Meet Chelsea, an apprentice in Occupational Therapy!
Chelsea joined SaTH in September 2022. Her aspiration was always to become an Occupational Therapist (OT), but she as unable to pursue this profession on a full-time basis. "I saw that SaTH were offering an external apprenticeship position, which I was fortunate to be selected for. Prior to this, I'd gained valuable experience in various therapy teams, which led me to a deep passion for occupational therapy."
"As an apprentice, I find my role to be both rewarding and have challenging elements. I have the opportunity to work both autonomously and collaboratively, engaging in real-life experiences that have enabled me to develop essential skills such as confidence, communication, assessment practices, decision-making, and caseload management. This foundation has adequately prepared me to transition into a newly qualified OT position."
Insight into My Role
"I derive great satisfaction from assisting patients by identifying what is meaningful to them in order to establish goals and support them in achieving these."
Chelsea works full time; a total of 37.5 hours per week. "I'm enrolled in the pre-registration master's apprenticeship program at Coventry university. I'm at SaTH Monday to Wednesday, and attend university on Thursday and Friday. My lessons can be face to face, online or self directed study. Additionally, I'm allocated six study days per term to facilitate my academic progression. My current position is classified as an appendix of Band 5, while I have competencies designated for Bands 2, 3, and 4."
The requirements to enrol in the occupational therapy apprenticeship were; GCSE qualifications in English and Maths, as well as A Levels or a BTEC qualification, along with a relevant undergraduate degree obtained within the past five years (this was to access the Masters course). Chelsea had also secured prior experience working as an assistant practitioner within a community therapy team, as well as experience within therapies in an inpatient mental health setting.
"The apprenticeship programme requires me to complete 1,000 hours of placement, which is coordinated by my university. SaTH played a significant role in arranging my most recent placement, where I engaged in a leadership project focusing on neurological outpatient occupational therapy. I worked alongside a member of the service improvement team who has an OT background on this project, and have effectively documented this experience and submitted it for publication in OT News, sharing the story of my placement and successes."
A typical day in Chelsea's role at SaTH involves checking in with her Band 6 supervisor, collecting information from the nursing handover on her assigned ward, prioritizing tasks, and addressing complex patient cases to my band 6. "I conduct initial patient assessments, evaluate their current capabilities in comparison to their baseline, and review medical records to better understand their health conditions and potential capabilities. Collaborating with patients, I assist in setting meaningful goals and establishing comprehensive plans to achieve them."
Chelsea continues to work towards her OT registration and has successfully interviewed for a Band 5 OT position in the Inpatient Therapy Team at SaTH once qualified.
