CPD Life: January - April 2018

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

ü Yvonne Thomas ü HCP+ ü #OTalk + more

Your CPD certified source for OT training and courses

Issue 2 Jan-Apr 2018

cpdlife.co.uk

Getting the most bang for your buck

MONEY

MATTERS

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Your Professional Calendar

19/12/2017 09:53

Rehab Jigsaw’s nationwide team of Occupational Therapists work with adults and children of all ages, providing services to:

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19/12/2017 09:22

CPDlife

Welcome

A

fter an exciting 2017, we at CPD Life are excited to see what the new year brings for the sector.

CPD combines different methodologies to learning, such as training workshops, conferences and events, e-learning programmes, best practice techniques and ideas sharing, all focused for an individual to improve and have effective professional development. There are over 1000 institutes and professional bodies across the UK, a number that is forecast to increase.�

Source: cpduk.co.uk

The team

+ Writer: Colette Carr + Writer: Rosalind Tulloch + Staff Writer: Katie Campbell + Staff Writer: Niall Christie + Designer: Stephen Flanagan + Marketing: Sophie Scott + Sales: Robin Wilson + Sales: Louise Anderson + Contributors: Yvonne Thomas and Deborah Harrison

It was fantastic meeting so many of you at The OT Show in November and hear all about the great things going on in the wide world of occupational therapy.

One group we caught up with at the show was the #OTalk team who on page 10 let us into their world and tell us how their online discussion threads can help you with your CPD. Our resident CPD expert Yvonne Thomas returns, discussing the value work-based learning can have.

Find Yvonne on page 5.

Often, many people make New Year’s resolutions promising to eat healthier, join a gym or just phone their mum more. Whether you think they are just a fad or not, they can be a great excuse for getting yourself more organised. Organisation is key to CPD, so we’ve pulled together some tips for getting your ducks in a row. On page 6, we review hcp+ in keeping your file updated and look at how you can tackle the cost of CPD and its concomitant expenses is on page 9.

We wish you all a successful and happy New Year and as always, feel free to get in touch!

Contents

05

Learning on the job, Yvonne Thomas

06

Keeping on top of your profile

09

Getting the most bang for your buck

10

#OTalk

13

A1 Risk

14

Professional Calendar

OT T m 2A Publishing Ltd Caledonia House, Evanton Drive Thornliebank Industrial Estate Glasgow, G46 8JT 0141 465 2960 2apublishing.co.uk

Disclaimer

CPD Life is published by 2A Publishing Limited. The views expressed in CPD Life are not necessarily the views of the editor or the publisher. Reproduction in part or in whole is strictly prohibited without the explicit written consent of the publisher. Copyright 2018 Š 2A Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved. ISSN-2056-7146

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EVENTS & TRAINING

See our full CPD training and events calendar See page 14 CPD life | 3

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19/12/2017 09:22

DR Y VONNE THOM AS

Learning on the job Are we ignoring the value of work based learning?

Image © Pressfoto

you may even have a certificate s occupational therapy students, we have to evidence your attendance, but first-hand knowledge I question if these extraordinary of the value of work-based events are the source of your learning in our professional greatest learning. In your day-todevelopment. We remember our day work you will have learned practice education experience knowledge and skills from your throughout our careers and colleagues, your patients and value the educators who taught Dr Yvonne Thomas, your own reflections. us to be effective occupational Worcester University I would go so far as to guess that therapy practitioners (and Principal Lecturer and Academic Lead every time we make even the those that did not). While worksmallest of mistakes, we take a for Allied Health based learning is a mandatory huge leap forward in terms of Professions requirement for professional y.thomas@worc.ac.uk CPD. Even when the outcome of registration, once employed we our interventions is positive, we often forget the opportunity to are learning. Learning through learn on the job is the most freely available doing is recognised by the HCPC, but do we source of CPD. recognise it ourselves?

As a new graduate, I remember a newly

A

admitted lady on an acute mental health ward who screamed at me “go away, you have no idea what it’s like to have depression”. She was, of course, right! In my enthusiasm for trying to engage clients in the group programmes and interventions scheduled on that ward, I had lost sight of the sheer terror and sense of isolation that many of my clients experienced when admitted.

That lady taught me a valuable and life changing lesson about empathy and honesty and the importance of compassion as an occupational therapist.

If someone asked about your CPD activities over the last six months, I would anticipate that you will think back to conferences, courses or seminars that you have attended outside of your normal working duties. These are valuable and tangible CPD events and

We ask our students to write personal learning journals or logs and reflections.

