The Consultancy Service recently carried out a review for an independent residential specialist college of further education, for young people aged from 16 to 25 with physical disabilities and/or learning difficulties. Jo Mosesson, an OT at the further education college, describes what happened.
'We contacted the Consultancy Service because the OTs at work were keen to maximise the use of our core skills to meet the needs of the students as part of our commitment to providing a quality, sustainable service, underpinned by clinical governance and in line with national initiatives.
'In particular, there was concern over inequality of caseloads, core skills not being identified and the lack of administrative support we received. The consultancy process caused minimal disruption to our working life. Karin Jasinska, consultancy manager, came to meet us to discuss our requirements.
'The Consultancy Service provided a report, which was very clearly set out and comprehensively written. The adviser also gave a presentation covering the main areas of the report, highlighting recommendations. This was especially useful as it gave us the chance to discuss the findings with them.
The recommendations included the development of an occupational therapy strategy for the college, with a clearly defined role and vision for the OT service, and the ongoing provision of external mentoring and supervision for the head OT. The report also suggested that the engagement of staff across the college would be required to explore the capacity and skills needed, should staff roles be extended, and that we maximise the opportunities that are available to identify a student's OT needs prior to their joining the college.
'The consultation has given us a clear strategy to work on and enabled us to make a number of improvements. The team is now more focused and each team member has responsibilities but feels they make a valid contribution as part of the complete whole.'
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