A new occupational therapy assessment clinic has been launched in Carlisle, thanks to a partnership between the University of Cumbria and Cumberland Council.
It will support the growing number of people who need help from the local authority’s adult social care teams while developing future generations of professionals, the organisations said.
Occupational therapists are dual-trained allied health professionals, trained in both physical and mental health conditions, who work across all health and social care settings.
Their focus is on supporting people to engage in their everyday living activities and improve their standard of living and wellbeing at home, work, or other locations.
The Adult Social Care Clinic at the university’s Fusehill Street campus in Carlisle is run by qualified Cumberland Council occupational therapists with BSc (Hons) and MSc occupational therapy students from the university’s Institute of Health as part of the team.
It uses specialist on-campus areas traditionally used by students to hone clinical skills in an educational setting.
The demand for occupational therapy services is high and continues to grow due to Cumbria’s ageing population. The clinic provides choice for those who can travel to the university site to be seen more quickly.
More people can be seen in a clinic setting compared to the traditional method of occupational therapists making individual home visits. This helps to manage waiting lists as well as individuals who seek support from the service.
Supporting the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the clinic also enables University of Cumbria OT students to develop their skills by working alongside expert practitioners.
Susie Wilson, professional lead for occupational therapy at the University of Cumbria, said: “We are delighted to partner with the occupational therapists in Adult Social Care in this exciting, contemporary service initiative which aims to offer fast track occupational therapy assessment for people in the Carlisle area.
“It provides an excellent authentic learning experience where students can actively engage and work alongside expert occupational therapists.
“This is a brilliant example of a new way of working that aims to transform social care delivery for people locally.”
Doreen Singleton, principal occupational therapist and service manager at Cumberland Council, said: “This clinic is a great example of a joint initiative which not only offers more choice and a timelier assessment for some of our customers who are waiting for our services, but also helps skill up our future potential workforce.
“Only by working together across the breadth of our social care, health and educational landscape can we maximise our potential to meet people’s needs. This initiative brings that added value now and hopefully for the future by further embedding of practice opportunities within the educational setting.”
