irritable and/or hyperactive. For the parents, lack of sleep can put pressure on their relationship and low mood/ depression can occur. Therefore adequate sleep is impor tant for everyone and this is where Cerebra as a team step in to offer support.

The main sleep difficulties that the team see are problems settling to sleep initially, trouble maintaining sleep (night waking), difficulty sleeping alone and/or early rising (before 6am).

when it comes to change. Rewards don’t have to be expensive and can be as simple as praise, a sticker chart or pocket money for example. The important thing is that you use a reward that you know your child is motivated to achieving.

When trying to change sleep patterns, Cerebra normally suggest to do this gradually. Here is one example of a family that have used this technique f ro m o n e o f t h e c h a r i t y ’s S l e e p Practitioners: “Twelve-year-old Stephen who has ASD lives with his parents in Birmingham. His

“ S l e e p f o r s o m e c hil d r e n is j u s t l ik e any o the r s k il l that has to b e l e ar ne d One aspect that can have a huge impact on sleep is having an effective bedtime routine that lasts no longer than an hour. It is important to turn off TV/ computers/tablets and phones at least an hour before sleep time. The ideal routine would start with a quiet/calming activity, then a light supper, a bath followed by moving into the bedroom and putting on pyjamas and then lastly reading a story or using massage or other relaxation techniques.

When it comes to early rising in particular, Cerebra have some tools that they often recommend which include travel black out blinds that can sucker onto the window glass and you can take anywhere with you, and sleep training clocks which indicate when it’s morning and night-time, which can be particularly useful in the summer months. For all areas of sleep problems, using rewards can be very helpful and increase the chances of success. Children, like adults, respond well to motivation, especially

www.

main sleep issue was waking up very early (around 4am) and not being able to go back to sleep. His parents encouraged him to go to bed and try to sleep and he was very good at staying in his bed but he did not feel tired. As a result he was very tired and almost falling asleep by tea-time at 5:30pm but kept awake by his parents until around 8:30pm/ 9pm, which was very hard work.

“I spoke to Stephen’s mum Alice on the telephone for thirty minutes to support them in putting some strategies together. They were advised to try a much earlier bedtime for a temporary basis, by following Stephen’s natural sleep pattern (the time he feels tired and sleepy) and then to make gradual changes.

“They tried a bedtime of 5:30pm to start with and moved this by fifteen minutes each day until they got to 8:30pm. They found that by moving the bedtime gradually, this resulted

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hh in gradually waking up later in the morning, finally reaching 7am.This was a big achievement for the family, as this problem had being going on for many years.”

To find out more about Cerebra and what they can offer, as well as details on the Sleep Service, please visit www.cerebra.org.uk.

If you’d like to learn more about sleep training, Millpond Children’s Sleep Clinic offer a workshop for health professionals.

This year the workshops take place on

S le e p

13 September and 5 December. Led by Mandy Gurney, founder of the clinic, the workshop participants learn to understand children’s sleep cycles and sleep needs, understand the challenges of helping parents make the change, as well as understand the factors that influence children’s sleep and steps towards intervention. The workshops are also available to train staff within community health teams.

“ C hil d r e n, l ik e ad u l ts , r e s po nd w e l l to m o tiv atio n, e s pe c ial l y w he n it c o m e s to c hange ”

To find out more visit: www.millpondsleepclinic.com or contact Millpond on 0208 444 0040

www.

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www.movingandhandlingpeople.co.uk

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Provides modurate levels of postural support. Increased height backrests and other accessories available.

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27/06/2016 15:54

C o lu m

BY LAURA RUTHERFORD

nis t

H

“ t

h e disabled population i s t h e w o r l d ’s l a r g e s t minority of which anyone can become part of at any time.”

I love this quote. It’s so perfectly truthful – yet the majority of society lives in blissful ignorance to the everyday necessities that the disabled community - one in five of us - struggle to find.

As a mum to a four-year-old disabled child, one problem we now face is finding appropriate toilet changing facilities – a Changing Places or Space to Change toilet to be specific. There are thousands of people that require bigger changing tables/benches, hoists and more space for equipment and a parent/ carer to help them.

If you’re on social media, you’ll no doubt have seen SEN parents and carers posting some shocking photos of disabled children and young adults lying on toilet floors getting changed. This is of course to try and make the world aware that there is a need for these facilities. What’s particularly sad about this is the fact that we have to campaign.

That we have to post humiliating photos of our children to try and raise awareness of this – I feel obvious - problem. It’s insulting to say the least.

Half a million people in the UK need these changing places, yet there are only 833.

My beautiful son, Brody, no longer fits on a baby changing table and is unable to use a toilet. This leaves us with struggling to change him standing up, laying him on a toilet floor – where there are over 77,000 germs - using the car boot or

leaving where we are to rush home. This breaks my heart as a parent.

but life isn’t predictable and one day it might.

We sadly live in a world where some outpatients have to medicate themselves before attending hospital appointments so that they don’t require going to the toilet. People attending a place of which the sole purpose is to provide health care - yet they are unable to do something as basic as go to the toilet.

This petition http://bit.ly/toilets4all by Lorna Fillingham asks David Cameron to ensure equality of access to disabled toilets for all by making the provision of Changing Places toilets mandatory in the buildings mentioned in BS 8300:2009.

Please sign and share it.

Ignorance isn’t bliss for many of us.

Ignorance means that we are forced to do things that no parents or carers should have to do.

Next time you go to the toilet when you’re out, please imagine lying on the floor.

Then imagine laying the most precious person to you – your child – on it.

Please help by raising awareness of Changing Places and Space to Change.

It would make such a big difference to so many people. It might not affect you,

www.

If you’re in a position to do something about this (e.g. a Facilities or Estates Manager) then please take action. If you are a parent in my shoes, visit the Changing Places and Space for Changes websites. Send the information to local places of interest. Tell them why we need this. Raise awareness. Together, maybe we can all make a difference.

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CHILDREN’S

P r o d u c t f o c u s

e take a look at some of the innovative products available for children with disabilities

M

as c o t M

k 2

The Mascot Mk2, from Theraposture, is a care cot for life. Building on the popular features of the original Mascot, this future proof solution eliminates the need to buy a new cot as user needs change. This hand crafted, bespoke sleeping solution encompasses fully adjustable door heights ranging from 60–120cm that include an innovation securing mechanism for enhanced safety.

• Meets 80% of all clients needs • Hand-crafted in high quality Beech wood with robust metal mechanisms and reliable motors • Offers leading flexibility because of its modular design • Easy conversion from four to eight doors for access to one or both sides • Interchangeable choice of 60, 80, 90, 98cm and 120cm high doors • Interchangeable choice of functions including profiling, variable height and

Anti-Trendelenburg • Choice of platform sizes: 140cm (variable height only), 170cm or 200cm • Low entry height of just 23cm • Choice of interchangeable rails, Perspex or padding in any cot section • Helps to reduce potential back strain for carers • Competitively priced and saves money in the long term • Available from stock with massively reduced lead times

Prices available on request Theraposture, 0800 8346454 info@theraposture.co.uk www.theraposture.co.uk

www.

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C hil d r e n’ s P r o d u c ts

S k o o g

Skoog 2.0 is an innovative product helping make music accessible. Touching, pressing, squashing or twisting Skoog’s five colour coded sides allows users to play a wide range of electronic sounds via the app or using other MIDI compatible apps.