These simple strategies provide the evidence for work-based learning that are quickly forgotten after graduation. When looking up an unfamiliar diagnosis, or treatment protocol, taking an issue to supervision or discussing an intervention option with colleagues, make a conscious effort to record the learning that has occurred. In fact, it is through work-based learning and experiential learning that we transform from novice practitioners to experts over the course of our professional careers.

The HCPC define CPD through work-based learning as: “Reflecting on experiences at work, considering feedback from service users or being a member of a committee.”

Learn on the job...

Examples of learning on the job include: • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • •

Learning by doing Case studies Reflective practice Audit of service users Coaching from others Discussions with colleagues Peer review Gaining and learning from experience Involvement in the wider, profession-related work of your employer (for example, being a representative on a committee) Work shadowing Secondments Job rotation Journal club In-service training Supervising staff or students Expanding your role Significant analysis of events Filling in self-assessment questionnaires Project work

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19/12/2017 11:40

HC P C MA NAGEMENT

Keeping on top of your CPD profile ith the possibility always existing that you will be part of the 2.5% of occupational therapists who are audited this year, it’s vitally important to keep on top of your CPD profile or portfolio, to ensure that you’re ready to show the volume and variety of topics you have studied.

Of course, it’s not enough to simply say you’ve done it: you need to show proof of attendance in the form of reflection and evidence.

W

But what makes a perfect portfolio?

We’ve got some helpful tips on keeping on top of your CPD profile and ensuring you’re audit-ready at all times.

The biggest hurdle to getting any large task completed is always starting it, but as soon as you’ve organised your CPD portfolio, you should find it easier to stay organised. Most people choose to keep their portfolio either in a hardcopy format or online.

If you’re keeping a hardcopy, it’s a great idea to organise it in a ring binder or in plastic wallets, which will allow you to keep relevant information separated, ensuring it can be easily accessed.

For example: your first section could be where you put your personal development plan, with another section for studies read, evidence – anything that is relevant to your learning experience.

“The HCPC’s website has a number of documents that can be downloaded from their website, making creating a hardcopy portfolio a relatively easy task...”

The HCPC’s website has a number of documents that can be downloaded from their website, making creating a hardcopy portfolio a relatively easy task that you can undertake by simply following their instruction.

many websites already formatted to make it easier to add your CPD profile, and even cross-platform apps, making it even simpler to access at any time.

These apps and websites are often sectioned off, allowing you to know straight away exactly which information is required for the differing sections.

Of course, in this digital age, you may prefer to keep a copy online, meaning it can be accessed anywhere. There are

It’s important to ensure your profile is up to date. It might require you to set aside some time each month to ensure your

profile is complete and up to date, and filled with all of the relevant information regarding your latest training. Make sure also that your evidence is up to date: in your hardcopy folder, this may be as simple as filing away a certificate of attendance to a conference or lecture, but online, this may be slightly more difficult.

For websites, you may have to scan in certificates of attendance, but some apps connect to your device’s camera, allowing you to add pictorial evidence of completion. This makes it incredibly simple to add evidence of any kind to the app.

If you’re struggling to work out which method of recording your CPD is best for you, why not read our review of the hcp+ app?

6 | CPD life

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HCPC MANAG EM EN T

hcp+ Review

hcp+ in numbers

The hcp+ app is a great way of recording CPD, allowing it to be registered and accessed with ease.

ptimised for smartphones and tablets, and available for both Android and iOS. The hcp+ app acts as an optimised version of the organisation’s website, allowing it to be accessed with ease and ensuring that CPD can be recorded on the go and is always available. The app’s description states that: “With hcp+ you are HCPC audit ready and your CPD Profile is available at the push of a button.” hcp+ operates on a subscription service, and has two plans: a monthly subscription of £1.99 per month, or an annual subscription fee of £1.49, paid monthly. Users are offered a 30 day trial period, after which they must select one of the plans. It’s not necessary to select a plan when setting up an account, which means users are free to try the app out before they buy it.

Students receive a longer free trial of 13 months, and must give their institution name when creating their account in order to receive the longer free trial.

The app is extremely user-friendly, with large button shortcuts allowing the user to quickly input information.

Users can store evidence of CPD in the Evidence Library, which connects directly to the device’s camera, allowing the user to store photographic evidence of their achievements which can be quickly

O

recalled. Adding a CPD record is done using the touch of a button, and allows the user to input detailed information about their latest training, complete with evidence.

