The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) along with the Allied Health Professions Federation, Royal College of Nursing and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges have launched a consensus statement that outlines how healthcare professionals should promote the benefits of good work and help support workers to look after their own health and wellbeing.
Alongside this, a number of Work and Health e-learning modules have been released which occupational therapists can access to support their work. The introductory module includes information about Health and Work Champions and will help healthcare professionals including occupational therapists:
- understand the importance of work to maintain good health and the key role health professionals can play
- assert the relationship between good work and good health
- recognise the value of early intervention
- discuss the health benefits of work and return to work with service users
- use motivational interviewing techniques
- advise service users on adjustments at work during a clinical consultation.
Additional modules focus on working with older adults, working age adults, young people, people with mental health problems and musculoskeletal problems.
The Self-Care for Health Professionals module acknowledges that workplace overload can lead to distress and anxiety, mental health problems and in extreme cases, self-harm. This module, illustrated with images from nature and NHS healing gardens, will help practitioners to find balance and perspective in their own work. It is accompanied by an interview with Dr Clare Gerada, an expert in psychiatric health and founder of the Practitioner Health Service. The Boorman review of the NHS workforce health and wellbeing found that many NHS staff believed that the state of their health had an impact on patient care.
RCOT Professional Advisor Genevieve Smyth said:
"The release of the consensus statement and e-learning modules gives occupational therapists the opportunity to enhance the important role they play in supporting people’s employment aspirations. Across the UK occupational therapists have a unique set of skills to help people both into and in employment. Many people at some point in their lives, need some support, not just working age adults, but also younger people, people with caring responsibilities who frequently fall out of the workforce and older workers, at least a third of whom will be working with long term conditions.
"It’s important that all occupational therapists promote and refer the consensus statement and e-learning modules to their colleagues so that every allied health professional, nurse and doctor understands the links between meaningful occupation such as work and good health, and knows when to refer to occupational therapists for in-depth, personalised work interventions."
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention Jackie Doyle-Price, has supported the consensus statement:
"I am absolutely delighted to support the good work underway to promote health and work. We know that good work is good for health, enables us to be economically independent and gives us more choices and opportunities to fulfil our ambitions in life. The Government is committed to ensuring that all who can work or undertake meaningful activities have a chance to do so, with the right care and support, throughout their working lives. There is a clear strategy to support this, as laid out in our 2017 publication Improving lives- the future of work, health and disability.
NHS has a key part to play as it is often the first point of contact with people with long term health conditions and disabilities. You are key partners in this. Your brief conversation with patients earlier on in their sickness absence journey could mean the difference between them remaining in work or leaving. Including work considerations routinely during clinical interventions can be a key enabler for encouraging individuals with long term health conditions and disabilities to holistically consider the support available to help them manage their health condition.
I am therefore very happy that the Royal Colleges and other healthcare professions’ representative bodies are supporting a consensus to promote health and work. This underlines a shared commitment to progress an important area and is a significant step forward. Thank you for making this happen."
For more information, please contact RCOT Professional Advisor Genevieve.Smyth@rcot.co.uk