The device also offers the opportunity to play wireless via a new app for iPhone and iPad, as well as integration with iTunes and Spotify to allow users to play along with their favourite tunes. Whatever your skills, abilities and musical talents, Skoog’s universal design enables accessible, expressive music-making for children, parents, teachers, musicians and families.

Prices from £199.95 Skoog Music, 0131 554 2838 info@skoogmusic.com skoogmusic.com

These expressive plush dolls can help students learn how to see things from another person’s point of view. These dolls show at least 15 different facial emotions and aids understanding of human facial expressions, empathy and emotions.

Prices from £16.95, TFH Special Needs Toys, 01299 827 820, info@specialneedstoys.com www.specialneedtoys.com/uk

Dolls can display an instant reaction, showing facial expressions connected to a particular feeling. The pliable eyebrows and mouth help to create a variety of expressions.

The stitching and detailing on the embroidered eyes of each 12” doll give a great quality finish. Contains polyester and weighs 0.5 lbs.

www.

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C hil d r e n’ s P r o d u c ts

the ab l the m o

u s e r is no w e to ac c e s s tr am po l ine r e e as il y

S u nk e n T r am po l ine A Sunken Trampoline is a new addition to the trampoline market and the creators of these new trampolines commented: “Originally, we only saw large ugly above ground trampolines, many with ripped netting, across the UK’s back gardens. Historically up to 70% of all accidents on a trampoline happen as children are climbing in or out of a trampoline. The Sunken Trampoline solves this issue, as it is flush with the ground thereby eliminating a lot of the risk involved with its use. Because the user is now able to access the trampoline more easily it makes a trampoline at home far better for those with specific physical needs. Added to this, wheelchair users can also benefit with the addition of a special hoist, which can be installed as a part of the overall trampoline installation.”

Sunken Trampolines install trampolines across the UK for families, schools, SEN organisations and playgrounds.

Each installation is bespoke to the needs of the client.

For more information visit www.sunkentrampolines.co.uk

D o y o u hav e an inno v ativ e pr o d u c t y o u think w e s ho u l d f e atu r e ?

I f s o , ge t in to u c h! C o ntac t u s at lisa@2apublishing.co.uk www.

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L e gge r o ™

Bu ggy

The Leggero™ range of buggies, available in three different models, TRAK™, DYNO™, and REACH™, have been designed to provide varying degrees of postural support while facilitating functional activities. One of the most important benefits of Leggero™ Buggies is that they are designed to fit the child precisely. They allow for seat depth, hip angle, and seat to back angle adjustments to suit children of different shapes and sizes. It is easy to adjust the height of arm and foot supports to accommodate for growing children and postural deformities. They are available with comfortable seat and back cushions, head supports, and a detachable canopy hood to protect the child from the sun’s rays.

Leggero™ Buggies are lightweight to handle, and fold compactly making them convenient to move around, and transport in the boot of a car.

They come with height adjustable push handles to accommodate for tall or short parents and carers to help them push the buggy without straining their backs.

Prices available on request BES Rehab, 0117 9666761 www.besrehab.net

e ighte d H o o d y Sensory Direct’s latest weighted therapy innovation is the Weighted Hoody, perfect for fashion conscious teens and young people.

These Weighted Hoodies are designed to provide all the therapeutic benefits of a weighted jacket in a cool, wearable style.

Recommended by occupational therapists to help those with poor body awareness, the weight is often found to reduce anxiety and aid focus and concentration. The deep pressure provided has a ‘calming and organising’ effect on the body’s proprioceptive system.

The inner lining of our hoodies contains a total of seven pockets which are strategically placed for the insertion of weights - discreetly located on the shoulders, around the waist and in the hood. All weights are removable for easy washing.

H e ad P r o te c to r s 24-7 Healthcare now provide head protection for those at risk of injury or for comfortable protection after cranial procedures. Clients can choose from a large selection of high quality Germanmade models that are available for both adults and children. Each one caters for different needs and offers various levels of protection, depending on the client requirements.

All protectors are available in various styles, colours and materials including cool cotton and super-soft leather.

There are multiple options for fasteners including Velcro, fix-lock, thorn buckle, strengthened thorn buckle and magnetic lock.

W

Prices from £90 Sensory direct, 0800 0837 212 info@sensorydirect.com www.sensorydirect.com

employed to achieve the most comfortable and best fitting head protection available.

Contact 24-7 Healthcare for more details, a product brochure or an order form using the contact details below:

Each product clearly shows the dedication, experience and the high quality of craftsmanship that is

24-7 Healthcare, 0208 577 2789 info@24-7healthcare.co.uk www.24-7healthcare.co.uk

www.

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New to The U.K. 24-7 Healthcare now provide bespoke head protection for those at risk of injury or for comfortable protection after cranial procedures.

C

M

Y

Choose from a large selection of different models available for both adults and children, each model catering for slightly different needs and offering different levels of protection.

All are available in multiple finishes, colours and materials including cool cotton & super-soft leather. Multiple options for fasteners including velcro, fix-lock, thorn buckle, Strengthened thorn buckle and magnetic lock.

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Each product clearly shows the dedication, experience and the high quality of craftsmanship that is employed to achieve the most comfortable and best fitting head protection available.

For more information, contact us using the details below.

24-7 Healthcare

2-3 Noble Corner, Great West Rd. Hounslow, Middlesex. TW5 0PA.

Tel: 0208 577 2789 Fax: 0208 577 9099 info@24-7healthcare.co.uk www.24-7healthcare.co.uk

Sunken Trampolines provide the perfect platform for schools, care institutions and families across the UK to enjoy safe and enjoyable trampolining.

We ensure our installations are tailored to the needs of each client.

For a free consultation and site survey please contact us and we would be more than happy to help

assisted bathing - wet rooms - moving + handling - showering + changing - seating + sensory

Contact Joel 07801 573278 / Angus 07765 256537 sales@sunkentrampolines.co.uk www.sunkentrampolines.co.uk

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N e w

L iv e s

An s role supporting newborn babies who have been born with difficulties and their families

N e w b o r ns

ne w

l iv e s

h

aving a baby is one of the most tumultuous times in anyone’s life. There are so many emotions and feelings involved for parents, siblings and extended members of the family. There are also a host of things to prepare for; toys, cribs, prams, bedrooms, the list is endless. It is a time full of stress juxtaposed by elation. It is the same for all families. However, if your new baby is born with complications, it can be a difficult time physically and emotionally. If a baby is born with a disability, regardless if this was known before the birth, circumstances surrounding a difficult labour or it only becomes clear after the birth, the family dynamic will never be the same. This doesn’t mean that it is a sad occasion, every life is precious and should be celebrated, it only means that an approach to the immediate care following their birth will differ.

Parents will have a plethora of support from family to health visitors to healthcare professionals. All of these people are put in place to help the new parents through a time of strong feelings and, sometimes, confusion.

Occupational therapists also have a role to play in helping parents understand their new position. OTs can help people through this turbulent time with unique bathing equipment, specialised sleeping and seating solutions, toys that are not only entertaining but also work as tools to help the development of babies that need it most. ›

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ne w b o r ns N e w

L iv e s

› Deanna Middleton is the advanced occupational therapist for the acute hospital within Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Her two decades as an OT has rendered her an expert on how to deal with the delicate situation babies and families sometimes encounter. She said: “I have always wanted to help children and families directly, in order to optimise their abilities either from an illness or injury and help them put their play lives or school lives back together again or make it a little easier for them and their families in order to do that.