On the main screen of the app, it shows the balance of CPD activities per their theme or subject, and breaks down how many CPD activities have been completed per month, the time since the last CPD activity, the number of logs in the last 24 months and the number of logs per month. This allows the user to build up a comprehensive and accurate view of their professional development, and keeps them ready and prepared in case of auditing.

The CPD Profile section of the app allows the user to build up a personal profile. Taking their role and workplace title, and allowing space to provide details of their experience, responsibilities, tasks undertaken in their role, and other important information about their current position. The CPD Profile gives detailed information provided by the user on reflection and how often they keep their CPD log up to date. hcp+ is a relatively inexpensive and extremely easy method of keeping a CPD log, and ensuring it is up to date, and easily accessed. 

£1.99 per month

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M A N AGING MO NEY

MONEY MATTERS

Getting the most bang for your buck

T

he festive period doesn’t just bring joy and good tidings.

It also brings a bit of a sting to the bank balance, with many beginning the New Year with resolutions to tighten the purse strings and cut out any frivolous outgoings or luxuries.

“By learning transferable skills from other therapies or sectors, you can boost your portfolio and experience and understanding of the wider industries you may come into contact with...”

Unfortunately for stringent New Year savers though, CPD is a year-round necessity, and a costly one at that.

While some of the biggest events put on are free of charge, OTs can rack up an expensive bill chasing opportunities up and down the country in order to fulfil the required hours. While you can’t put a price on investing in your future, 21st century costs of living and scope of the world wide web are good enough reasons to think smarter about your expenditures.

And with CPD now more important than ever, here are some ways to maintain a professional profile, while pinching the pennies.

PRIORITISE For many occupational therapists, attending CPD events involves costs for travel and accommodation, occasionally with loss of earnings on top of these expenses. Maximise your time and money and prioritise what events you need to travel for and what topics are in your remit.

Additionally, you could sit down with your department or line manager and discuss any support that may be available to you, whether that be in-house CPD activities, a budget to attend events or service subscriptions, or simply taking time out of your working hours to catch up on free online CPD discussion threads.

FREE EXHIBITIONS Huge free exhibitions offer an array of opportunities at no cost, but spend your time wisely to ensure you are attending the most useful seminars for you and maximising the benefits of free shows.

RESOURCES CPD doesn’t always require attendance or listening to an expert speak. Many pieces of literature can provide you with the knowhow you need and can be sourced in libraries online and at universities that can either be borrowed for free or accessed as part of existing memberships you may already hold.

COLLABORATION Attending events that are collaborative can be invaluable for your file. By learning transferable skills from other therapies

or sectors, you can boost your portfolio and experience and understanding of the wider industries you may come into contact with in the future, saving time further down the line.

ORGANISE Organisation is key. By planning 2018, you can create early provision for your learning and budget accordingly.

Evidencing your learning isn’t always cheap, but having a rough idea at the start of the year of your spending can help you keep on top of your accounts and ensure you can afford the necessities.

KEEP UPDATED Keeping abreast of industry standards and new regulations may not necessarily count towards your CPD, but the good practice can give you an idea of what areas you really need to brush up on and help you spend your money wisely.

8 | CPD life

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19/12/2017 11:04

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19/12/2017 09:23

C ATCH UP - # OTA LK

The INTERVIEW HOW DOES #OTALK WORK? HOW DO YOU ORGANISE IT? #OTalk is a weekly Twitter chat, held every Tuesday at 8pm, designed to enable discussion about occupational therapy and the broader academic discipline of occupational science. The weekly chat topics are suggested and led by occupational therapy clinicians, educators, and occupational therapy students primarily within the UK but also from further afield such as the US. Topics can be suggested by completing the “host a chat” form on the #OTalk website.

Individuals applying to host the chat are also asked to supply an introduction blog post which goes live a week before the chat to allow the #OTalk community to think about the topic ahead of the chat.

Once this information has been received by the #OTalk organising team, we contact the individual to agree a suitable Tuesday that works for the team and the host.

The #OTalk organising team provide support to the chat hosts, before, during and after the chats. Following the chat, the blog post is updated with the transcript and analytics to enable people to either reflect or catch up. These updates not only provide details of the chats but also who took part, this helps individuals to evidence their engagement together with a helpful reflective tool that participants can complete to evidence their learning.

