SHOUT meet Sue Parkinson - September 21st 2015

So it’s the start of a new academic year for us all here at SHOUT. What better way to start it then to be attending a two-day workshop hosted by Sue Parkinson based on her recent book release - Recovery through Activity. After a busy (& long!) summer entertaining my toddler (& not doing much reading..oops) this was exactly the opportunity I needed to jump back in to year 2 of the course. I was thrilled to be given this opportunity but also felt a bit nervous due to my lack of experience in Mental Health and also my knowledge on MOHO. So I thought the best thing to do to prepare would be to buy the book and see what it's all about.

Sue Parkinson, lead author of MOHOST is recognized as an influential and passionate occupational therapist who has made a huge impact within the evidence-based realm of mental health. The book which the workshop was based on, titled 'Recovery Through Activity' (2014) is a flexible, easy to digest, tool aimed towards facilitating groups and exploring the value of activities. 

The first thing that jumped out at me about the book was the clear layout and straightforward text. As a second year student who, at times, has struggled with the extensive amount of reading and the effort that comes with reading and re-reading whole pages just to make sense…this text was a breath of fresh air. The book is sectioned into 12 areas of activity (eg; leisure, self-care), each with background information including evidence base. There is then suggestions to facilitate discussions about these activity areas, group exercises, ice breakers, hand-outs to photocopy and ideas to follow-up the session. The book is heavily underpinned by MOHO theory, which is great in allowing you to link in with MOHO assessments and recognizing that familiar language (which as a student really helps me apply the language into something tangible).

I wont say any more about the book itself as I have absolutely no experience in book reviewing (as you can probably tell) so I'm afraid that I wouldn’t do it justice. Just trust me when I say it is definitely worth owning a copy.

Back to the workshop! It was based in Sleaford, so very early start commuting from Sheffield but worth it. In total there was 4 students and the rest that were OT's from a variety of mental health areas. It was interesting to spend time with these professionals and exciting to hear them speak so passionately about their careers (& picking their brains during the tea breaks!).

The theme of the workshop started with a discussion about facilitating groups, and why we do this. I was surprised to find out that not many of the OT’s in attendance were currently facilitating groups, though the majority had experience in doing so. Group facilitation is not something I have experience in, but an area I am certain I will explore. Sue spoke about the basics of running groups and areas to think about when doing so such as; is the group open or closed, how often sessions are held, the target group, session topics etc. Sue also went on to explain why facilitating groups is worthwhile, as it brings it back to the OT basics – during group activity the emphasis is on the doing. Sue also used Yalom’s ‘11 curative factors of group therapy’ to explain the dynamics of engaging this way. It was certainly an eye-opening discussion for me as I hadn’t really thought about how powerful groups can be. 

I particularly liked the way Sue explained so effectively where ‘Recovery through activity’ groups could fit in to the OT process and the role that they can play in exploring an individual’s interests resulting in goal collaboration. As a future Occupational Therapist I have a clear view to where I could use the recovery through activity groups in my future practice. Clients which need support in addressing areas of their volition could benefit from the exploratory opportunities of the group. This includes promoting confidence, social skills and validation of shared interests. Then, through 1:1 work this can be built upon by negotiating goals and focusing on skill development alongside roles and routines.

Day 1 of the workshop ended with a discussion and activity on negotiating treatment goals. This involved coming up with examples of goals which were measurable, achievable and person-centred. As a student I have sometimes struggled with writing the ‘SMART’ goals that we are taught at university, many times have I written a goal only to get the feedback ‘Make it smarter!’. The way MOHO uses levels of change and support strategies within the goal setting, I believe makes it a lot more focused and effortlessly smart. I feel confident now with my goal negotiating and I am looking forward to using it in practice. (At the end of the blog post you will find some additional reading references on goal negotiating that I hope you find useful).

Hannah, Sue Parkinson & Sadie

Day 2 and getting up at 5am was even easier as I was raring to go with what I would learn at the workshop. The day was a lot more practical with emphasis on building a potential recovery through activity program. Before we did this though, Sue spoke about the Do-Live-Well Framework which is a Canadian framework for promoting occupation, health and well-being. See the youtube clip here:

                                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ZuNx46vYw

I think that the easy to understand video is a great tool for explaining the areas of occupation to service users and members of the MDT. Looking at the 8 areas, described within the framework as ‘dimensions of experience’, Sue explained where the activities within the Recovery through activity programme could fit. For example; under ‘Personal Care’ could be both self-care and faith activities. This allowed for a clear view to which activity areas would be useful to include in your programme depending on which of the 8 dimensions of experience you choose to focus on.