“There are times where we have set babies hands into a good position to play, our experience is that if the hand stays fisted from either an early development issue or a neurology issue it doesn’t allow a good time for that child to open their hands and grab toys and let them play or just to touch mum and dad’s face and get sensory experiences. There was one young person I was able to give that advice to and allow their hands to be positioned in a better way in order to facilitate play and attachment with the family.

“There is not one day that is the same, but mainly it surrounds babies with a neurological issue, that could be infantile spasms, cerebral palsy, a neonatal stroke or a postnatal stroke. Once we have the referral, we would then introduce ourselves to the family and see the child and find out what kind of medications they may be on and find out what the medical team has decided to do. We would then look at how they are moving their hands and their arms and how they are

lying, whether they are on their back or their side, are their eyes open or closed, do they cry for their parents or not cry. With that information, we gather it so we can give advice on how to provide sensory motor play activities or support my PT [physiotherapy] colleagues in different positions to help the development of the muscle patterns that need to help them play.

“We take a preventative early intervention type of strategy with a newborn with a difficulty. The earlier you can provide information on children and babies to their families, the evidence states that it improves knowledge, it improves their awareness that then has the potential to allow that baby to grow and develop in a more positive way rather than the frustrations of not knowing anything.

Families that haven’t had it have often said ‘oh I wish someone would have told me that sooner’.”

Deanna also commented on the importance of equipment to assist babies and families: “Case specific, depending on the age of the babies and what their needs are, some standard, what we call ‘off-the-shelf’ equipment is suitable and it’s a case of looking at what the needs are for that baby and family with their position, others may be that they need specialist equipment and that would then be looking at their local service providers and what they will fund and provide from local authorities and special services or local community equipment or charitable organisations, depending on the needs of that baby or child.”

N e w l if e Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children is the UK’s largest charitable provider of essential equipment to meet the specialist needs of babies and children with disabilities and terminal illness.

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26/06/2016 22:15

Loui Legend Heath (left) and his family benefited from an OT from birth. Deanna Middleton (right) the advanced occupational therapist at Birmingham Children’s Hospital that spoke with us Karen Dobson, Equipment Grant and Nurse Services Manager for Newlife said: “When families are faced with the news that their baby has a serious illness or condition, the last thing they need – or have the energy for – is to have to negotiate their way around the healthcare system to secure practical support. What parents want is for their children to be as comfortable and safe as possible.

stepped forward to fund the £1,015 buggy he needed.

“It is important that babies with significant disability are provided with the right equipment at the right time. We work with hundreds of OTs all around the UK who are able to assess each child and family’s individual needs and ensure they prescribe the right equipment to support postural and developmental issues. Providing the right equipment at a young age will hopefully prevent the need for more intensive therapy or medical intervention at a later date. This promotes the best possible outcome for the child and family.”

“We can now take him out without worrying whether the buggy will be able to take the strain and have the space to carry all his things. I no longer have to precariously carry some of it over my shoulder, which

One particular family who benefited from Newlife and their support of disabled newborn equipment were the Heath’s. Loui Legend Heath now has the specialised buggy he needs to carry all of his essential medical equipment when he goes outside. His mum Karly says it has ‘transformed’ their lives.

was almost impossible to do along while actually caring for him and carrying out constant suctions of his tracheostomy when out and about.

Loui, from Brighton was diagnosed at birth with a rare condition that affects the bones and tissues of the face. As a result he requires 24-hour care and lots of equipment to go with him wherever he goes including a suction machine, an emergency tracheostomy box, a feeding pump, a store of tracheostomy catheters and a nebuliser along with all the everyday baby requirements.

When Karly was pregnant, she bought a regular buggy, but it could not carry Loui and his ‘must have’ equipment safely. When he was six-months-old Newlife

www.

“Since Newlife helped us to get the Bugaboo donkey buggy, which is sturdy and strong with a side basket and spacious undercarriage where we can keep all Loui’s equipment, our lives have been transformed,” mum Karly said enthusiastically.

“ I t is im po r tant that b ab ie s w ith signi c nt dis bilit re ro ided w ith the r ight e q u ipm e nt

“With so many things to worry about, to have one of these taken away has really helped and I now look forward to being able to take him out for walks each day.”

An occupational therapists role when it comes to the sensitive matter of newborn disabilities is maybe not the first people think about, but is paramount to the ongoing care and development of a tiny and vulnerable human being who is dependent on your clinical knowledge and treatment, whether that be in a practical or theoretical capacity. New parents, guardians and carers will also rely heavily on your expertise to help them understand technical jargon that comes hand in hand with having a child with illness or disease, either degenerative, genetic or circumstantial.

-magazine.co.uk 63

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27/06/2016 10:27

T e c hno l o gy

Simon Price, Just Checking

MONITORING

w

m o v e m e nt ith increasing demands to meet Care Act expectations in assessment and care planning and the recently reported backlog of care package reviews, Just Checking, a service provider of a professional monitoring system that assists in deliveri ng personcentred care planning, predicts a rise in a more modern approach.

home, over a designated number of days or weeks and covering the full 24 hours of each day.

“Just Checking has been developed specifically for the professional sector, with time-saving analysis and training for practitioners. It is easy to use and can provide valuable, accurate and unbiased evidence, that, when combined with other methods of information gathering, can help to ensure that practitioners are meeting the requirements of The Care Act. It can also help practitioners to, more confidently, make recommendations about what care a person should be receiving; making sure that they are not over or under supporting the person and ensuring that high-cost packages of care are only provided when required.”

Just Checking provides an in-home movement monitoring and analysis service that is used by Local Authorities to bring insights and evidence to personcentred care planning. Designed to be used by healthcare professionals working with people who have learning disabilities or dementia, the system doesn’t use invasive cameras or microphones, ensuring privacy is maintained. The sensors simply monitor the individual’s movements on a day-to-day basis and feedback professionally-tailored information about how individuals are coping at home.

Chief Executive of Just Checking, Simon Price, commented: “The Care Act stipulates that an evidencebased, outcome-focused assessment of a person is crucial to establish a realistic picture of what care they may need. Practitioners are encouraged to demonstrate that their assessments are robust and proportionate to the person and their situation. If they are to provide care to enable a person to live their everyday life, assessors need to understand what that everyday life looks like over a realistic period of time. This is where support services, like Just Checking, can help, by providing information about a person’s movement around the

www.

Budget Pressure With councils experiencing pressure to save costs and time, there is a genuine worry that they will not be able to realistically carry out assessments and reviews in line with the new Care Act guidance. Professional services like Just Checking, could be the answer to improving cost efficiencies and relieving pressure from staff.

Simon continued: “ There is much discussion about the impact the pressure on council budgets will have on their ability to carry out assessments and reviews, in accordance with The Care Act. The Care and Support Alliance (CSA) has analysed council ›

“ J u s t C he c k ing c o u l d b e the ans w e r to im ro ing cost e ciencies -magazine.co.uk 65

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T e c hno l o gy

› savings plans and says that the strain on councils meant they were now proposing changes that “fly completely in the face of the Care Act guidance”. It is our view that, now more than ever, councils will need to ensure that their assessments are evidence based and robust, especially if they are proposing to reduce the care provided.

“In the face of reduced numbers of employees, councils will also need to help their staff to work in the most efficient way possible. Modern assessment support services, such as Just Checking, that combine technology with a professional sector support team, can help staff undertake assessments objectively, accurately and more time efficiently.

