UON students go ‘OTT’ for OT with RCOT

Two University of Northampton (UON) Occupational Therapy students added to their knowledge and skills ‘toolbelt’ by supporting live projects for their national, professional body.

Occupational therapy (‘OT’) promotes our overall health and wellbeing by supporting people to participate in ‘occupations’ (such as daily activities or hobbies) that people want, need, or are expected to do.

All occupational therapy students have placements with organisations they could find themselves working for in the future, but the ‘Role-Emerging Placement’ option in their final year means they can gain experience in novel or non-clinical settings…in this case, the national occupational therapy organisation.

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) is where two lucky UON students – Muthoni Tabbi Nganga and Magdalena Menzies, who will both graduate in November – found themselves recently, for 12 weeks’ of intensive but rewarding experience.

Tabbi introduces her ‘OT journey’: “When I moved to the UK from Kenya to join my husband around 2016, I hadn’t heard of occupational therapy and didn’t know what ‘OTs’ did. Then I had my youngest son, who is now seven, and he experienced difficulties talking and missed some milestones, so we sought help and were assigned an occupational therapist.

“He was so nice and professional, and with our son’s autism diagnosis he signposted us to the right support – and this got me seriously thinking about finding out more about what occupational therapy is.”

Magdalena adds to these reflections: “I think, at heart, I have long had the outlook of an ‘OT’ but never realised it. I believed in the powerful role of occupations in our everyday lives – although I didn’t refer to them as that – and, like Tabbi, occupational therapy wasn’t something I knew anything about.

“I’m quite a curious person by nature, and I like to be ‘nosey’ and find out more when I hear something that catches my attention. I worked in the NHS and I found out more about the profession and what it entailed. It fitted the person I am. Now, at the end of my degree, I realise how rich occupational therapy is and how many areas of our lives it covers.”

During their time at RCOT, the duo worked individually on two main projects designed to help RCOT collect public and good practice examples, with a focus on Northern Ireland and Scotland. The aim was to gather evidence-based information that would enable RCOT to influence actions and elevate the value and impact of occupational therapy services.

Tabbi says: “When I found out my Role-Emerging Placement application had been successful, I thought ‘Oh my goodness, it happened. I got it!’ I was super excited about the opportunity. For an occupational therapy student, this is such a big thing.

“From the placement with RCOT, my leadership skills had a major boost. Learning about leading service improvement and advocacy for our service users. This had been covered at University, but at RCOT we could dive into his area.

“Inclusivity and diversity stood out during my placement with RCOT, this was obvious in the atmosphere, when I was there in person and when working remotely. These are important considerations for occupational therapy and were already ingrained in me, but now I have an even deeper understanding of what they mean and how to apply them in my day-to-day activities as a professional.”

Magdalena concludes: “I was thrilled to secure the placement with RCOT, and they kept me busy! It was a transformational experience for me. It provided numerous opportunities to challenge myself, take on leadership responsibilities, and grow both professionally and personally. For example, I interviewed the CEO of RCOT and my article was published in OT News, as well as I worked independently on developing the Initiative Template.

“I was thrilled to secure the placement with RCOT, and they kept me busy! I had several projects, mostly about understanding ourselves as future occupational therapists, the role of leadership within the profession, but from the perspective of a student, to add that perspective, so future students could benefit from these workstreams.

“We developed a range of transferable skills including research, leadership, collaboration, the application of OT models and processes, and well-developed communication skills through tasks like stakeholder interviews, written projects and project development.

“One of the key projects I led explored the role and impact of occupational therapy in Northern Ireland (Tabbi focused on Scotland). It highlighted how occupational therapists contribute significantly to improving people’s lives and wellbeing across health and social care. The work also demonstrated how the profession helps reduce costs and waiting times through early intervention and effective support – ultimately improving outcomes for people.”

Find out more about Occupational Therapy courses at University of Northampton.