Posted on Nov 8 2017 by

What being an Occupational Therapist means to me

As part of Occupational Therapy Week 2017, we have been asking some of our 167 occupational therapy staff what being an OT means to them.

These are the words of Craig Newman, a Senior Occupational Therapist at St Andrew's Healthcare, working within our Men’s Mental Health service.

I am an occupational therapist and today I…

"I recently organised the St Andrew’s Healthcare Community Cup, which was a football tournament that brought together 90 participants, made up of people in our care and service users from other community charities and projects.

"The football tournament was staged with the objective of giving the participants a meaningful, confidence-building and fun occupational experience, as well as promoting social inclusion.

"People in our care were involved in all aspects leading up to the tournament and on the day. This included the design and production of the trophy that was presented to the winners, the key rings that all participants received, as well as the making and serving of food for all attendees.

"The event was six months in the planning but its success was there for all to see, and was confirmed by the participants. One of the service user comments said, ‘it was a brilliant event and it helped with my confidence in meeting new people and being challenged’."

What does Occupational Therapy mean to me?

"To me, OT means supporting people to develop meaningful roles and responsibilities within their life. Through collaboration I look to empower people in our care to have choice and take control of their recovery to help them fulfil their potential."

Join in the conversation on social media using #OTWeek2017 - be loud and proud about Occupational Therapy.