“However, local authorities need to ensure that they are making the best choices when selecting which support services to use during the assessment

I n P r ac tic e This system has had great success in a number of cases in uncovering some otherwise unknown needs and interests of individuals.

Greg is 56 and has mild to moderate learning disabilities and autism.

Options, a registered charity providing support to people with disabilities across Merseyside, initially provided Greg with 74 hours of support a week with night-time support every night.

The Just Checking system was installed to understand a little more about Greg’s normal day-time and night-time routines.

process. Throughout The Care Act guidance there are references to the importance of having assessors appropriately trained and councils need to ensure that, where modern assessment tools are being used, their assessors know how to use them and have been properly trained. At this important time of change, councils need to make partnerships with companies that will support them with training and back-up to help them deliver the best services for both clients and the tax payer.”

For further information on the Just Checking insight service see www.justchecking.co.uk/professionals or

The Just Checking charts showed that he slept well, although he slept on the couch in the lounge as often as using his bedroom. It is possible he found his bedroom at the front of the house rather noisy. He never called on the sleep-in support.

The charts also highlighted that he was spending extended periods of the daytime in the kitchen. This prompted Options to ask Greg why this was. It turned out that Greg had a desire to learn how to cook, something that could have been happening for a while but Greg hadn’t told anyone and nobody had known to ask. Once this was identified his passion for cooking really took off. His family embraced his new interest and before long he was enjoying cooking a variety of dishes, reciting ingredients that were needed, travelling on public

transport to collect the ingredients and inviting people around to enjoy meals with him.

Greg feels purposeful in the kitchen when he is on his own and likes to keep it clean and tidy.

He has signed up for a cookery course at the local college and his cooking repertoire is expanding.

As a consequence of Gregs success in the kitchen, he was supported to start looking after other aspects of the house and he started to show an interest in decorating and gardening. He also become more interested in his own appearance.

Greg’s achievements have given him confidence to explore and build links within the community.

He purchased a season ticket and now enjoys taking regular trips to watch the football. After experiencing first-hand what this has meant to him, he now takes time to encourage others to follow in his footsteps and can be regularly heard saying “It’s not right that people don’t!”.

Greg’s family have also recognised a change in him, and whereas his father used to bring him money, he is now independent with a cash card.

Everyone involved in Greg’s journey have commented on the huge steps that have been made after his passion for cooking was identified, along with the right support to help him make it happen.

telephone 01564 785 100.

www.

-magazine.co.uk 66

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26/06/2016 22:17

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27/06/2016 10:35 17/06/2016 13:18:04

O u td o o r R e hab

c

alvert Trust Lake District is a well-established, residential activity centre that caters for people of all abilities. For over 40 years they have provided children and adults of all abilities the opportunity to take part in adventure activities including abseiling, kayaking, bush craft, indoor rock climbing and many more.

Nestled in a beautiful setting on the banks of Bassenthwaite Lake in the heart of the Lake District National Park, this accessible activity centre is perfectly situated for adventure as well as, respite and recovery.

It is no surprise then that Calvert Trust Lake District has broadened its horizons to incorporate on-site occupational therapy through a new residential, holistic rehabilitation programme, known as Supporting Recovery Through Outdoor Adventure.

This programme aims to support recovery and rehabilitation through outdoor adventure and in order to bring it to fruition the Calvert Trust Lake District teamed up with A Chance For Life Ltd, an organisation that specialises in brain injury rehabilitation and case management. Their clinical expertise and experienced

• Delivered by highly skilled outdoor education instructors and OTs • The course includes activities such as climbing, kayaking, sailing, art therapy, meditation and memory enhancing education • The residential course takes place over five days in the fully accessible accommodation at the Calvert Trust Lake District • Each client will set their own goals according to their individual abilities and these will be carefully reviewed and measured against a range of areas including: – Motivation to engage – Appraisal of ability

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– Expectation of success – Ability to make choices – Motor skills – Communication skills, including social interaction, spontaneity, expressiveness and body language – Attention, concentration and memory – Speed of processing information - Development of support networks – Release potential

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team of occupational therapists are dedicated to providing holistic rehabilitation to their clients, their families and the teams working with them.

By collaborating, Calvert Trust Lake District and A Chance For Life, have managed to achieve a truly holistic approach to rehabilitation that addresses both the physical needs and the mental well-being of clients, alongside activities that offer fun, outdoor adventure in a full accessible and welcoming environment.

We spoke to Hazel Clerkin, the occupational therapist from A Chance For Life, who ran the occupational therapy side of the course and conducted assessments throughout the residential stay, using the Kawa Model, MOHOST and the Likert scale to measure the outcomes of all aspects of the programme.

Can you describe the aim of the collaboration between Calvert Trust Lake District and A Chance For Life?

The aim was to join two expert services to maximise rehabilitation outcomes for clients who had experienced an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). The Calvert Trust specialises in outdoor education. It introduces its clients to adventure activities and challenges that boost well-being, develop skills and experiences and help give a sense of achievement. A Chance For Life delivers bespoke assessment and rehabilitation for children and adults with ABI and complex needs, through evidencebased, client-centered practice.

The collaboration has resulted in the development of a new type of therapy and rehabilitation experience which is outside the medical model. It provides rehabilitation above and beyond anything else available in this field.

How did the attendees engage with the activities?

26/06/2016 22:18

The Supporting Recovery Through Outdoor Adventure course combines expertise from the Calvert Trust instructors and the A Chance For Life occupational therapists to provide a unique rehabilitation programme

The attendees were encouraged to work as a team, pushing their boundaries and bonding as a group through activities including sailing, rock climbing, horse riding and abseiling.

The occupational therapy activities facilitated social cohesion within the group and meant that we could provide ongoing individual assessment, advice and holistic rehabilitation. One occupational therapy group intervention - a memory enhancing session was designed to increase cognitive function. Other interventions included meditation, creative writing and art therapy.

The effectiveness of these activities was measured and all interventions showed an increase in baseline measurement compared to pre-activity scores. For example, attendee well-being increased by an average of two points on a Likert scale after attending the meditation session.

Can you comment on any particular attendee who you thought really benefited from the experience?

We used the standardised assessment tool MOHOST (Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool) and observed attendees before and after the programme.

It was apparent that all attendees’ occupational performance improved throughout the programme.

Common themes were communication skills, selfesteem, motivation and developing the ability to make choices. Physically, improvements included increased strength, power and coordination.

One participant experienced dramatic changes in function. She demonstrated improvement in all areas including motivation, social interaction, communication, cognitive function and motor skills. She

www.

really came out of her shell and surprised herself and the rest of the team with her courage and determination. In fact, she was seen as a heroine to the rest of the team.

She is now incorporating the adventure skills she took from the programme into her own leisure time, which she is designing and leading. She has also built a support network of fellow attendees.

How did the instructors work with the OTs? This was new territory for both. We learned that we share many skills such as assessment, grading, adapting, education, problem solving and collaborating. The joint design of the programme was the basis for its success.

Spontaneous activities were designed and delivered in tandem, such as a forest hike that incorporated art therapy and group reflection. We ensured a comprehensive information-gathering process and assessment took place before attendees arrived so that the Calvert Trust instructors and OTs could manage and address risks and ensure the group worked together well.

The results indicate a positive outcome - will this collaboration continue?

