Welcome to our first issue of 2023! Here at RCOT, a lot happened last year that we’re proud of and so we kick off a brand-new year with a look at our impact in 2022 and a focus on some of our plans for the year ahead, with the insight of our Chief Executive Steve Ford, Chair of Council Odeth Richardson and members of our Senior Leadership Team. Find out more on pages 14–21.
‘Home first’ approach, which emphasizes individual-centred care and prevents delayed hospital discharge, is well-documented and occupational therapy plays a central role in this strategy. So we were delighted to see South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Home First programme scoop a coveted 2022 Scottish Health Award in the Integrated Care category.
'Home first’ is an essential part of SLHSCP's local response to ongoing pressures, fostering high-quality, coordinated, individual-centred care across the health and social care system.
And on pages 30–31, we hear from the occupational therapists on the team about how it has developed from a pilot initially launched in 2021, to the Discharge Without Delay initiative, what the team’s key aims are, how it’s being funded and what the plans for the future are.
Talking about the future, on pages 40–42, we hear from newly appointed assistant lecturer Kate Edmondson. Back in September 2021, a new cohort of learners at Coventry University took their first steps into the world of higher education at the same time as Kate.
In this reflective article, she shares her own journey into teaching, through conversations with two of those apprentice and three undergraduate learners.
We also have a reflection on the social and political context behind developing inclusive cultures in occupational therapy, by Dr Blaine Robin and RCOT Chair of Council Odeth Richardson, based on a lecture given by Odeth to Leeds Beckett University occupational therapy students last year, on pages 26–28.
We hope you enjoy this issue and if you would like to share your reflections, initiatives and service developments in 2023, then get in touch at editorial@rcot.co.uk. As well as the printed copy, you can also view the magazine online.