The College has produced a number of position statements to influence and guide the thinking of education providers when planning or redesigning a curriculum.
Transforming Community Equipment Services
A review of equipment services has been carried out by the Care Services Efficiency Delivery programme (CSED). Transforming Community Equipment Services (TCES) was developed as a result of this review. It aims to give everyone more choice and control over the services they receive and to give people who pay for themselves (i.e. self-funders) the help, advice and information they need when selecting and using equipment. TCES will not change the way users and carers who need state support are assessed. It will, however, provide greater opportunities for occupational therapists to support and enable people, especially those who are not entitled to help from the state sector. The College has produced a position statement in response to the TCES.
Download the Position Statement on Transforming Community Equipment Services (88KB 
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Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning AP(E)L
Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning AP(E)L - introduction (10KB
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College of Occupational Therapists (2006) Accreditation of prior learning. Presented to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists Council. 16-21 July 2006, Sydney, Australia.
AP(E)L position statement (51KB*)
A joint statement on continuing professional development for health and social care practitioners
CPD joint statement (156KB*)
Criminal Records Checks
The College of Occupational Therapists is determined to strive for the highest standards possible across all areas of the profession and ensure the need to fully safeguard its users.
The College is therefore supportive of all necessary checks on students by CRB, Disclosure Scotland and PECS, as these provide wider access to criminal record information and help to identify candidates who may be unsuitable for certain kinds of work.
If you are a member, you can download the College’s Guidance on Pre-Registration Education: Criminal Records Checks for information on the different types of UK criminal records checks on students and the responsibilities of the education provider, employer and student for this process.
Foundation Degrees
Foundation degrees are designed to further employment opportunities within the relevant sector.
The main purpose of a foundation degree is to consolidate students' skills and knowledge in their existing work area and develop new perspectives and capabilities appropriate to their working context.
The development of foundation degrees will assist occupational therapy support workers in gaining accredited recognition for their level of expertise.
If you are a member, you can download the College's Position Statement on Foundation Degrees 2004 which includes some general principles on Foundation degrees, and offers advice to higher education institutions (HEIs) and curriculum designers of potential foundation degree models that could ultimately lead to a professional qualification after further validated study.
The Joint Statement on Foundation degrees for Support Workers 2004 is a collaborative statement from seven Allied Health Professional Bodies drafted in recognition of the generic nature of foundation degrees and their emphasis on inter-professional learning.
Interprofessional Education
Interprofessional education (IPE) has been promoted for over thirty years as a means of encouraging collaboration between health and social care professions. Since the publication of the NHS Plan in 2000 interprofessional education has become a priority as part of the modernisation agenda to enhance client care and to implement workforce strategies.
If you are a member you can read the College's Position Statement on Interprofessional Education 2004 which clarifies what is meant by IPE and provides guidance for HEIs on how to best incorporate IPE into their curricula.
Work-Based Learning
The College's Lifelong Learning Strategy states that: “The COT will support the development of flexible models of learning at different levels and with an assortment of stepping on and stepping off points, in a range of locations and through a variety of modes of delivery (COT 2004)”. The College supports the introduction of new pre-registration degree programmes which are delivered from within the work place. These types of programmes will be primarily aimed at occupational therapy technicians and support workers who wish to become fully qualified and eligible to apply for registration as an OT practitioner.
If you are a member you can download the College's Position Statement on Work-based Learning focuses on new types of pre-registration degree programmes which are delivered wholly or mainly from the workplace. As these types of programmes are new to OT education, stakeholders can benefit from some guiding principles relating to establishment and delivery.
Last updated: 28/03/08