This has been a unique and worthy collaboration and we shall be working together to deliver ‘supporting recovery through outdoor adventure’ for the foreseeable future. This is holistic rehabilitation and much more. We hope to make a positive impact on the lives of people who attend the programme and inspire them to transfer this recovery from ABI into their daily lives.

To explore how the programme could help your client, to check availability or to book, contact Calvert Trust Lake District on 01768 772255 or enquiries@lakedistrict.calvert-trust.org.uk.

-magazine.co.uk 69

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26/06/2016 22:19

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27/06/2016 13:32

S tu d e nt A d v ic e

S tu d y ing w ith

Myasthenia Gravis m

hat it s really like and strategies that can help

yasthenia Gravis is a rare and incurable auto immune disease, mainly affecting muscles that are controlled voluntarily. It results in muscle weaknesses and can also affect breathing, swallowing and talking. This issue, Dawn Fraser teams up with Deborah Jewell, a second year occupational therapy student to explore how the condition affects her engagement with the programme.

About Deborah Deborah graduated in 2008 with a BA(Hons) in Marketing and Retail Management, working in retail management for several years. Feeling unfulfilled, she decided on a career change and is now studying occupational therapy. Deborah received her diagnosis in June 2015 but first noticed her symptoms two years ago. When diagnosed, Deborah was understandably anxious about what this might mean for her future on the course. For Deborah, the Myasthenia Gravis results in muscle weakness in her arms, legs, hands and feet.

Academic Studies During theory sessions Deborah’s note

A b o u t the A u tho r

taking is hindered. Having to take copious notes quickly for prolonged periods of time results in her hand grip becoming weak to the point where she can no longer grasp the pen. Strategies that help include printing lecture notes in advance of sessions and focusing on key things in her notes, which she can revisit and add too post lecture. The Myasthenia Gravis affected Deborah’s vocal cords, reducing her voice to being barely above a whisper. This affected her engagement in theory sessions for a number of months. Writing down questions to pass to the lecturer or a fellow student to ask on her behalf alleviated this. Her lack of voice didn’t prevent her from taking an active learner role during a group presentation. With a few changes to working practices, Deborah was able to contribute equally in the preparation and assembly and then provided technical support to the group during the actual presentation.

Practice Placements Deborah received her diagnosis whilst on her second practice placement.

She notified her educator immediately who was very supportive. Deborah did

have concerns that people might make assumptions about her capabilities based on her condition. Despite this worry, Deborah is proactive in disclosing her condition to practice educators and agreeing the support/adjustments required for a successful learning experience. Deborah says “So far, I haven’t come into any problems with my practice placements as a result of my Myasthenia. However, I know stress and rushing about makes my symptoms worse so I ensure I’m organised”.

Summary Receiving a diagnosis such as Myasthenia Gravis is a daunting experience but there are things that can help with managing the symptoms. It doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t continue with your studies. If you are a student with this, or any other condition which may affect your learning experience then speak to your tutor about what support is available to you. Thank you to Deborah for sharing her experience with us for this article.

If you are a student who would like some advice send your questions to theotmagazine@gmail.com

Dawn Fraser MA, SFHEA, PGCE LTHE, BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy Dawn is a Senior Lecturer at Teesside University. She also holds external roles as a Specialist Advisor to the CQC and is a Visitor who inspects educational programmes on behalf of the HCPC.

www.

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26/06/2016 22:22

f

BY ADAM BERNSTEIN

our years ago, this October, the starting gun was fired on a workplace pension revolution.

Known as auto-enrolment, its aim is to ensure we all have enough income to live on when we get old. The early signs are encouraging, but we won’t truly know how successful it has been for many years to come, but one thing is certain, the pensions landscape is now very different. Indeed, for the small independent business owner there’s never been a better time to explore the subject of pensions. Adam Bernstein explains.

A new dawn Auto-enrolment provides a starting point for retirement preparation as employers, irrespective of size, enrol their eligible staff into a company pension and contribute to it. As Nathan Long, a senior pension analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, notes, eligible staff are aged between 22 and State Pension Age earning the equivalent of £10,000 a year or more: “ The contributions start low (just 2% in total with at least 1% from the employer) but reach a total of 8% by 2019 (of which at least 3% must come from the employer).

Employees can opt out but not before they are enrolled.” Long makes the point that while auto-enrolment started with the largest employers, the continued roll out means small employers must also tackle workplace pensions – small firms are not exempted. In essence, he says that any business with just one employee is caught by the new regime.

Further, auto-enrolment covers those private individuals employing a nanny or carer – many on limited incomes have found themselves with a new obligation.

I t ’s impor tant to remember that employer responsibilities don’t stop once an auto-enrolment scheme is up and running as there are several on-going requirements including enrolling staff as they become eligible; paying sufficient contributions; certifying at least every 18 months that the employer has met their auto-enrolment responsibilities; and re-enrolling all staff every three years (with an opt out for those that want it).

Again, this even affects to those that simply employ someone within their home – so long as the criteria are met the auto-enrolment regime applies.

“ e m pl o y e r r e s po ns ib il itie s d o n’ t s to p o nc e an au to - e nr o l m e nt s c he m e is u p and r u nning

But as well as this, employers must be aware of any legislative changes. Long says that recent tinkering so far has reduced the burden on employers, including pushing back the t wo increases in minimum contributions by six months. These will now occur in April 2018 (increasing to 5% with a minimum of 2% from the employer) and 2019 (increasing to 8%, with 3% required by the employer) – they could rise further. Again, all of this will have an impact on those with limited incomes. The government has a useful set of links that outline everything relating to carers and disability benefits ( w w w.gov.uk/browse/b enefits/ disability) which may help with affordability.

P

The need to save Moving on, most should know that saving for retirement is vital, the new

“ The first step,” says Long, “is for employers to find out when they must comply as failure to do so can lead to fines of £50 to £10,000 per day.” He adds that employers can find out their start date by visiting the Pension Regulator’s website (www.thepensionsregulator. gov.uk) armed with their payroll reference number.

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26/06/2016 22:25

P e ns io ns

State Pension of £155.65 per week is simply not enough for people to live on.

Just how much income is needed is a tricky question to answer and Long suggests that somewhere between half and two thirds of pre-retirement earnings should be enough for most.

To get to this point does require time says Long: “Contributing 15% of pay (including any employer contributions) over an entire working life should leave most people well placed when retirement comes.”

offers a pension to employees of a number of firms, each of which has a ringfenced pot). An alternative is NEST (National Employers Savings Trust), a pension scheme introduced by the government, with a duty to accept any employer. Whichever route is followed, employers should ensure they understand all the costs, as some providers will charge a scheme-set-up fee.

More changes Apart from auto-enrolment there have been two further pension changes introduced. The first, from April 2016, is a New State Pension of around £8,000 per year. The old Basic State Pension paid around £6,000 every year, but people could receive more depending on how much National Insurance they had paid.

Long reckons that under the New State Pension, lower earners could be better off and some higher earners may be worse off. He recommends that anyone approaching retirement should contact the Department for Work and Pensions for a personal projection (www.gov.uk/ check-state-pension). Those in, or new to, business may be shocked at what they may end up receiving from the state and should take appropriate advice.