In the afternoon of day 2 we separated into groups, based on service areas, to have a go at outlining a recovery through activity programme which could be used within practice. The students were asked to separate and join in with the clinicians to bring ‘fresh ideas’. My group was made up with clinicians who were working in secure forensic settings. We brain stormed some ideas and decided on using the ‘Community’ area of activity, using resources from the recovery through activity book to support us. We decided using discussion exercises could prompt shared ideas on what community means to the individual and to reflect on their roles within their community setting. The session would end with brainstorming an activity to follow up, we suggested creating a wall mosaic that represents the community within the secure setting. This would link nicely to the next group topic which could be ‘Creative Activities’. This was just one idea of many shared that day by the group, all which centred on our main ethos of ‘doing’. This is what I loved about the workshops and the book itself, the focus is on what we trained (or are training) to do – the use of activities to recover, sustain and thrive.

Overall I had a brilliant two days and feel like I have really benefited from the experience. My knowledge of facilitating groups has grown, along with the concepts of MOHO. It was such a privilege to attend and meet Sue Parkinson, who is not only a MOHO legend but a really lovely and inspiring lady.

Perhaps Sue may come to Sheffield Hallam and speak at a SHOUT event in the future?..Watch this space!

Sadie (2^nd Year undergrad OT)

Negotiating goals reading:

KIELHOFNER, Gary. (2008). Therapeutic Reasoning: Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating the Outcomes of Therapy. In: Model of Human Occupation. 4th ed. Baltimore, Lippincott Wiliams & Wilkins. 

PARKINSON, Sue. (2014). Recovery Through Activity. London, Speechmark Publishing.

PARKINSON, Sue et al. (2011). Enhancing professional reasoning through the use of evidence-based assessments, robust case formulations and measurable goals. [online] British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74, 148-152.

First SHOUT of the Semester! Tonight: Chris Mayers on Spirituality

SHOUT is back for the new term and tonight Chris Mayers will be getting us off to a great start with her talk on 'The relationship between occupation, person-centred practice and spirituality'.

Chris has worked as an occupational therapy practitioner, lecturer and researcher in London, Dublin and York. Her key areas of research and interest are the use of person-centred practice within occupational therapy; defining spirituality, assessing and meeting spiritual needs; the close relationship between spirituality and the meaningful occupationals of individuals; and the European Cooperation in OT Research and Occupational Science (ECOTROS).

Chris developed the Mayers' Lifestyle Questionnaire (1), (2) and (3); person-centred tools which enable people to state their quality of life priorities at the beginning of occupational therapy intervention.

Within the session we will be exploring and discussing a working definition of spirituality for occupational therapy practice; the relationship of this to occupational engagement; the relationship of spirituality to health and well-being; and ways of assessing spiritual needs.

To book your place at this popular event email shout.event@gmail.com and your place will be confirmed.

The talk will take place in the Robert Winston Building on our Collegiate Campus. Registration and light refreshments are from 5.30pm in the reception/cafe, with the talk starting at 6pm and finishing before 7.30pm. 

Costs: £2 for students and BAOT members and £3 for non-members.

We look forward to seeing you at our first event of the season!

They're here! SHOUT runs new student induction afternoon

Yesterday 60 new students joined the world of occupational therapy as they began the first day of their Sheffield Hallam University undergraduate OT course. After a morning of orientation and course information (not to mention the dreaded round of immunisations!), they spent the afternoon with SHOUT letting off some steam.

Getting to know 60 other students can be a bit overwhelming, so we played the "Name Game" to help us store each others' names in our long term memory through repetition and association by assigning a descriptor to ourselves beginning with the same letter as our names and an action to demonstrate it. Awesome Alisons, Beaming Beckys and Eager Edens ensued... and much giggling. But it worked! So remembering everyone's names is now one less thing to worry about :)

One of SHOUT's favourite activities of the afternoon was "Draw your ideal OT". In groups of 5 or 6, the L4 students came up with some fantastic ideas for essential OT attributes, tools and resources. Golden ears were added to one drawing to highlight the importance of listening and good communication; a backbone was added to another drawing to express the need to be resilient and stand your ground in a changing healthcare environment; and extra-long green-trouser-clad legs were drawn to enable the OT to take everything in his / her stride. Great work, showing just how switched on to professional attributes this cohort already are.

We hope you settle in during your first week L4s, your future profession awaits :)
SHOUT

SHOUT welcomes new SHU OT students at pre-enrolment day

It's September... It can only mean one thing.... SHOUT is back!
But before we all head back to the books, there's still time for some fun. Yesterday we enjoyed spending the morning welcoming 60 new Sheffield Hallam L4 occupational therapy students at their pre-enrolment day.

