Reimagining advanced practice
Final report summary
Overview
- The University of Coventry and the University of Salford completed a project exploring advanced level practice within occupational therapy.
- The project was designed to define and articulate advanced level practice from an occupational therapy perspective.
- It was delivered through a three-phase sprint design: Collaborate, Innovate, Accelerate.
- Engagement included allied health professionals, workforce leads, educators, advanced practitioners and subject matter experts across the UK.
Purpose and aims
- Re-imagine advanced level practice in occupational therapy.
- Provide national-level clarity and direction for the profession.
- Align with multi-professional frameworks while affirming occupational therapy’s distinct contribution.
- Support future workforce reform, professional development and policy influence.
Core themes
- Social justice and health equity as central to advancing practice.
- Professional authority shaped by expert knowledge, trust, and societal contribution.
- Occupation as a tool for individual and collective transformation.
- Occupational therapy’s role in addressing the social determinants of health.
Professional authority in occupational therapy
The advanced practice framework is grounded in:
- Expert knowledge of occupation.
- Mastery across the four pillars of practice: clinical, leadership, education and research.
- Impact across person, people, population and policy levels.
- A clear focus on enabling health equity and occupational justice.
These domains provide a values-led framework for developing, evidencing and embedding advanced level practice.
Generalist and specialist practice
To reflect the diversity of roles across occupational therapy the framework recognises advanced scope of practice at a generalist and specialist level. Advanced practice is shaped by applied expertise and social accountability and informed by complexity, geography and population needs.
Next Steps
We will be working to:
- Deepen understanding of the conceptual foundations of advancing practice.
- Develop profession-specific curricula and guidance for advanced level practice.
- Align with our Career Development Framework and workforce priorities.
- Promote and update guidance and resources on advanced level practice for members and stakeholders.
- Embed advanced level practice in national workforce planning.
Summary
This work:
- Places occupational therapy at the heart of national workforce transformation.
- Provides a foundation for re-imagining advanced level practice through the lens of occupation, equity and impact.
- Aligns with our RCOT Workforce Strategy to optimise, grow and retain the profession.
- Supports occupational therapists to lead with confidence, purpose and impact at every level of practice.