Supporting OTs to Deliver Exceptional Care
Paul Cooper, Professional Head of OT for The OT Practice shares how we recognise that stepping into independent practice is a pivotal moment in any therapist's career. That's why we're committed to providing the right support from day one, ensuring every associate feels confident, connected, and set up for success.
We understand that transitioning to independent practice can be a significant step, which is why, from the moment we begin working with our associate OT's, we ensure that no therapist has to navigate it alone. From initial conversations with our therapist network team prior to registration, to their first case and ongoing collaboration with our clinical teams, the support we offer allows them to focus on what matters most—delivering high-quality occupational therapy and achieving the best outcomes for our clients.
Peer Support and Collaborative Learning
As part of this support, we also provide specialist guidance from our experienced Clinical Leads. Our Clinical Leads are integral to our commitment to quality. They are advanced occupational therapists who mentor colleagues on specific case related issues, deliver training sessions, and ensure we stay up-to-date with the latest sector developments. The advice and reassurance our Clinical Leads offer not only helps therapists feel confident in their work, but also supports their growth, enabling them to tackle complex clinical scenarios with expertise.
Led by our Clinical Leads and designed to encourage shared learning, we have run regular drop-in sessions and structured webinars. These sessions provide a space for therapists to enhance their CPD, ask questions, reflect on challenges, and build confidence through peer discussion. These sessions, backed by online resources and guidance on our intranet site, ensure our therapists can continually sharpen their clinical skills.
Clinical Governance: The Framework Behind Quality
The training, development, and support outlined above are just part of how we strive for and achieve quality. Our Clinical Governance Framework is the foundation of everything we do, providing structure, consistency, and oversight across our services and is built across all the core pillars. We view clinical governance not just as a framework, but as a mindset — one that is embedded in everything we do as we collaborate with our team, therapists, customers, and the clients we look after.
Outcome-Driven Practice: Making Impact Measurable
As part of demonstrating the clinical effectiveness of our therapists, last year we not only clarified the scope of our assessments, we also refined our approach to setting SMART goals and introduced the Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) as a standard outcome measure across all clinical service teams. With the use of these measures our clients can now rate their ability to complete meaningful, everyday tasks from the start to the end of therapy. We’ve created a transparent, data-driven picture of progress and this tool not only allows our therapists to clearly demonstrate the impact they have on clients’ lives, it also provides commissioners with quantifiable evidence of our OTs' work, provides client-centred care and demonstrates the quality work of our therapists.
Quality that Starts with the Therapist
Taking the first step into independent practice can be daunting, but the support we offer at The OT Practice ensures that our therapists can make this transition with confidence. Clinical experience and skills that may be diminishing in the increasingly strained public sector can be strengthened through private practice. Often we find therapists are able to take these enhanced skills back to their substantive role, thus enriching their overall OT practice.
In summary, at The OT Practice:
- We invest in therapists, not just train them.
- We offer real clinical support, not just a manual or policy.
- We embed outcome tools into everyday practice.
- We foster a culture of learning and collaboration, not just individual performance.
And most importantly, we keep clients at the centre of everything, because when we support our therapists to succeed, our clients benefit directly from the quality, care, and confidence they bring to every interaction.