Talking to groups of 20 students at a time for about 40 minutes, we first got to know each other with ice breakers (all non-scary, we promise!) before explaining about SHOUT and its role as a local group of the Trent Region British Association of Occupational Therapy (BAOT). We look forward to seeing our new peers at our upcoming monthly Wednesday night talks designed to support CPD, and hope they will join us as members of the SHOUT team in the future.

But there was more! Each student grabbed a green stripy SHOUT goodie bag as they left, filled with sweets, information and BAOT freebies. After all, it wouldn't be a SHOUT event without an I  ☕  OT badge!

Good luck on your first day L4s! SHOUT is YOUR student group, so don't be afraid to ask us any questions or directions on campus when you see us around.

Our first event is a talk on spirituality by Chris Mayers at 6pm on Wednesday 2nd October in the Robert Winston Building - we'll be emailing you details during your first week.

See you soon!
SHOUT x

Students, thinking of attending COT Conference next year? SHOUT share their experiences

SHOUT with SHU lecturers & poster presenters  Julie Walters and Shirley Masterson 

Our aim at SHOUT, along with promoting occupational therapy, is to help support continuous professional development, both for our members and for those who attend our monthly Wednesday night talks. The range of health and social care topics covered at our events by clinicians and academics, the certificates we hand out to attendees and the thoughts we share at Wednesday Wind Down all aim to promote learning, reflection and provide evidence for CPD files. 

So it was only natural when a few of our members attended the COT Conference 2013 in Glasgow in June that they would reflect on their experiences and think about how themes encountered at conference related to study and future professional lives. 

And their advice to students thinking of going next year? 
"Go for it! It might feel like a long way to travel, at the end of a busy academic year when all you can think about is summer holidays, but the wide range of talks, presentations and people you meet make it more than worth it. And of course, there are the freebies! Who doesn't want a travel frisbee, a bendy ruler and a years' supply of pens?!"

SHOUT with Bournemouth lecturer and poster presenter Kirsty Stanley @Kirstyes

Flying the green flag of OT

Emma Wilsher, Sheffield Hallam University undergraduate and SHOUT member.

As a second year student coming to an OT annual COT conference for the first time, with my fellow SHOUT team members Julia-Helen Collins and Gill Smith who had been once before, I was overjoyed by the amount of OTs who came far and wide to celebrate, learn, share their knowledge and advocate for what they believe in. The green flags shone high and bright, as OTs came to be one and share their passion and love. The community vibe that was amongst us reminded me why I was becoming an OT and why I wanted to be part of the OT family. A sense of belonging was instilled in me and my passion to work in mental health was reinforced by the opening speech of Michael Iwama, who opened the COT conference on a high as I watched all OTs applaud his views on public health and saw how we were all singing from the same hymn sheet.

Sue Parkinson gave a magnificent talk on ‘beyond the model of human occupation screening tool’ and how the tool enables an OT to connect with the service user and make it more meaningful and client centred towards them.  She talked about the meaning and purpose of balanced lifestyle and environment and how this is crucial to enable a therapeutic process. I really felt this was beneficial to my area of interest and helped me to understand more about the model and its screening tool, enabling me to take away knowledge that I will be able to one day apply as a qualified OT.

The academia and copious amounts of assignments during the second year - all with hand-in dates around the same time – had been a test of my desire to fly the green OT flag. Trying to balance home life and university life as a single parent is difficult – spinning plates springs to mind. It’s a challenge for all future OTs to enforce what we are taught in lectures, seminars and workshops about maintaining a ‘balanced lifestyle’ and instilling meaningful activities into our own lives. Sue Parkinson emphasised this in her talk  - taking care of body and mind are key themes that contribute to a person’s sense of competence and pleasure, while leisure activities contribute to physical, social, emotional and cognitive health.

Going to conference and listening to many talks which all had a part in inspiring me, gave me great faith.  Listening to students who were talking about their findings from their dissertation papers and the results they had concluded allowed me to reflect on my second year and going forward into my final year of university. Reflection is key in my development, enabling me to see why I am doing this course and what I want to achieve and where I want to be in the coming years. Next year I want to stand where those students stood disclosing my findings and results from my dissertation, while flying my green flag high as a qualified OT.

I would like to shout out to all future OT students and those who doubt their abilities or the course - don’t lose the green flag – go to conference and let all there inspire you, speak to the stall holders who have a wealth of knowledge and to the many of people who are there and will one day be your OT family. This should relight the enthusiasm and bring back the reasons why you want to become a high flying OT.

