Updates from our Policy and Practice Team – February 2026

The Department for Education published the Schools White Paper on Monday 23 February, confirming a new ‘Experts at Hand’ model.

This approach includes £1.8bn to shift support around schools, families and local systems by placing specialist teams – including occupational therapists – closer to where children learn and live.

Announcements in the White Paper give us a clear route to influence national SEND reforms as they develop and acknowledge the key work that occupational therapists can do to support children and young people in mainstream schools. 

Our earlier evidence submissions and targeted engagement mean occupational therapy is now well recognised as part of the expertise the government wants closer to children and families.

Our next steps include:

• shaping implementation guidance
• ensuring the model reflects the breadth of OT practice
• securing direct routes for member engagement as the Department for Education develops delivery plans over the spring and summer.

This month, we also provided evidence to several key reviews, including:

• ADHD, Mental Health and Autism
• Early Years Screen Time Guidance
• new Young People’s Modern Service Framework guidance.

We published refreshed Care Act resources this month and continued engagement with the Casey Commission, supporting the wider Right Support, Right Time agenda.

This work raises the profile of social care OT and strengthens our position in national reform discussions. It builds understanding of Local Authority OT’s role in prevention, early intervention and delivering the Care Act’s duties.

NHS England’s reforms continue to move quickly.

The first redundancy round will be completed by April, with a significant reduction in ICB clinical lead roles. At the same time, national policy is accelerating a shift towards a neighbourhood health model built around integrated multi-disciplinary teams delivering care closer to home.

Neighbourhood health is becoming the core organising principle for future service delivery. This offers opportunities for our profession – but also risks reduced visibility as AHP leadership capacity shrinks.

To respond, we’re establishing a neighbourhood health workstream to:

• influence emerging system design
• support members through workforce change
• describe what effective OT‑led neighbourhood care looks like.

NHS England has published the Core Component Descriptions for community services, setting out standardised elements for commissioning, planning and reporting.

These descriptors are intended to help Integrated Care Boards and providers improve consistency and use resources effectively.

Earlier drafts lacked a clear representation of occupational therapy. Through sustained influencing and formal input, the final version now includes:

• a dedicated section for CYP community OT
• stronger references to OT and AHPs within intermediate care, discharge to assess and palliative care.

This ensures our profession is visible within national frameworks that will guide commissioning and service development over the coming years.

We welcomed Gary Waltham, RCOT Chief Executive, and Odeth Richardson, Chair of RCOT Council, for their first official visit to Northern Ireland.

Over two days, they met with a wide range of services and leaders, hearing directly from occupational therapists about the opportunities and challenges shaping practice across Northern Ireland. 

The visit included:

• time with the Condition Management Programme
• a chance to see the role of an occupational therapist working as a Mental Health Practitioner in primary care
• a productive discussion with regional Heads of Service.

Gary and Odeth also met with Michelle Tennyson, Chief AHP Officer, to understand her focus and highlight the contribution of occupational therapy.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in planning and hosting the visit. Your expertise made a real impact, and we’re already seeing how this will help reinforce Northern Ireland’s voice within RCOT’s wider strategic work.

Logistics necessitated us staying in the eastern part of the country, but I am already planning on when we can have them back for visit number two and visit even more services. Watch this space!

Congratulations to Emma Dunn, occupational therapist at Belfast Trust, who has been appointed Chair of the Allied Health Professions Federation Northern Ireland. Emma’s leadership strengthens OT visibility and creates a valuable opportunity ahead of the 2027 Stormont election.

We’ll be working closely with Emma as AHPFNI continues to champion collaborative working, strategic leadership and a strong collective voice for AHPs across Northern Ireland. 

You may have spotted occupational therapy in the headlines this month! 

A BBC News NI piece highlighting the impact of OT students completing placements in a school in Mid Ulster gained widespread attention. This includes being shared by the First Minister on her social media accounts.

The story shows how OTs support children’s learning, participation and wellbeing in educational settings.

Thanks to all the students, their educators and placement teams in the Northern Trust involved for their innovative leadership and for powerfully advocating for the profession.

If this sparked your curiosity, you can refer to our RCOT guidance on hosting placement in schools to find out how you can do this in your service.

In March, we’ll continue our engagement with political representatives and system leaders. We will host a workshop with Heads of Service on the economic evaluation of OT services, with a focus on the emerging neighbourhood model of care. We’ll also be building support for occupational therapy at the upcoming CAHPO collaboration event.

Please share any issues or insights you think we should be spotlighting. Your input remains essential.

Thank you, as always, for everything you do for people, families and communities across Northern Ireland.

In March, we had a productive meeting with Allied Health Professionals Federation Scotland (AHPFS) colleagues and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care, Neil Gray, to discuss the essential role of AHPs in Scotland’s primary care system – as well as wider challenges around AHP leadership. 

We shared practical examples demonstrating how occupational therapists improve outcomes in community settings – reinforcing the value of strong AHP leadership in delivering preventative, person‑centred care.

We will continue contributing to the Scottish Government’s Primary Care and Community Health Steering Group to ensure occupational therapy is firmly embedded within future plans.

This month, we published the RCOT Scotland Manifesto ahead of May’s election.

It sets out priorities for the next Scottish Government and underscores the vital contribution occupational therapists make across health, social care, education, housing and community services.

With the election approaching, we remain focused on ensuring occupational therapy is visible, understood and championed across Scotland.

Please do continue to share the manifesto with your networks.

Go to the manifesto

We joined the Care and Repair conference in Stirling.

We heard the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring everyone in Scotland has access to a safe, secure and suitable home. The Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Màiri McAllan MSP, emphasised the link between housing in supporting health, wellbeing, work and dignity.

We’ve been contributing to the Government’s ongoing review into equipment and adaptations and look forward to supporting this important work over the coming year.

The conference also offered valuable insight from Lauren Walker and Jill Pritchard on forthcoming work with Foundations, along with evidence from Professor Ken Gibb and Professor Vikki McCall demonstrating the long‑term value of housing adaptations.

We have finalised plans for our upcoming Occupational Therapy Deep Dive, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Government.

This event will bring together leaders from across social work and occupational therapy to explore the current challenges, opportunities and pressures within local authority services.

By creating a space for open dialogue and shared learning, we aim to strengthen understanding of the profession’s experience on the ground and identify practical, collaborative ways to improve services and support innovation.

We look forward to continuing this work and ensuring the voice of occupational therapy remains central in shaping future policy and service development.