RCOT Council

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Odeth Richardson is the Head of Occupational Therapy at the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals (NUTH). Odeth has been an occupational therapist for over 22 years after training at Brunel University London. Starting her career at Hillingdon Hospital, Odeth pursued her interest in social services in Harrow and Brent. After becoming the Duty Team Lead at Brent social services, Odeth joined the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals as the Head of Occupational Therapy.

Alongside her current role, Odeth is a mentor at the Elizabeth Casson Trust and a critical friend to Glasgow Caledonian University and Northumbria University looking at improving the representation and experiences of underrepresented occupational therapy students. Odeth is also the Chair of NUTH BAME Staff Network, Chair of the North East and North Cumbria ICS Race Equality Forum, Co-Chair of the Angelou Centre Trustees, a Strategic Independent Advisory Group member for the Northumbria Police and a trustee of the Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Watch Odeth’s interview hosted by Kirstie Hughes, Vice Chair of our West Midlands region, at the 2022 AGM. Here Odeth shares her priorities as our new Chair of Council.

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Dr Anita Atwal is an associate professor in occupational therapy at London South Bank University and the school lead of diversity and inclusion and interprofessional learning.

She has written over 60 papers and 2 books and presented at national and international conferences. And is aware of the challenges of applying for research funding and the need to create research academic posts.   

Dr Atwal delivered the Elizabeth Casson Lecture in 2021 where she challenged therapists to put equity front and centre of the profession – her current research projects do just that. The fair4reserach project on behalf of CAPHR (Council for Allied Health Research) has shown the difficulties therapists have in pursuing fair access to research careers and the need for sustainable pathways.

Dr Atwal is committed to the principles of compassionate leadership, and see that we need to be more proactive than reactive and ensure our research serves the needs of all citizens.

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Paul graduated from Cardiff University School of Occupational Therapy in 1995 and took up his first post in a medium secure unit where he developed occupational therapy skills within forensic mental health, eventually becoming the service manager. Paul has always had an interest in health and work and completed the MSc in Vocational Rehabilitation at Sheffield Hallam University in 2008. In 2006, he became the clinical team manager of a multi-disciplinary ‘Condition Management Programme’ as part of the DWP funded Pathways to Work Service, working closely with Jobcentre+ colleagues to help people in receipt of health-related welfare benefits to manage their health and return to work.

Since 2017, Paul has been the Professional Head of Staff Health and Wellbeing at Swansea Bay University Health Board, managing Occupational Health, the Health Board’s staff wellbeing service and ‘In Work Support’, an ESF funded service supporting employees in local SME’s to manage their health and remain in work or return to work.

Paul first joined the RCOT Board, Wales in 2019 and is the current interim Chair. He is delighted to be nominated as Council member, Wales and looking forward to working with Council colleagues.

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Neil’s journey into occupational therapy began following a back injury that left him unable to work, mobilise long distances and struggling with daily living activities. He was inspired to study as a mature student to put his lived experience of the biopsychosocial effects of disability to good use.  He graduated from Queen Margaret University in 2002 and has worked with Fife Council since 2009 where is currently a Community Occupational Therapy Manager managing the Kirkcaldy Community OT and the Specialist OT Postural Management teams.  

Neil has a longstanding involvement with RCOT. He is Vice Chair of the Scottish Eastern Region RCOT committee, was a RCOT (Scotland) Board member and represented RCOT at the Scottish parliament's Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. He is also Co-chair of the Specialist Community Occupational Therapists network and represents Scottish local authority OT staff on a Joint Social Services Task Force group chaired by the Scottish Minister for Social Care Mental Wellbeing and Sport. 

Neil is a passionate believer in the value and effectiveness of occupational therapy and is keen to ensure that the voice of the profession is heard and receives the recognition and appreciation it deserves in Scotland and across the UK. 

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Aisling Durkin is the Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist in the Regional Acute Neurosciences Unit in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She works with OTs in acute, rehab and community services across Northern Ireland and with neuro specialist OTs regionally supporting education and service development.  

