Occupational therapists help people who are ill, disabled or feeling the effects of ageing to do the things that are important to them - such as preparing a meal, working, or undertaking a favourite hobby.
With a shortage of working occupational therapists in the UK, there are great job opportunities for people entering into the profession, working in hospitals , social care, schools, charities, universities and the commercial sector. The average starting salary for a state-registered occupational therapist working in the UK is in the region of £18,300. More experienced occupational therapists can earn up to £35,185, and new consultant therapists can expect to receive a salary of up to £49,740.
Denise Sterling - Head Occupational Therapist
Denise Sterling is Head of Occupational Therapy staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. Her role involves managing 120 people, working in six locations across the City:
"My role is to ensure we have high quality staff providing the best standard of occupational therapy for our patients. You have to keep abreast of the fast pace of development and change in the health and social care environment to ensure services are planned, developed and delivered appropriately. I also have responsibility for monitoring the quality and the standard of the service we offer, overseeing health and safety issues, managing complaints, managing our budget, and working to reduce waiting lists."
Denise used to work directly with patients, but found the transition to managing staff came easily:
"A number of occupational therapists become managers, as we develop very good skills in communication, working with people and problem solving strategies. Lots of occupational therapists, myself included, have found themselves managing diverse teams of physiotherapist, dieticians, podiatrists and other health workers."
Denise believes that it is important to recruit more occupational therapists from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
"The population in the UK is becoming more and more diverse. It is therefore important that our workforce reflects this, so we can meet the varied needs of the population. Working in occupational therapy for 22 years, I've always been judged on what I can do rather than on my background, and I would really recommend occupational therapy as a career to anyone seeking to do something rewarding, worthwhile and interesting. No two days are ever the same and the sky is limit for what you want to achieve."
