Welcome to the latest edition of OTnews! In this issue we dive into RCOT’s Workforce Strategy, our Elizabeth Casson Memorial Lecture and the celebration of environment and sustainability, among other features:
- RCOT recently launched its inaugural Workforce Strategy, aiming to expand occupational therapy workforce for maximum impact on people's health and quality of life by 2035. Read more on pages 16–17.
- We also look at RCOT's plans to strengthen its governance, which includes significant ambitions for both the professional body and the occupational therapy profession. Learn more about this initiative, led by Council, on pages 12–15.
- 2024 Elizabeth Casson Memorial Lecture – you’ve still got time to sing up. Register your place and turn to pages 18–19 for our Q&A with Professor Katrina Bannigan.
- April is a celebration of the environment and sustainability featuring the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare’s Greener AHP Week and Earth Day take place. Read about Amanda Payne’s sustainable uniform initiative on pages 42–43, as she emphasises ‘Lasting change often starts small’.
- Catherine Potter explores sustainable healthcare education for and by OT students and shares insights from ‘road-testing’ an occupational therapy version of the Planetary Health Report Card on pages 44–45.
- Nia Williams shares her development of a nine-week occupational therapy-led hearing voices programme in North Wales (pages 20–22), and Lorna Sankey advocates that OTs should be part of the workforce in every care home (pages 32–33).
- Sophie Koehne shares insights from establishing a network for occupational therapists working in homelessness and inclusion health on pages 38–40.
Discover more about this month's featured topics by reading our March issue online.
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Share your story, service development, improvement journey or practice placement experience by contacting Tracey Samuels, our Editorial and Design Manager, at editorial@rcot.co.uk.