Having graduated from Teesside University in 2010, Aisling took up her first post in Tees, Esk and Wear Valley Mental Health Trust where she developed her skills on adult acute mental health wards.  

She has previously undertaken rotations across acute and community services in Cornwall, worked on the Northern Ireland Review of Neurology Services to identify the optimal configuration for neurology services across the region and worked with public health agencies to identify the occupational therapy workforce needs for neurological services.  

Aisling completed her MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice for Neurological Rehabilitation. In 2017 presented the results of her dissertation at the RCOT Annual Conference exploring the practices of occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists working with people with anxiety and depression following stroke. She is delighted to be able to represent occupational therapists in Northern Ireland on Council following her election in 2024 and is looking forward to working with colleagues across the four nations. 

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Jacqueline Gordon is the Clinical Specialist in Neurosciences at Great Ormond Street Hospital and prior to this worked on a neonatal intensive care unit and in acute hospital services. She began her career in adult social services and housing before moving to the NHS as a Paediatric OT. Her work has included mainstream and special schools, nurseries and a short break team supporting young people into their choice of leisure activities.  

She has previously lectured on Occupational Therapy courses at Brunel University and the University of East Anglia.  Since 2022 she has been a staff Governor at Great Ormond Street Hospital giving her insight into how institutions function at a high level and bringing in views from frontline workers. Jacqueline was active in the RCOT specialist section for Children Young People and Families organising study events and conferences, supporting evidence-based practice and on the National Executive Committee. She encouraged people to get involved, increasing official posts to include students, newly qualified staff, links with universities, research and communication.

She currently has a Clinical Fellowship in sustainability hosted by the NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board and is aiming to shift the NHS to be resilient to climate change and reduce the impact of healthcare pollution and wasteful practices.  

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Janine Hackett is a Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh and has previously taught at the University of Derby.  Her clinical work has chiefly been with children and young people, and she has held leadership roles as Head of Occupational Therapy at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and in Adult Rehabilitation Services in Edinburgh. 

Janine’s motivation for joining Council was to contribute to the strategic direction of the profession in a very complex and ever-changing health and social care environment. She believes this offers opportunities and challenges for occupational therapy and sees RCOT playing a pivotal role by promoting sustainable practice.  Janine feels a confident and highly skilled workforce is imperative and that this must be supported by continuing professional development and strong leadership.  

She is committed to diversifying the profession, widening participation, improving retention, recruitment, and career advancement and will continue to promote positive working cultures, celebrate good practice, and harnessing talent both for individuals and the wider profession.  

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Cathryn completed her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Following a year of community practice Cathryn travelled to the United Kingdom. Cathryn is a practising Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist (Stroke and neurology) with a focus on neurological rehabilitation at a district acute NHS hospital and holds a Masters of Science in Advanced Clinical Practice (Adult Acute and Critical care).

Cathryn job shares the Greater London Health seat on the BAOT/UNISON National Occupational Therapy Panel and is keen to ensure members’ voices are heard and for the Trade Union perspective to continue to be incorporated in discussions that lead to positive and effective change which drive the profession forward. 

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Dr Sureshkumar Kamalakannan is Associate Professor of Public Health and Disability at Northumbria University and an Honorary Associate Professor at the International Centre for Evidence in Disability, part of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  He is a passionate academic researcher in the field of disability and rehabilitation and contributes to bridging the gap in access to rehabilitation services; strengthening rehabilitation within health systems and policy research; and mainstreaming disability in health in the global South.  

Through this work he has witnessed the efforts of occupational therapists empowering disabled people and impacting targets of Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.  He works with the WFOT team on the global OT workforce strategy and co-directs the Cochrane Affiliate for disability in the Cochrane India Network. He is part of the scientific committee of the International Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery Alliance and contributes to research of the WHO World Rehabilitation Alliance.  

Suresh has been a member of the international advisory board for BJOT, the associate editor and a RCOT research champion.