P e ns io ns Options for employers

The number of workplace pension providers is huge, but there are two main types of pension that they provide - Group Personal Pensions (where employees build up a company pot which is converted into income) and Master Trusts (where a provider

It’s clear that the options can be bewildering and the Pensions Regulator has advice on how to choose a pension provider which is particularly useful for the smaller business – it’s at www.thepensionsregulator.gov. uk/en/employers/duties-checker/ outcomes/i-am-an-employer-whohas-to-provide-a-pension/choosea-pension-scheme-or-check-yourexisting-one/.

“ e m pl o y e r s s ho u l d e ns u r e the y u nd e r s tand al l the c o s ts , as s o m e pr o v id e r s w il l c har ge a s c he m e - s e tu pf e e ”

The second change gave people more freedom when accessing their pension – the Lamborghini option as a government minister noted, and resulted in four main options turn accrued pension savings into a guaranteed income for life (an annuity); remain invested, drawing down from the pension when needed (income drawdown); take the whole pension as cash; or a combination of these options.

Long says that when the new flexibility was introduced in April 2015 there was an initial rush to take small pension pots out as cash - taking larger pots as a one-off lump sum was less attractive. Long gives the reason Why: “Whilst 25% of the pension fund can be withdrawn tax free, the remainder is taxed as income which can often be penal.” It’s thought that part of the drive to take cash out of pension pots was to invest the money in property before the April rise in stamp duty.

Remember…

Even if you are employing just one member of staff you are not exempt from auto-enrolment. Also, if you are advising any clients who employ a personal assistant or carer they will have to be auto-enrolled too, so ensure you make them aware of this.

www.

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26/06/2016 22:25

Ardoo 140 Portable Hoist

Kidz to Adultz Scotland

The lightest, most compact, folding, portable hoist on the market.

Thursday 15th September 2016 Highland Hall, Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, EH28 8NB 9.30am – 4.30pm A FREE event for children & young adults up to 25 years with disabilities and additional needs, their families, carers and the professionals who support them.

Children Welcome  Free Entry

Ardoo 140 Hoist / Stand Aid Combo Footplate with kneepad attaches in seconds to complete Stand Aid Simple Optional conversion to a Stand Aid Folds and erects in seconds - no tools required Safe, easy transfer into front or rear seat of car Lifts from wheelchair, stairlift, toilet, etc Take on holidays / day trips with family & friends Ideal for hotels, cruise ships, weekends away Use in bathrooms & tight spaces Weighing only 23kgs (51lbs)

Over 100 Exhibitors providing Information on: Proud to Sponsor Kidz to Adultz Scotland ● Funding ● Seating ● Beds ●Mobility ● Bathing ● Sensory Dates For Your Diary ● Accessible Vehicles • Kidz to Adultz North ●Transition ● Education 17th November 2016 ● Legal Matters ● EventCity, Manchester Communication ● Wellbeing ● • Kidz to Adultz Middle Sports/Leisure ● FREE CPD & 16th March 2017 Ricoh Arena, Coventry Topical Seminar Programme and much more...

• Kidz to Adultz South 8th June 2017

Rivermead Leisure Complex, Reading

0115 718 0676

For Visitors Free Entry Tickets or more information:

www.ardoohoists.com email: info@ardoohoists.com Ardoo Caresafe Ltd Unit 424, 109 Vernon House Friar Lane, Nottingham NG1 6DQ

• Kidz to Adultz Wales TBC July 2017

0161 607 8200 info@disabledliving.co.uk www.kidzexhibitions.co.uk

PORTABLE HOISTS

Established in 1897, Disabled Living is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Registered Charity number 224742

The Tomcat SCIENCE CHAIR is designed for ambulant and semi ambulant users with wide ranging disabilities who wish to use a chair independently in the workplace, or in mainstream education. Aged 6 to adult, it is particularly suited to restricted growth and mild to moderate CP. Thanks to the Science Chairs unique design, users get on and off the chair independently; with assistance limited to setup and transport only. It combines excellent postural support with reliable, rugged construction, whilst its office style seating is very comfortable and popular. Its transport base changes from “movable” to “locked” with a single lever action, and it folds neatly for storage.

The Tomcat Science Chair has helped many youngster achieve the very best from their mainstream education and has won the prestigious DTI SMART AWARD for technical Innovation.

Ask for info about the Science Chair: tel: 01452 616900 email: info@tomcatuk.org www.tomcatspecialneeds.co.uk

DNEX16 ADVERT 133mmx92mmAW.indd 1

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07/06/2016 11:06

27/06/2016 15:56

C o lu m

nis t

Kate Lovett of ervices discusses the challenges of the moving and handling of children with disabilities

m

he challenges o H oving and handling is only one of the many challenges facing children/young adults (and their families) with disabilities but it is a very significant one.

Unfortunately for far too long disabled children/young adults and their families have complained of being disempowered and estranged from the process of deciding how they should be moved, what techniques and equipment should be utilised and how many handlers should be involved. Family members occasionally protested that the care and education professionals were sometimes more concerned with their own health, safety and best interests than that of the young person and this caused the manual handling industry much concern. This also came at time when numbers of children and young adults with complex care needs were rising as the advances in antenatal and neo-natal care have massively improved infancy survival rates.

A b o u t the A u tho r

H

Something had to shift we needed a respective and a reliable source for professionals delivering care to these children/young people to guide us and this came in the form of the publication in 2011 by the National Back Exchange of ‘Manual Handling of Children’.

This illustrated textbook written by Carole Johnson and Pat Alexander gives us a good overview of the type of medical conditions commonly seen in children/young adults enabling the handlers to understand some of the moving and handling needs they may encounter. It sets out the requirement in legislation to undertake a thorough r i s k a s s e s s m e n t t o e n s u re e a c h individual child/young person who needs help with moving and regardless of their diagnosis, prognosis or level of disability has a documented and thorough assessment of their needs available to all those involved in their handling. Sample risk assessment forms are included.

The book discusses the key legislation impacting on manual handling and specifically that for children and young people. The body of the text illustrates a range of equipment and a range of techniques for handling children/young adults. It covers a variety of environments in which handling activities take place including the school setting, transport situations and a range of leisure activities including horse riding, cycling, swimming. Throughout the text we are offered practical solutions to common handling problems Most importantly though this textbook enables us, as professionals, to be able to make informed and practical decisions to help children and young people move safely and comfortably. We can now work together with the young person and their families, with far fewer boundaries than were perhaps there before, to help them to reach their planned goals with dignity and respect at the heart of this decision making process.

Kate Lovett is the director of EDGE Services The Manual Handling Training Company Ltd. For advice on children handling training or consultancy please visit the EDGE Services website www.edgeservices.co.uk

www.

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q u e s tio n tim e

reer

Kate Knox, the newest recruit to the World of Case Management at Unite Professionals tells us about her work, having previously worked for seven years at Salford Royal Foundation Trust as a Senior Band 6 OT in Stroke, Acute Neuro-rehabilitation and post-acute neuro-rehabilitation.

Ho did ou rst get in ol ed in c reer it nite ro ession ls Jo Evans, the MD at Unite, had visited the unit where I worked within the NHS to case manage a patient who had been involved in a RTA and sustained brain and orthopaedic injuries.

