People will be able to live safely and well, making the most of their own capabilities and their support networks, and occupational therapy will be at the heart of making that possible.
Our aims and objectives
We want to support people to do more for themselves, make choices and have more control over their own life by ensuring they can access responsive and preventative information, advice and support.
Occupational therapy will be at the heart of enablement, goal setting and short term support.
Occupational therapy in Derbyshire will be a fully joined up service working closely with our district and borough colleagues, health and other system partners.
Occupational therapy will lead on innovation and technology that enables independence and supports people, in line with our digital strategy.
Occupational therapy interventions will be delivered with the person at the heart of the process.
We will have a wider workforce to support people with relevant information, advice and interventions regarding occupational therapy.
How we work
We conduct strength-based assessments to identify needs and determine the impact of these needs on a person’s ability to complete daily personal, domestic, or work activities.
Each person we work with is supported in a way that is appropriate to their own individual needs and circumstances. Assessing someone in their own home allows us to get a real sense of the person’s abilities and more appropriately suggest options to help promote their independence and wellbeing.
We use a range of interventions to help the person overcome challenges and barriers to enable them to stay in a home of their choice, as safely and independently as possible. This includes different ways of carrying out activities, information, advice, and signposting, access to equipment and access to minor and major adaptations.
How we are changing and improving
We are meeting growing demand by:
- increasing career opportunities for current staff
- setting up the occupational therapy apprenticeship scheme
- changing the way in which referrals are managed across the county and across the system (trusted assessor model)
- the development of occupational therapy structure for long term and short term support
- increasing dedicated occupational therapy social care practitioners to manage less complex work
- the introduction of co-ordinator role to support occupational therapists to plan, co-ordinate and progress work
We are committed to increasing people’s independence in the place they choose to live and to do this by working with other agencies such as district and borough councils across Derbyshire, social work teams, place alliance networks, acute and community health services and housing providers.
Delivering against the strategy
We are committed to tracking our activities through our action plan by:
- continuing to make sure that occupational therapy is a key element of short term support and enablement services
- expanding the group of dedicated occupational therapy social care practitioners to manage less complex work in short and long term teams
- exploring mutual aid planning to improve fairness in tackling waiting times
- continuing to offer and promote opportunities on the occupational therapy apprenticeship scheme
- improving data collection to track future needs and outcomes for people supported by occupational therapy interventions
- improving recycling of equipment through awareness across all adult social care and health teams teams
- using therapy shift - engaging with health partners to implement job rotations that develop the understanding and skill sets of occupational therapists across the system
- improving our use of technology to work smarter