The core #OTalk organising team is currently made up of six occupational therapists from a range of clinical backgrounds: Helen Rushton, Gillian Gorry, Clarissa Sorlie, Kelly Murray, Rachel Booth and Kirstie Hughes. In 2016 the #OTalk Research team was introduced to lead monthly research themed chats.

These chats happen on the first Tuesday of the month and are facilitated by Lynne Goodacre, Emma Hooper, Jenny Preston and Nikki Daniels.

HOW DID #OTALK START? A group of occupational therapists had been participating in tweetchats including #phdchat (PhD researchers chat)

#OTalk

We spoke to the #OTalk team about their popular online chat, and how it’s helping OTs and students with CPD.

and #nhssm (social media in the NHS) for some time. Occupational therapists had been utilising the #OTuesday hashtag to share insights into the daily activities of an occupational therapists.

We felt the time had come to utilise the potential of Twitter and create an online public facing forum for talking about our specific area of practice and the theory that underpins it. A Twitter account, Facebook page and blog were set up in October 2011 with the first #OTalk chat taking place on the 25t October 2011 which coincided with World Occupational Therapy Day. HOW DOES SOCIAL MEDIA BENEFIT YOU AS OTS IN YOUR CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? #OTalk chats not only provide an opportunity to explore topics within our various areas of practice but also enable us the keep up-to date with developments within occupational therapy, health and social care services and other professions.

We are fortunate to be supported by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

CATCH up

who often utilise the chats to seek the opinions of the profession on topics such as research, practice placement and resource development. The #OTalk community is a much valued and committed online community of practice who are always willing to help answer questions, share information or signpost outside of the weekly chat space, therefore supporting peer learning and CPD. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A STUDENT, HOW CAN #OTALK HELP IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? Gill, Kelly and Kirstie all joined the team as students and credit their time with the project as helping them to develop their professional identity and allowing them to learn about areas of practice they had not been able to experience previously.

The #OTalk student community have boasted about the ability to learn from more experienced practitioners during our weekly chats and get advice from new graduates or more advanced students during our student themed chats. #OTalk has also created an environment that encourages networking between practitioners of all levels and specialisms. This is a skill that can benefit students as they develop and transition from student to practitioner.

ARE THERE ANY DOWNSIDES TO USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL

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CATCH UP - #OTAL K

A number of practitioners have commented that #OTalk chats have been the catalyst for highlighting gaps in knowledge and therefore lead them to seek out further learning or consider their practice from a different perspective.

DEVELOPMENT? Like any tool, if used inappropriately it can have a negative impact. Kelly and Kirstie have both undertaken empirical research projects into the opportunities and barriers involved in using social media for professional development. They found that practitioners would like more formal training and advice on the use of social media platforms, with students asking for it to be included at education level and clinicians wanting advice from their specific employers and for it to be included within their induction processes.

When learning in a public arena, it can be easy to make mistakes, we often recommend if you are unsure if you should be sharing something, then don’t. Our professional codes of conduct and ethics apply online as they do within practice and we remind participants of this at the start of every chat, in addition to promoting a polite and responsible debate.

It’s also worth considering that your views may change over time and as you gain more experience and evolve as a professional or they may also differ from that of your employer. Although there is a delete button, this cannot be relied upon to remove the shared information and comments so again we urge everyone to think before they tweet.

HOW IS SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY CHANGING THE WAY YOU CARE FOR PEOPLE, AS WELL AS DEVELOP PROFESSIONALLY?

A number of practitioners have commented that #OTalk chats have been the catalyst for highlighting gaps in knowledge and therefore lead them to seek out further learning or consider their practice from a different perspective.

Another example would be for those working in acute physical environments, through our mental health and wellbeingthemed chats, they are able to develop their knowledge around the subject helping them to support clients who may have a secondary or underlying mental health condition.

This learning and CPD activity can then impact their daily practice in a positive way and become more considerate and reflective therapists. Our chat topics also focus on professional issues, service development and research, these topics support clinicians to positively tackle hurdles found within their practice, such as burnout, a lack of resources or challenges within service provision, all of which can impact on the care provided to clients.

Our consistent encouragement of sharing and professionalism was credited in the Government’s response to the Francis reports, crediting #OTalk for opening up a space for honest conversations amongst professionals.

ALTHOUGH #OTALK IS GEARED TOWARDS PROFESSIONALS, DOES IT, OR HAS IT EVER, HAD A CAPACITY IN WHICH TO HELP PATIENTS OR NON-PROFESSIONALS? Service users have joined in chats as well as co-hosted alongside professionals, these chats are often geared at raising awareness of a particular condition or client group however they do not offer direct advice. With the development of technology, information is now more than ever readily available.