I’d never come across a Case Manager (CM), nor one who was involved with one of my patients and initially was quite taken aback that a private company like this existed. Jo, the rest of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and I worked well together allowing the patient to benefit from avenues for rehabilitation that just were not possible or available to us normally. t s our rst im ression o t e role o t e My first impression was one of having less boundaries and what impressed me also was how flexible the working relationship between the CM and the client was, like visiting the patient outside of traditional NHS working hours. t s sur rised ou most bout orking it se n gement com n The training possibilities. Also the fact that I am out and about and see the outside world on a daily basis is a big positive and being able to travel outside of the traditional ‘rat race’ hours if my caseload allows. t do ou nd c llenging bout our role People kept telling me that I may find it difficult to time manage my caseload and be self-disciplined, however what I’ve found, is that if you have a good

www.

work ethic and are organised – the work gets done.

The most challenging thing is not working within an MDT anymore. The upside to this is being able to be completely autonomous and knowing that there are other case managers within the company who made me feel welcome from the very start and made sure I knew I could call to bounce ideas off and get support. re t ere n neg ti es to our ob Honestly? No. The only negative is about the change in environment and missing the teams I’m used to working with, but friends are friends for life and I feel it’s important to meet new people and work in a range of environments throughout your career. I worked as an OT for seven years in the same Trust and loved my work and the people I worked with, but what’s also important to me are the patients I serve, and truly felt I was able to give more by trying something new. t ould ou tell someone o is t inking bout orking s se n ger I would encourage anyone who wants to learn about new possibilities for patients and who want to assist people who have suffered life changing and catastrophic injuries in reaching their full rehab potential – give CM a go! I struggled with the decision to leave the NHS. However now I see it as a personal learning curve for me that will, in essence, help my future patients.

If you would like to know more about getting involved with case management please contact Judith Stewart, Head of Business Development and Client Relations at Unite Professionals Ltd on judiths@uniteprofessionals.co.uk.

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RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING

Find out what you are worth? ➢ Are you a fully qualified OT, with at least 6 years postqualification experience? ➢ Are you looking for a new challenge, flexible hours and generous remuneration package? ➢ Do you have excellent communication and assessment skills? ➢ Can you work creatively to find solutions for your clients?

Unite Professionals Ltd are a national Case Management Company dedicated to providing a client-centred, bespoke and flexible service to our clients in all areas of the UK, who have suffered catastrophic and life-changing injuries.

We are looking to recruit across England particularly in and around London, Herefordshire, Hampshire and Cambridge areas. We need inspiring OTs to assess client’s needs, plan their rehabilitation journey, implement and coordinate rehabilitation and services and monitor and evaluate the client’s progress.

Jacqueline Webb Britain’s No.1 Rehab Cost Consultancy

Are you one of the most respected OTs in your team?

If so, Expert witness work may be right for you

About You:

Unite Professionals Ltd provide regular clinical supervision, CPD opportunities, admin support and a full induction programme.

We would love to hear from you. To find out more please email Katherine Best at katherineb@uniteprofessionals.co.uk, including a full CV.

Salaried positions or Self Employed Consultant positions available.

Join our expanding team of

Experienced Occupational Therapists

About Us:

• You regularly work with Orthopaedic, Brain or Spinal trauma injuries on short-term and long-term goals.

• You are confident in giving and standing by your opinion.

• You are frustrated that others’ professional standards do not match your own.

• You are ready for your next professional challenge, to run alongside your current clinical position.

• We are the UK’s longest standing Rehabilitation Cost Consultancy.

• Medico-Legal work is all we do.

All of our resources are focused on being the best in the industry.

• We are not a typical ‘agency’. We work very closely with our Experts to provide the right level of work.

• We provide the best training, both initially and throughout your expert career.

• We pride ourselves on the quality of our reports and timely service to our customers, our reputation speaks for itself.

Still interested? Then please contact Simon Dickinson, Manager of Expert Recruitment for more information t: 01722 342 512 e: recruitment@jwebb.co.uk Alternatively visit our website for more information and details of our regional open evenings; we hope you can join us at one of these events. www.jwebb.co.uk/recruitment

Occupational Therapists Flexible locum vacancies in North West England and North West London

medico-legal consultancy

Occupational therapists play a key role acting as expert witnesses in clinical negligence / personal injury litigation.

We require experienced OTs who are confident, have excellent communication skills (verbal & written), enjoy a challenge, are intrigued by the forensic nature of this work, and above all are keen to learn new skills. We offer: Regular work on a case by case basis to fit in with other work commitments Excellent remuneration Competitive rates Personalised consultant Flexible contract lengths Fast-track compliance process

Full & on-going training, supervision on every case & support You will work on a self employed, flexible basis, alongside your “day job” – want to know more about how this works? Email recruitment@somek.com to request an information pack

Join our team of healthcare heroes at

You will be working at a senior level with a minimum of 8 years post qualification experience as an OT and/or case manager Somek & Associates, run by OTs, is the largest provider of HP expert witnesses in the UK, renowned and respected in the field

recruitment_ad_pages_jul_aug_16.indd 1

medacs.com/ahp-heroes 01785 256 605

#HealthcareHeroes

27/06/2016 13:39

RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING Ap p l e f o r d S c h o o l

a co-educational boarding and day school for dyslexic children are looking for a...

Paediatric Occupational Therapist to work within a well-developed and motivated team

Join the Barts Staff Bank today

Must have: • OT degree/diploma • Registered with HCPC • Post Graduate experience in Sensory Integration • Minimum of at least 2 years paediatric OT experience

By joining the bank you put yourself in control of the shifts you work.

Should have: • Experience in carrying out clinical assessment, planning and implementing a programme of intervention.

• A flexible and independent approach

We have immediate opportunities for OT’s in multiple specialisms, in particular we need;

All relevant documentation can be downloaded from our website.

• Paediatrics • Neurology • TORVAT OT’s To become a member of the Bank you must have a least 6 months clinical experience.

For further information or to register please call

0333 577 3392

Email: personnel@appleford.wilts.sch.uk Website: www.appleford.wilts.sch.uk Elston Lane, Shrewton, SALISBURY, SP3 4HL Tel: 01980-621020 Appleford School is committed to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of the pupils and staff. All job applicants will be checked with the Disclosure and Barring Service. Appleford welcomes applications regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, disability or age.

Barts Health Staff Bank

Closing date for applications is 27 July and interviews will take

Barts Health place on 23 August.

Staff Bank ISA

CReSTeD

DfE Approved

Harrison Training is a well-established leader in providing occupational therapists with a wide range of high quality continuing professional development (CPD) services.

P2343_Barts_OT_advert.indd 1

20/06/2016 14:13

Run and delivered by occupational therapists, we understand the context, relevance and knowledge required to support competent practice.

Services include: ■ Skills-based,

cost effective in-service training courses, covering most areas of practice ■ Bespoke workforce development, e.g. enablement, or outcome measurement ■ Mentoring or supervision – for services or individuals ■ Career development to include skills profiling, self-development tools, resources ■ Consultancy – e.g. service reviews, specialist programme implementation, research ■ An e-CPD portfolio for secure and easy record keeping – providing templates, summaries, appraisal documents, and multiple resources.

For more information: info@harrisontraining.co.uk / harrisontraining.co.uk / cpdol.co.uk

0410 HT CPDoL Ad.indd 1 recruitment_ad_pages_jul_aug_16.indd 2

06/04/2015 09:04 28/06/2016 09:16

Edge P

EDGE services Time to take a fresh look at essential moving and handling training...

People Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainer’s Certificate available in-house and at 12 public locations across the UK. Children handling training also available.

Successful completion of this four day course will provide delegates with the up-to-date skills, knowledge and confidence to train others in safer manual handling.

