Following the College of Occupational Therapists (COT) conference this year, (#COT2015) I wrote a blog about my experience and learning and set myself 6 challenges, 4 months on I want to revisit this blog and review if at all I have addressed or met any of my challenges.

You can read the original blog here College of Occupational Therapist 39th annual conference June – 30th July 2nd 2015 Brighton #cot2015

To put theses challenges into context for blog readers I work in an acute mental health inpatient setting.

Challenge number 1. Look at how my team can introduce mindfulness in to our timetable.

I have discussed this idea with the team, however it as yet is not part of the timetable, first some of the team will need to access the training that is available in the trust and then I’m hoping to revisit this with the next timetable review meeting.

Challenge number 2. Revisit the TRAMm model and get my CPD up to date, improving how I measure my CPD.

I am now active in using TRAMm I update my TRAMm tracker on a weekly basis. I have also presented how to use TRAMm to the other OT clinical leads in my trust, as a result others have started to use the model. Within the OT learning network I help to co-ordinate we are completing a TRAMm Trail at the end of each session for all participants to use.

Challenge number 3. To ensure within my service the voice of occupational therapy is both heard and fully understood, along with thinking about and developing a plan for how best to promote OT within the trust, and wider for this OT week.

This is and I think will always be a work in progress, since the conference I have tried to be clear with colleagues about the work i have done with service users explained the core occupational therapy and helping them understand OT as a treatment process, and not just someone that does art or cooking. I continue to work with the OT professional Lead and other OT clinical leads to develop the service. For OT week, the regional committee (which I chair) will be in Leeds for an event. We also plan to tweet and retweet what OT staff and students in the region are doing during OT week, and hopefully further promote Occupational Therapy.

Challenge number 4.  Are mine and the intervention of my team truly client centred, or just what we have always done? Further refection and discussion to be had with the team.

Again I feel this is an ongoing challenge that needs further thoughts. Running an open time table with regular groups it can be easy to become complacent and go though the motions. I recently attended a CPD event with Jennifer Creek called getting back to basics, and this has encouraged me to relook at core OT skills like activity analysts.

Within supervision with OT assistants i have revisited this core tool to ensure they continue to use the groups they run as assessment and treatment tools, constantly reflecting on their interaction with service users and use appropriate grading and addition skills. As for my own practice being client centre,

I have recently worked with a person who challenges me everyday, getting the right balance for this person to meet their goals, whist remaining safe. It is a daily discussion with the MDT, however the team have reflect that least restrictive practice works well with this person and access to occupational therapy and the the the OT team has been central to this persons care.

I have reflected on the need to discuss my and the MDT decision making process with the OT team on a daily basis to keep everyone working together towards the same goals for this person.

Challenge number 5. Improve the access to football and sports.

Shortly after returning from conference I had a meeting with a local sports complex, we now have access to those resources at the complex once a week. We are now able to offer our service users a weekly physical session in an everyday sports environment.

Challenge number 6. With my team to concentrate on how we can use the garden space better.

We now have a dedicated garden session, which all staff engage in, we have also worked with the trust volunteer service and currently have one volunteer helping with this session. the garden area is beginning to be a place people enjoy spending time in, and we have also used the space run other sessions like a knit and natter session.

So in conclusion four months on from the conference, I still have some way to go, but feel the team have made a great start meeting the 6 challenges.

I’m attending the OT show at the end of the month so let’s hope i am equally challenged at this event.