With our poster

Three days of doing, being and becoming: a student’s journey along the "river of OT" at Conference 2013

Gill Smith, Sheffield Hallam University undergraduate and SHOUT member

Having just completed an Occupational Science elective at university, I may have simply been more attuned to Wilcock’s (1999) “Reflections on Doing, Being and Becoming”, but in many of the lectures or presentations I attended at the COT Conference 2013 I encountered this theme.

Conference was very much an opportunity for “doing”. With my fellow SHOUT team members Julia-Helen Collins and Emma Wilsher, I enjoyed the opportunity to exhibit a poster about our BAOT student group, as well as experience some of the challenges of later life by testing out an “age suit” in the exhibitor hall; great fun but also very thought provoking.

Just “being” in the company of so many occupational therapists from diverse areas of practice and around the country was good for the soul and encouraged reflection on my personal development and aspirations. But for me, more than anything else, conference was my “becoming”.

Before conference I pleased to see the end of a busy second year of seemingly endless essays and thankful for the summer break but now, after COT 2013, I am energised and ready for the rest of my student journey! Attending conference last year as an enthusiastic first year student, I was a little overwhelmed and eager to explore the community of OT. My journey, from student to practitioner, had begun as I jumped into the river of occupational therapy. This year, the current of conference has swept me further along my path, emersing me, as I ebb ever closer to employment and decisions about which way my career will flow. 

It is an exciting as well as challenging time to be becoming an occupational therapist with the many changes to the NHS and emerging areas of practice. Michael Iwama’s opening message to bring occupational therapy into the “river of public health” emphasised this. In my studies, it is the positive role of OT in preventing ill health and enabling people to maintain occupations, roles and identities through health promotion that has excited me most. Iwama’s call to take our practice into our own neighbourhoods spoke powerfully to me – I know now that this is where I want to be, working to make a difference to individuals’ lives within communities.

As an OT-in-training, attending conference is a fantastic way to become more professionally-minded. The networking opportunities with clinicians who may one day employ you, and the chances to talk to theorists whose books you have read, quoted in essays and committed to memory, is exhilarating. Much like practice placements, conference offers a tantalising glimpse of the working world of occupational therapy - it is so near and yet at times feels so far from reach as another year of study beckons in September. But there is still so much to learn and experience at university as I stream towards graduation, and hearing other students give excellent presentations was the motivation I needed to take the plunge, attempt to submit my own abstract to conference and hopefully become a presenter next year.

And it is this “becoming” that leads to “belonging”. Elaine Hunter spoke of her honour at being part of “Team Casson” through her delivery of the Elisabeth Casson Memorial Lecture. In a smaller way, I have enjoyed being part of “Team Conference”, a wide community of amazing people who are inspiring me to become one of them and, ultimately, find my place within OT. What a privilege it is to know that this is my future; that I may soon be able to call myself an occupational therapist and belong to this profession.

With Michael Iwama

Watch out for Julia-Helen Collins' reflection and advice coming soon....  

Suiting-up in the exhibitor hall...

Although we had a giggle trying on exhibitor Hewi's "age suit", commissioned by them and designed by a grad student to give an idea of what older age might feel like, it was also a very useful and emotive learning tool. The suit enabled us to gain an appreciation of the difficulties older people may face negotiating day-to-day occupations with impairments in their movement, vision or hearing. It was an uncomfortable, tiring and somewhat isolating experience and we felt quite emotional wearing it at times. Just walking and trying to position ourselves comfortably in Careflex's specialist chair was a challenge.

Tea and talks
Downtime between presentations was a great opportunity to grab a cup of tea or coffee and chat with conference friends old and new. It was great to put screen names from the online Twitter community to faces including the lovely @Helen_OTUK, @Kirstyes, @CharOTReilly and @Symbolic_Life. Cumbria University Masters student Michelle Perryman (@Symbolic_Life) has set up a fantastic project at her university to support OT students emerging into practice, find out more here: @Emerging2OT

It was wonderful to see both former and current Sheffield Hallam students deliver presentations or discuss their posters:

Becky Williams, a former Sheffield Hallam student, delivered a poster presentation about her experiences in US trauma centers as a result of the Nottingham Roosevelt Scholarship. Becky's drive, passion and warmth is inspirational, so its no surprise she was named an NHS Emerging Leader for 2013. We're hoping Becky will be able to speak at SHOUT this coming academic year! You can find her on twitter @_beckyOT and read her blog here: http://blog.travelpod.com/members/beckywilliamson

We enjoyed watching SHU graduate Fiona Roberston talking on boxing as occupation, and saw fantastic posters on role-emerging placements by SHU Masters students Hayley Pedley Clues, Charlotte Ann Wise, Suzy Booth and Raedin O'Sullivan. 

