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Celebrating our AHP workforce - Katie shares her story

Hi, my name is Katie, and I am proud to be a Paediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).  A close Physiotherapist friend of mine introduced me to OT and I qualified with an MSc in Occupational Therapy from London South Bank University in 2010.  I started my career on a rotation and when I was allocated a paediatrics role, I knew it was the area for me! Subsequently I have worked in four different NHS paediatric OT teams, providing me with varied experiences and learning opportunities. 

The paediatric OT role is all about supporting a child to participate in their meaningful occupations.  No working day is the same and sessions might vary from assessing a child with motor co-ordination challenges, to completing a postural assessment for a child with a neurological disorder, to assessing for equipment to help a child get in and out of the bath.  The variety certainly keeps it interesting! 

Thinking back on my career as an OT, I was particularly proud to play a part in setting up the OT provision within a regional feeding service for children with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).  Having had training in the SOS approach to feeding, it was exciting to consider how to integrate the OT input into a multi-disciplinary service.

Over the past six months I have been extremely fortunate to have worked in a seconded role as a Clinic Fellow to raise awareness of, and implement, the AHP Support Workforce Career Portfolio document across the region.  This has been an exciting opportunity which has facilitated my learning and development in lots of different areas, such as running focus groups, presenting to colleagues across the region and leading and planning a project from start to finish. 

Happy AHPs Day to all our fantastic AHP colleagues across the Trust and region!