Right Support, Right Time campaign launch event
A vision for 2035 and beyond
Occupational Therapy Week 2025 kicked off with a powerful launch event on 3 November that brought together over 360 occupational therapists from across the UK. It marked the start of our new campaign: Right Support, Right Time: Unlocking the Power of OT.
This campaign is a call to action for us as a profession to lead change, shift the system from crisis-driven care to prevention and amplify the impact of occupational therapy across health, education and social care.
Karin Orman, Director of Practice and Innovation hosted the event and was joined by:
- Carolyne Hague MBE: Previously a Principal OT but now the Deputy Director of Nursing and AHPs – All age personalised commissioning, NHS Devon ICB.
- Amanda Atkinson: Head of Occupational Therapy for Babies, Children and Young People, Swansea Bay University Health Board.
- Dr Charlie Chung: Lothian AHP Stroke Strategic Lead, Consultant Occupational Therapist, and Long COVID Clinical Pathway Lead and previous Elizabeth Casson lecturer.
You can watch the full recording of the event, or if you're short on time, catch up with a five-minute read overview below.
Five minute read summary
The panel discussion opened with reflections on the future of occupational therapy. Dr Charlie Chung shared a compelling vision: ‘Occupation must be recognised as central within culture and society. We need to be placed at the heart of prevention – whether in crisis, recovery or public health.’
Amanda Atkinson emphasised the need for boldness and visibility: ‘We are the problem solvers. That is our unique skill set as occupational therapists – to be creative and to make change.’
Carolyne Hague MBE called for upstream working and data-driven decision-making: ‘We need to be embedded in neighbourhood teams, closer to where people live their lives. And we must use population health data to shape our services.’
Karin Orman added: ‘We’ve been around for over 100 years. We should stop explaining what we do and feeling that we have to justify our existence. We are well established. It’s time to feel confident about that.’
Leading change in practice
Despite the challenges of reactive systems and limited funding, our speakers shared inspiring examples of how they’re leading change:
- Amanda described how her team in Swansea Bay is embedding OT in carer centres and childminding settings to reach families earlier.
- Carolyne highlighted the power of collective leadership through the Principal OT Network: ‘When we come together, we create a louder, stronger voice.’
- Charlie shared the development of hybrid rehabilitation hubs in stroke services, co-created with communities and supported by digital tools.
Each speaker also reflected on the importance of timing, collaboration and visibility. Carolyne noted, ‘We need to strike while the iron’s hot. There’s a real opportunity to use policy and data to position OT where it matters most.’
Amanda added, ‘We need to be truly person-centred and not criteria-driven. That’s where I’d really like us to go.’
Charlie spoke about the power of peer-supported communities and the need for OT to be central in public health conversations: ‘We must own our outcomes and be recognised for the impact we make.’
Carolyne reinforced this message: ‘We have so much more impact and credibility in what we do – and we need to jump up and shout about that a lot more.’
Karin reminded us: ‘We often hold hope for the people we work with. We need to hold that hope for our profession too.’
Building leadership identity
The panel offered practical advice for building leadership confidence:
- ‘Appreciate the leadership you already have,’ said Charlie. ‘Listening, understanding, and representing ideas is leadership.’
- Amanda encouraged compassionate leadership and reflection: ‘Celebrate successes and learn from what you don’t want to be.’
- Carolyne urged us to invest in ourselves: ‘Use the Career Development Framework to map your strengths and seek out opportunities.’
They also spoke about the importance of mentorship, inclusive environments, and being bold in shaping services. Carolyne shared: ‘Find a mentor, be a mentor. You know more than you think.’
Karin added: ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway. We need to be bold, and we need to be visible.’
To perfectly sum up the event
Today’s event has shown us what’s possible when occupational therapists come together – across sectors, settings and stages of career – to lead change.'
Karin Orman
Let’s lead the future of health, education and social care – together.
What you can do next
This campaign is just beginning, and there are clear actions we can all take:
- Connect: With our communities, colleagues, and professional networks.
- Amplify: Share our stories, case studies and impact.
- Be bold: Step into leadership spaces and advocate for occupational therapy.
As Amanda put it: ‘Shout loud and proud about what we do. Be accessible, be person-centred, and break down barriers.’
Carolyne added: ‘Connect, connect, connect and when you’ve connected, build on those relationships.’
Charlie encouraged us to bring the four pillars together: policy, research, education and practice. ‘Make contact with your policy officer, your university and your community. The evidence is out there – use it to inform your practice and your leadership.’
Karin reminded us that we don’t need to start from scratch: ‘Build on what’s already out there. Move as a group. That’s how we amplify our impact.’
Join us in the Leadership network in RCOT Communities to continue the discussion about leadership in occupational therapy. Share your experiences, ideas and reflections on what leading change looks like in your setting, how you're building confidence and identity as a leader and what support you need to embed prevention-focused approaches.