• Up-to-date legislation and professional guidance • Information on spinal function and back care • Ergonomics and risk assessment

• The opportunity to practise with a full range of up-to-date equipment • The opportunity to practise a full range of up-to-date techniques • ….and much more

For further details or to book your place on one of our courses, please call us on 01904 677853 or visit our website www.edgeservices.co.uk

recruitment_ad_pages_jul_aug_16.indd 3 Edge PHRA Ad 2016.indd 1

ORSED U ND

www.edgeservices.co.uk

E

enquiries@edgeservices.co.uk

L 31 JAN NTI

RY 2019 UA

EDGE services 01904 677853

27/06/2016 13:39 08/03/2016 11:57

E v e nts

K id z to A d u l tz E v e nts Kidz to Adultz Wales – 7 July, Cardiff Kidz to Adultz Scotland – 15 September, Edinburgh Kidz to Adultz Up North – 17 November, Manchester The ‘Kidz’ events from Disabled Living take place across the country, dedicated to children with disabilities and special needs, their parents, carers and professionals who work with them.

Over 130 exhibitors offer information on mobility, funding, seating, beds, communication, access, toys, education, transport and much more. A full programme of CPD seminars runs alongside each exhibition.

To find out more visit www.disabledliving. co.uk/Kidz/Welcome

M

o v ing & H and l ing P e o pl e N o r th at D N E X 21 - 22 September, Newcastle DLF’s leading event for moving and handling practitioners is joining forces with DNEX to offer the same successful 2-day event at Newcastle Racecourse, High Gosforth Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 5HP. Offering a full CPD accredited programme, delegates attend four practical workshops, four seminars and the keynote sessions. In 2016 the workshops cover a range of specialist topics including plus-sized people, single-handed care, moving and handling wheelchairs and communications and dementia.

• CPD accredited event - over 15 hours of learning • Evidence based solutions and

E v e nts c al e nd ar expert analysis • ‘Hands-on’ workshops and sessions Moving & Handling People North is aimed at health and social care professionals managing and providing hands-on practical care.

The event enables practitioners to widen their experience and knowledge to deliver efficient, safe practice through improved performance and techniques.

This event include four practical workshops dealing with plussized people, single-handed care, dementia and moving and handling wheelchairs.

To view the Programme or book the event visit movingandhandlingpeople. co.uk/north, email mhp@dlf.org.uk or call 020 7432 8006.

T he O T S ho w 23-24 November, Birmingham The Occupational Therapy Show is returning once again to the NEC, Birmingham in November.

Dedicated solely to OTs, this year’s event promises to offer access to over 100 OT focused and interactive lectures, seminars and practical workshops, as well as over 60 hours of CPD accredited education to choose from.

300 exhibitors are anticipated to be attending, showcasing innovative products to aid independent living for adults and children, and services to assist OTs and their patients/clients.

To find out more visit www.theotshow.com and register for your FREE ticket today.

O T A C 7 December, Newcastle The Occupational Therapy Adaptation Conference (OTAC) will be holding its fourth event in Newcastle on Wednesday December 7.

It will take place at the Hilton Hotel, Newcastle Gateshead and will involve more than 50 exhibitors and seminars by respected speakers.

This event will be of interest to occupational therapists, assistants and students, support staff, commissioners, people working within housing (surveyors, architects and technicians), housing associations or charities involved in adaptations and/or funding equipment.

Tickets are free and a hot buffet lunch is available for £12.50. Any questions please email sally@promotingindependence.co.uk. To book your tickets visit http://bit.ly/1ZLjENw.

www.

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F e e d b ac k

YOUR VOICE COUNTS

t

hank you for taking the time to read The OT Magazine, we hope you have enjoyed it. We are striving to produce a magazine that provides OTs with a useful resource filled with relevant information, interesting articles, innovative products and thoughts and opinions from OTs themselves. We would love to hear your thoughts on The OT Magazine to ensure we are producing a publication that you want to read.

Your help is much appreciated.

Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Dr: First Name:

July / August 20

16

Surname: Address:

Postcode: Tel: Email:

Age: under 25

26-40

41-60

over 60

Are you: a) an occupational therapist b) a professional in the healthcare industry c) a student of occupational therapy Are you an independent OT?

Yes

What would you like to see in The OT Magazine?

• Products • Case studies of products and methods in practice • Columns from OTs • Interviews with OTs from different fields • Research articles • Services available for patients • Information on respite and accessible holidays • Information on events and exhibitions • Information for students • Recruitment section • Other (Please specify)

No

What area of occupational therapy do you work in?

P l e as e po s t b ac k y o u r c o m pl e te d f o r m

What is your overall impression of The OT Magazine?

to :

The OT Magazine, Caledonia House, Evanton Drive, Thornliebank Ind Est, Glasgow, G46 8JT www.

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S u b s c r ib e

w

S

F EE

D o n’ t m is s o u t. . .

E HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED The OT Magazine and have found it informative and enjoyable to read. If you would like to register to receive a FREE copy of the magazine every issue, simply fill in your details and post back this form to the address provided or visit www.ot-magazine.co.uk to register online.

Y e s ! I w o u ld lik e to s u b s c r ib e Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Dr: First Name: Surname:

The OT Magazine is out every two months and every issue will include a wide range of products, news stories, personal stories and informative articles.

Address:

If you would like to have your say on what you would like to see in the magazine, email ros@2apublishing.co.uk. We would love to hear your thoughts.

Postcode:

T e l e pho ne :

Tel:

0141 465 2960

Email:

E m ail :

enquiries@2apublishing.co.uk

Date of Birth:

A d d r e s s :

July/August 2016

The OT Magazine, Caledonia House, Evanton Drive, Thornliebank Ind Est, Glasgow, G46 8JT

www.

Are you an independent OT?

Yes

No

What area of OT do you work in?

-magazine.co.uk 82

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27/06/2016 15:32

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27/06/2016 10:40

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or call 01924 507050 quoting OT16 or visit www.hslchairs.com

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Telephone Email Freepost Plus RTKE-LARX-YJSS, HSL (Dept. OT16), Unit 1-3, Grange Road Industrial Estate, Grange Road, Batley WF17 6LN

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Untitled-1 24 CFC791 297x210mm OT16.indd 1

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Cheltenham Gallagher Retail Park, Manor Road GL51 9RR Tel: 01242 578334 Exeter Dunns Business Centre, Trusham Road, Marsh Barton EX2 8NW Tel: 01392 409744 Plymouth Ferryport View, Millbay Road PL1 3FQ Tel: 01752 263683 Swansea Lion Way Retail Park SA7 9FB Tel: 01792 293118 Swindon I O Trade Centre, Hobley Drive SN3 4NS Tel: 01793 744 063 Taunton 2 Wellington New Road TA1 5NF Tel. 01823 429003 Truro Chiverton Cross TR4 8HS Tel: 01872 487028 SCOTLAND Aberdeen Haudagain Retail Park, Great Northern Road, Woodside AB24 2BQ Tel: 01224 660958 Bathgate 24 Glasgow Road EH48 2AG Tel: 01506 650579 Dundee City Quay, Camperdown Street DD1 3JA Tel: 01382 339800 Edinburgh Abbeyhill Ind Estate, Abbey Lane EH8 8HH Tel: 0131 285 1882 Glasgow Knightscliffe Retail Park, Great Western Road, G13 2TG Tel: 0141 954 0290

27/06/2016 13/06/2016 10:42 15:34