We were also really impressed with Arrows Connect, two Scottish graduates who have set up their own company producing easy-to-use CPD software. Check out their website here: http://www.arrowsconnect.com

Thank you 
We would like to say a really big THANK YOU to our local BAOT regional group, Trent Region, for generously aiding us with our conference tickets - thank you for your support to students, it is so appreciated.

That's all for now, but we'll be back in September with our new line-up of speakers and events for the next academic year. See you soon!

SHOUT

SHOUT attends COT Conference 2013!

We've had a wonderful time at the 2013 COT Conference in Glasgow, presenting our poster about how our local BAOT student group, SHOUT, helps promote continuing professional development for students (and clinicians). A highlight for us was the opportunity to meet Michael Iwama and so many other inspiring OTs and students from across the UK. We came away glowing about OT and proud to be a tiny part of the huge, diverse and beautiful OT community. Although we were, perhaps, more than a little relieved to be taking off our green T-shirts after wearing them for 3 days straight...!

Watch this space for our write up of our conference experiences and our forth coming programme of events for next academic year....

See you in September!

SHOUT is coming to a close for this academic year... we're packing away our green T-shirts, the biscuits have all been eaten and its time to turn our thoughts to planning next year's SHOUT seminars over the summer break. 

We did have an extra SHOUT squeezed into the last week in May (29th) with Venture Matrix, but this has now been postponed til next year to reach the new cohort of students. Thank you for all your support in attending the monthly seminars, we're looking forward to seeing you again in September! A timetable of speakers will follow soon.

We'll still be around over the summer getting involved in various activities and SHOUT is proud to be presenting a poster about our group at this year's COT Conference - keep an eye out for us.

See you soon!
SHOUT 

SHOUT: Summer Term Summary

The blog has been a little quiet since Easter - essay madness took hold and keeping the blog updated went out the window! But we've had two fantastic talks over the summer term in April and May, here's what we've been up to:

First of all a quick recap on "Occupational therapy in the 21st Century" with Jennifer Creek. She spoke to a packed room about OT past, present and future and the need to engage in political activism and challenge the status quo to drive OT forward. This sparked off a lively debate about whether or not it is realistic to strive for change - do we have the power to make a difference to the political system and OT's place in the world if we all work together, if we shout loudly enough? 

Jennifer encouraged us not to give away our power to hierarchy, and challenged students to become more questioning and build confidence in engaging with political and healthcare structures. Cultivate relationships with kindred sprits, she said, it is easier to think in company.

Then in April the energetic and inspiring Keith Norman presented "Beyond Mindfulness: being what you do and surviving changes as an Occupational Therapist in a private rehabilitation hospital".

Keith qualified from Sheffield Hallam University in 2011, joining Cambian Group to work at their men's rehabilitation hospital 'Cambian Oaks' in Barnsley. Before qualification Keith worked as a support worker for learning disabled adults, as rehabilitation assistant for a private company treating Brain Injury in the community and as a Senior Lecturer in Vascular Biology at the University of Sheffield! You can follow him on Twitter: @beingyourdoing. 

We first met Keith at the COT Conference last year, where he delivered an excellent presentation on how to BE your DOING, an interesting take on mindfulness in action during meaningful occupation, drawing on themes of occupational science and Wilcock's Being, Doing, Becoming, Belonging. So it was a pleasure to invite him back to Sheffield Hallam to speak on his experiences as an OT and how he uses mindfulness. 

You gave great feedback:

"Best SHOUT so far"

"Just what I needed to remind me why I am studying OT" 

"Reminded me that mindfulness is a part of OT not just a psychological approach and I now have an increased confidence in using it in practice"

"Keith was an empowering speaking and showed that students who suffer from mental health illness are not alone"

May welcomed Richard Davies, a fantastic Sheffield-based OT, known to Hallam students for his guest lectures on MOHO. He presented "OT's working with partners for social inclusion" with a team from the Oasis Gardening Service and cycling organisation CTC, showing how effectively mental health OTs can work alongside like-minded external organisations to achieve socially inclusive outcomes for service users.  Speaking about their successes along the way, the team also addressed challenges and how to attract and retain funding during austerity. Your feedback included: "Very informative, interesting, useful in the current financial climate"  "Really lovely to hear how services and partnerships have impacted on people"  "See barriers as opportunities" And at all three events, we've been pleased to host first year OT student Hannah, with her sterling effort to raise money for a summer volunteering project in India where she will be promoting education, health and sustainable livelihoods. Her delicious selection of homemade cakes, sold during the registration period and break, have helped her to reach her target. Well done Hannah! And good luck :)