Seven reasons you can't afford to miss Annual Conference
College of Occupational Therapists 35th Annual Conferences and Exhibition
Plus Three Annual Conferences:
HIV/AIDS, Oncology, Palliative Care
Neurological Practice
Forensic Forum (Mental Health)
28 June-1 July 2011, Brighton Centre, Brighton, Sussex
Register for Annual Conference
http://www.eventznet.com/abs/acs/cot35/default.aspx
Share your experience and passion at our 2012 Annual Conference
While our 2011 Annual Conference has only just finished, the deadline for submissions to our 2012 conference is fast approaching. Anyone wishing to present at Conference has less than 10 weeks to prepare your abstract.
Our Annual Conference, and Specialist Section - Mental Health Annual Conference, will take place on 12-14 June 2012 at the SECC in Glasgow.
Now is not the time to cut and run, the profession is told
No matter how hard things are in the public sector, now is not the time to cut and run from occupational therapy, delegates were told in no uncertain terms at last week’s COT annual conference in Brighton.
Closing proceedings for this year’s event, COT chief executive Julia Scott said that year on year the professional body’s annual conference drives our profession forward, enabling OTs to ‘talk our own language’ and ‘challenge with confidence’.
A return to creative, meaningful occupations
Knitting has a positive impact on mood, can reduce anxiety, raise self-esteem, improve memory and assist with pain management, degates at COT annual conference learned today.
In a paper session based around ‘creative occupations’ Dr Jill Riley from Cardiff University described the results of an online survey that aimed to identify the impact on people’s physical, mental and social health and wellbeing.
Practice based learning offers innovative solutions
Practice based learning can be a powerful tool in tackling chronic staff shortages, COT annual conference heard on Wednesday 28 June. In Lincolnshire, where recruitment and retention of OT staff posed a real challenge in 2002, the introduction of a full-time practice based learning programme for support workers has resulted in a 100 per cent graduate employment rate, with new practitioners who can ‘hit the ground running’ and have a good understanding of local culture and services.
OTs are chameleons and should embrace emerging roles, conference told
In a workshop designed to help OTs to understand the value of occupational therapy in role emerging settings and the benefits it can bring to clients, delegates were told that they need to get out of thinking that you are only ‘in practice’ if you work in the traditional NHS or local authority settings.
‘OTs are very good at forging roles in new areas,’ said Heidi von Kurthy, from the University of Brighton, ‘as they are both creative and flexible’.
In absence of AHP voice in CCGs, work with other organisations to promote your cause
Following the exclusion of AHPs from clinical commissioning groups, OTs need to find other ways of making their voice heard, conference heard today.
Daiga Heisters, national education adviser for Parkinson’s UK, giving the keynote address at the COTSS – Neurological Practice conference, said that working with other organisations would allow them to promote specific causes.
You cannot ‘opt out’ of duty of care, OTs told
Duty of care has been ‘thrust into the spotlight’ due to recent high profile cases, such as ‘Baby P’, and as BAOT members are becoming increasingly subject to service redesign in the current political and financial climate.
Sara Peters, assistant national officer at Unison and Mary Calvey, head OT at East Surrey Hospital, led a COT session on Wednesday 29 June at annual conference to remind people of their duty of care obligations and the vital importance of being confident and able to speak out if they have any concerns.
Capitalise on NHS Outcomes Framework to safeguard future, says DH official
OTs are well-placed to capitalise on the outcomes framework in the future NHS, a key DH official said at conference today.
Lisa Hughes, allied health professions officer at the Department of Health, delivering the keynote address at the COT Specialist Section – Neurological Practice conference, said that OTs could use domain two – enhancing the quality of life for people with long-term conditions – to target people who are making decision.