Patients and carers are taking to the internet to research conditions, services and profession to become better informed consumers. With occupational therapy being such a diverse profession there is often confusion over what we do, where we work and who with, an online presence offers transparency in our work and shows that we as a profession are passionate

about what we do and committed to provided effective and evidenced based care.

YOU HOST SEMINARS RELATING TO OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ON #OTALK – HOW DO THEY WORK? In addition to chats, the team take #OTalkonTour to support the profession in the safe and professional use of social media and discuss the benefits and challenges involved. The team are active within their RCOT regions and local areas and are often approached by universities and organisations to give talks of guest lectures on the subject.

The team have also facilitated workshops and social media drop in sessions at conferences to support in the practical side of using social media platforms and helping clinicians to troubleshoot any issues they may be having. This is something we are hoping to expand on over the next 12 months.

DO YOU HAVE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE REGARDING #OTALK? WHAT ARE THEY? We hope to be able to finish our research and get this published in the near future and we have just recruited for our next student digital leader. Last year Lynne and Helen spearheaded a Blog Squad at the RCOT conference where volunteers attended sessions and reported back on content to be shared across the community. This was a huge success and we are hoping to replicate this at next year’s conference in Belfast. We also have a few other projects and collaborations in the works, but it’s still early days, so you will have to keep an eye on the blog for updates!

CAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS WHO DON’T USE SOCIAL MEDIA GET INVOLVED IN #OTALK? HOW? While the majority of our work and learning takes place online, occupational therapists and students who do not use social media are welcome to attend conference workshops or read our blogs, chat transcripts and articles on the website. We are also happy to offer support to those interested in setting up a professional social media account. 

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19/12/2017 11:28

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19/12/2017 15:11

A1 R I SK

Distressed behaviour

Are you up for the challenge?

Words by Deborah Harrison, Managing Director, A1 Risk Solution

WHAT IS CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR?

Deborah Harrison

Deborah Is the MD of A1 Risk Solutions and Honorary Lecturer at the University of Salford.

We are passionate about ensuring service users are handled with dignity and respect, by creating confident workforces through training and assessment.

This is any non-verbal, verbal or physical behaviour exhibited by a person, which can make it difficult to deliver good care safely, particularly when attempting to move and handle the individual. The behaviour may be their only means of communicating and is often used when there is an unmet need or the service user is in distress.

STRATEGIES Supporting someone with a positive behavioural plan will teach them to express themselves. Strategies must be person-centred and address a multitude of possible factors, including main themes of health, emotional connections, environment, sensory overload and depravation.

When exploring triggers in moving and handling you need to consider the impact of any changes such as equipment,

gradually introducing the change and avoiding negative emotions being connected to the task. Communication needs to be person-centred and meaningful using visual, verbal and tactile methods.

Learn if they like to be touched, and if so, which part of the body do they prefer and should it be a firm or gentle approach?

Is moving and handling the trigger? Consider whether or not the activity needs to be carried out. Establish alternative techniques, equipment, sequence or environment as a stop-gap strategy to address this.

Reduce noisy environments as they often heighten anxiety. Alternatives to slide sheets are in-bed sheets, which reduce the amount of moving, handling and noise.

Playing music can be a calmer, with or without headphones, and the colour of the equipment may also be a trigger.

Distraction therapies are completely dependent on your client. Some examples include objects and ideals like doll therapy and cushions. These can be useful whilst carrying out personal care on the bed.

Safety is paramount – when implementing these, ensure they cannot be used as weapons or ingested.

Hoisting involves lots of potential triggers,

like entering an individual’s space and heightened anxiety. Consider the following; applying the sling between in-bed sheets from the bottom of the bed, reducing the proximity of the handler, an insitu sling or hoistable clothing, reducing the amount of handling required and the positioning of the individual in the sling. A badly fitted or small sling may pinch - does the individual feel trapped, or is the sling open and the individual over stimulated?

Techniques used to calm are swaddling the person whilst hoisting or moving around the bed, weighted jackets and blankets calm.

The hoist and spreader bar can be intimidating. Alternatives are track hoists without a spreader bar or a spreader bar that allows for interactions and does not go near the individual’s face.

