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Occupational Therapist jobs
What's it really like?
Breanne Black is a 38-year old occupational therapist based in the Manchester area.
How long have you been in this particular job?
I’ve been doing this job for 11 years.
What did you do before this job?
Numerous jobs in the caring profession including therapy assistant, care assistant and cardiac technician. Upon qualifying as an OT, I completed a rotational post working with adults within the areas of hand injuries, amputation, general surgery, acute medicine rheumatology and community paediatrics.
How did you end up doing this job? Was it a childhood dream or was it by accident?
I always wanted to work with people and after shadowing an occupational therapist, I decided this was the career for me.
What do you do in a typical working day?
I carry out clinical assessments, assessing children’s fine motor, gross motor, sensory and perceptual skills. Following assessment, I write a report as well as recommendations and treatment plans.
I additionally carry out both group and individual treatments in order to improve motor skills. In terms of equipment provision, for example provision of supportive seating, I assess and recommend suitable pieces of equipment to assist with activities of daily living.
I also train both teachers and parents to know more about sensory motor difficulties and how they can impact upon daily life.
What kind of conditions do you work with? Have you specialised in certain areas?
I work with children and with a variety of physical and learning difficulties, for example cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, developmental delay.
I have a specialist interest within the areas of developmental coordination disorder and autism. I have postgraduate skills within the area of sensory integration.
Do you work in the NHS or in private practice? What are the differences?
I work both for the NHS and in private practice. The NHS is a reliable source of work and income, however, you have very little freedom and your practice is often dictated by financial constraints and the meeting of necessary targets.
Private practice in contrast is not as reliable as a source of income; however, you have more freedom to provide a client-centred approach.
I find that a combination of NHS and private work provides the luxury of both support and autonomy.
How do you find your clients?
Website, business cards and word of mouth primarily. I also advertise on the College of Occupational Therapy independent practitioners’ directory which can be accessed by the public.
What do you like about the job?
I really enjoy helping others to maximise their function. It is extremely rewarding to empower individuals to help themselves. In terms of working with children, not one day is ever the same; you are continually learning so you never get bored or lose interest.
What do you dislike about the job?
I don’t really dislike anything. Reports can be lengthy and time consuming but you get used to that. In terms of my NHS role, the increase in paperwork can be frustrating.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of doing this job?
Most definitely go for it. Ensure for your first position that you obtain a good rotation; then you can get all your core skills and gain an insight into several different areas of occupational therapy. Do not be in too much of a hurry to progress to a senior position; enjoy your learning as this is the foundation to your future career.
What job(s) do you think you might do after this role?
I have no plans to leave this profession; however, I would not mind increasing my teaching skills maybe to undergraduate students.
Do you mind us publishing your salary / rate per hour - this is very helpful for job seekers?
Starting salary for a newly qualified OT is £21,176 per year. My current salary within the NHS is £34,189. The salary is higher for my independent work.
Occupational Therapist
Salary | Responsibilities | Qualifications | Skills | Working Conditions | Experience | Employers | Career Progression
Also known as...
- OT
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Sponsored by:
Occupational therapists are health and social care professionals whose role is to enhance the daily lives of individuals with a very broad range of physical, psychological or social needs.
Occupational therapy works on the basis that an individual’s health and well-being can suffer if they cannot carry out certain activities because of illness or disability. As an occupational therapist (OT), you assess the physical and psychological conditions of your clients and work in partnership with them to promote independence in all aspects of daily life. You devise treatment programmes which vary greatly according to individual needs and may involve environmental modifications (for example installing a ramp or widening doorways) or special equipment such as wheelchairs or hearing aids. You also find alternative ways to carry out activities such as cooking a meal, getting dressed, returning to work after illness or continuing with a favourite hobby.
OTs work with people of all ages – babies, children, adults and older people – in a wide range of areas: physical rehabilitation, mental health, social care, primary care, paediatrics, environmental adaptation, neurology. Work settings include hospitals, people’s homes, social services, schools, prisons and nursing homes.
Salary
In the NHS, a newly qualified OT earns £21,176 per year. A more experienced OT can get over £40,000. A consultant OT can earn between £63,000 and £79,000 per year.
Responsibilities
- Assess clients’ physical, social and psychiatric needs
- Develop a rehabilitation programme to help clients re-build lost skills
- Evaluate home and work environments and recommend necessary adaptations
- Help clients to learn new ways of carrying out daily activities
- Enable older couples to care for one another and remain in their own homes
- Help clients to manage depression or anxiety
- Work with socially excluded groups, providing them with opportunities to engage in meaningful activities
- Liaise with other professionals, such as doctors, physiotherapists, social workers, equipment suppliers and architects
- Refer clients on to other services, for example, speech and language therapy
- Coach clients with learning difficulties or poor social skills
- Assist clients to return to work and give guidance to employers
- Give guidance and support to carers and family members
- Review treatments, evaluate progress and modify treatments as appropriate
- Complete administrative tasks such as patient records and reports
- Train students and supervise the work of occupational therapy assistants
Qualifications
To qualify as an OT you need to complete an undergraduate or postgraduate occupational therapy course at one of 31 UK universities. The list of accredited courses is on the website of the British Association of Occupational Therapists and the Health Professions Council. The training includes the study of human growth and development. Specific emphasis is given to the social, emotional and physiological effects of illness and injury.
To gain entry to such a course you will be expected to have 5 GCSEs and 2 A levels, one of which must be a science subject. Alternative qualifications such as BTEC National certificates, NVQs and GNVQs may be accepted by individual universities.
You will need to agree to a Criminal Records Bureau check when you apply for a course.
Accreditation from the British Association of Occupational Therapists provides automatic approval from the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. This qualification is recognised in over 60 countries, providing a ‘passport’ to work internationally.
Skills
- Mature personality
- Patience, determination and enthusiasm
- Genuine desire to help a wide variety of people
- Empathy
- Good written and spoken communication skills
- Self-management skills
- Creativity and adaptability
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to motivate clients who are depressed or frustrated
- High level of mental and physical stamina
Working Conditions
There is a steady and growing demand for OTs and the NHS offers rotational posts so you will be able to choose from many different settings, roles and specialisms for your first job.
OTs usually work during office hours, from 9am to 5pm. Some therapists work during the evenings and weekends, especially if they are based in psychiatric wards, accident and emergency services and in private practice.
Occupational therapy is a both a rewarding and challenging profession. The role is physically and emotionally demanding so you will need to be in good health and resilient.
Experience
During the OT training, a minimum of 1,000 hours will be spent on placements where you will gain a lot of practical experience. There is a high level of interest in OT positions, so applications can be competitive.
Employers
The main employers are the NHS and local authority social services.
Career Progression
The profession offers great opportunities and variety for career development.
After two years of practice, you can become a practice placement educator, responsible for supervising student occupational therapists.
As your career develops, you may decide to specialise in one of the following areas: alcohol and substance abuse, burns and plastic surgery, HIV/AIDS, palliative care, orthopaedics, rheumatology, housing, neurology, stroke rehabilitation, paediatrics, work practice and productivity, mental health, learning disability.
Other opportunities include doing research into new techniques in occupational therapy, going into management, lecturing or opening your own business. At a later stage, OT consultants often combine management and research roles.
