The only way is OT for graduate Oliver

It’s Occupational Therapy Week and OTs across the country are talking about the impact and importance of this allied health profession.

Occupational therapists play an important role in looking after the nation’s health by supporting people to overcome the challenges of everyday life resulting from illness, trauma and ageing and the role is increasingly in demand.

As well as working with individual patients and their families, occupational therapists could also work with groups, or as part of a multidisciplinary team in hospitals, clinics, charities, prisons, and social services departments. A survey from the Royal College of Occupational Therapists found that 85% of OT’s report an increase in the number of people seeking children’s services and 82% said there was an increased demand for OT-led rehabilitation.

Oliver Perry recently graduated from University of Northampton and now works as an occupational therapist in a Neurological Rehabilitation Centre in Northamptonshire. Of his new profession, he says: “Occupational Therapy is a remarkably diverse and unique form of healthcare. The profession offers an incredible variety of opportunities across many health and social care settings, working with equally varied patient populations. I am an advocate for the profession, having seen the real-life impact occupational therapy can bring.

“I would encourage any student who is motivated to positively impact the lives of others to study occupational therapy. Supporting others in overcoming barriers to leading a meaningful life is a truly fulfilling vocation.”

Undergraduate study at UON encompasses a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops and assignments. Taught modules will serve to prepare students to apply Occupational Theory to any practice placement.

Whether working to support dementia patients in their own homes, providing strategies to enable children to manage at school or delivering education to carers and family, occupational therapy has a key role play.

The route to becoming an occupational therapist is via a degree in occupational therapy at university or an apprenticeship degree. The University of Northampton is one of the top 10 institutions for occupational therapy and offers a BSc Occupational Therapy degree which prepares people to work as a registered occupational therapist in the UK and overseas, as well as an MSc programme.