Whilst you cannot control how the individual behaves you can control your own response - the tone of your voice, gestures, body language and facial expressions. Anxiety is created when an individual feels negativity and rushed and this can be when two staff are in attendance. If the individual feels unsure who to concentrate on, consider singlehanded care.

If you would like to work towards a Level 3 Train the Trainer Qualification, Moving & Handling and Challenging Behaviour, or Level 4 Advanced Moving & Handling Qualification Single-Handed Care, contact admin@a1risksolutions.co.uk.

Image © Freepik

oving and handling a person with distressed behaviour can be difficult. An awareness of the triggers associated with moving and handling will enable you to do this confidently and safely, with dignity and respect.

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E V E NTS & TR A INING

Your Professional

Calendar

Opportunities to build your CPD portfolio are everywhere you turn.

Here are some dates for your diary, find more at ot-magazine.co.uk.

Monday 15 – Tuesday 16 January

Monday 12 – Wednesday 14 February

Explain Pain

Occupational Therapy for Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Royal Derby Hospital, Derby

Expand the clinical framework of rehabilitation via the paradigms of neuromatrix and pain mechanisms, teach the core pain management skills of neuroscience education; teach biologically based pain management skills, and much more. Price: £295. ncore.org.uk

Led by lecturer Dr Sidney Chu, this workshop is aimed towards OTs who work with children with developmental coordination disorder within mainstream schools. Price: £330. ncore.org.uk

Wednesday 28 February

Mindfulness: An Introductory Workshop on Mindfulness Meditation

Hypermobility/Ehlers Danlos Syndrome in Adults and Children: Clinical Assessment and Management

Lead by consultant psychologist Dr Lih-Mei Liao, this taster day is designed with your own self-care in mind, balancing still and moving mindfulness meditation practices, and a reflection on what comes up during these practices. This course mixes highly relaxing meditative learning with reflective learning. Price: £130. ncore.org.uk

Monday 29 January How to be an Independent Occupational Therapist Ibis Birmingham, Birmingham

This event sets out to demystify working as an independent practitioner and guide OTs on setting up independent practice: from teaching how tax, VAT and insurance works, to setting yourself apart from other occupational therapists, and maximising your social media usage Price: £120/£170. accessindependent.co.uk

London Road Community Hospital, Derby

This course will help participants establish, within a functional framework based on recent evidence, reviews and discuss assessment, treatment and management of joint hypermobility syndrome/ Ehlers Danos syndrome, while considering both children and adults, including athletes. This will include people with late diagnosis and individuals with complex issues. Price: £145. ncore.org.uk

Thursday 1 – Friday 2 March The Development and Use of Play in Therapy with Children who have Cerebral Palsy The Bobath Centre, London

Tuesday 6-Wednesday 7 February

For therapy assistants, this course investigates the development and importance of playing, and how it can be used in therapy. It looks at a directed approach on children with cerebral palsy.

Price: £325. bobath.org.uk

Vestibular Rehabilitation/Dizziness for Occupational Therapists

Throughout 2018

London Road Community Hospital, Derby This intensive course teaches the essentials of vestibular assessment and treatment, and allow OTs to evaluate and differentiate patient dizziness levels. Lead by Richard O’Hara it uses movement and exercises, that effectively treat common causes of dizziness. Price: £300. ncore.org.uk

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Royal Derby Hospital, Derby

Friday 19 January

London Road Community Hospital, Derby

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Careflex Specialist Seating Various venues

The seating workshops will allow OTs to refresh postural assessment and seating prescription practices and skills Price: Free. careflex.co.uk/training-events

Smirthwaite Sleep Systems Training Days Paediatric OTs can learn about the importance of children’s sleep, sleep systems and pick up CPD points all at once with Smirthwaite’s product training days.

Sleep systems are designed to provide different levels of support and prevent the child from getting stuck in harmful positions during the night.

Fundamentally, sleep systems should enable the child to enjoy a restful night’s sleep.

Smirthwaite sleep systems are flexible and highly customisable, adjustable so they grow with the child, easily transported and have been designed in conjunction with professionals and carers.

The system caters for most conditions, from mild to complex, as well as all age ranges. smirthwaite.co.uk

Email events and CPD training programmes to enquiries@2apublishing.co.uk to be included in the professional calendar for free

14 | CPD life

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Single Handed Care Find the solutions right here

Transfers, positioning, support and lifting. Handicare products and solutions are designed to make everyday life easier.

T: 0800 620 0716 • E: mhbsenquiries@handicare.co.uk

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www.handicare.co.uk

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