An Occupational Therapist is an Allied Health Professional who works with service users to overcome challenges they may be experiencing with everyday activities.
Occupational Therapists work with people to increase their independence and satisfaction in all areas of their lives and look at a person’s physical, psychological, social and environmental needs.
Some service users will be recovering from trauma or learning to live life with a disability and others will be dealing with ageing and a range of long term conditions which all need support.
Working life
Working as an Occupational Therapist will mean that you’ll take part in a variety of different tasks during your working day. These can include:
- Creating a safe environment for each service user
- Supporting a service user to adapt to life after major surgery
- Supporting people with mental illnesses or learning disabilities with everyday activities such as work or volunteering
- Supporting elderly people to stay in their own homes by providing adaptations such as level access showers stairlifts and handrails
Occupational Therapists work in a variety of settings including:
- The NHS
- Social Care settings
- Social Services
- Private Practice
Occupational Therapists can work with service users on a one to one basis, in small groups or in larger groups depending on the clients specific need.
Occupational Therapists work alongside other Allied Health Professionals, medical staff and healthcare staff to support the wellbeing of a service user and help them overcome the barriers they are experiencing.
Requirements
Becoming an Occupational Therapist requires an undergraduate degree in occupational therapy before undertaking an approved full or part time Masters degree in occupational therapy which allows full registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Entry requirements for an undergraduate course are usually:
- Two or three A levels
- Five GCSEs (grades 9 to 4 – A to C), including science
Or equivalent qualifications:
- BTEC, HND or HNC, including biological science
- Relevant T level
- Relevant NVQ
- Science-based access course
- Equivalent Scottish or Irish qualifications
Working as an Occupational Therapist will provide further opportunities to develop your career through apprenticeships and internal training in the future.
Degree Apprenticeship Route
For those interested in becoming an Occupational Therapist through an apprenticeship route, there are a growing number of degree apprenticeship routes available.
Opportunities to access these apprenticeships are currently limited and you would need to apply for an apprentice post at a healthcare employer willing to support the programme initially.
Other routes to becoming a registered occupational therapist include working initially in a therapy assistant role for an employer before stepping onto the apprenticeship pathway to occupational therapy.
Personal characteristics
To work successfully as an Occupational Therapist, you need to consider your own personal characteristics. You would need to have the following attributes or similar:
- Be resilient and open to new ways of working
- Be supportive of service users who have experienced trauma or difficulties
- Be able to reflect on your own emotions
- Have a non-judgemental and supportive attitude
- Be able to work with a variety of different people from differing backgrounds and experiences
- Be creative and resourceful
Skills required
To work successfully as an Occupational Therapist, you need to consider the skills that you have. You would need to demonstrate the following:
- Be well organised and able to plan your time
- Be able to communicate with a variety of people using different methods
- Be able to put service users at ease quickly
- Be patient
- Be enthusiastic
Training and development opportunities
Once qualified and registered as an Allied Health Professional Occupational Therapist, you can continue to develop your career over time. You’ll have access to a yearly continuing professional development (CPD) check-in where you can discuss any additional training needs or qualifications you would like to achieve.
You will also be encouraged to join The Royal College of Occupational Therapists who offer further development opportunities, email updates and networking opportunities so that you are able to continue to learn from others who work in the same role as you.
You could specialise in working with a particular client group such as elderly care, adults or paediatrics and other development opportunities within Occupational Therapy include becoming a senior or consultant Occupational Therapist who manages the work of a team of therapists. Or you could become the head of an Occupational Therapist department and would be coordinating the work of therapists in a larger team.
Pay and benefits
Occupational Therapists in the NHS usually work 37.5 hours a week and you would be required to work flexibly over 7 days, you could be required to work evenings and weekends on occasion.
Occupational Therapists are paid using the Agenda for Change (AfC) system and will typically start their career on AfC band 5 but with experience, further training and additional qualifications, can progress further up the pay scale.
Occupational Therapists working for Social Care settings will be paid according to the employer they work for and the remuneration for the role should always be shown on their job advert.
Other benefits of working as an Occupational Therapist include access to a pension scheme, health service discounts such as a Blue Light Card and 27 days of annual leave in addition to bank holidays.