15 Nov 2022

I am currently in my 2nd Year of Occupational Therapy at UWE Bristol, although this is my third year of university as I completed a Foundation Degree attached to the course due to leaving after one year of college and to aid me in my return to education after a few years of odd jobs. This makes me a “Mature” student.

Who/What inspired you to study this course?

My Auntie showed me a video on Facebook of an elderly woman who was visiting another elderly female client who resided in a care home. The visitor explained how the client didn’t respond or communicate anymore, there was no vocalisation, eye contact or any other method of communication. The visitor spent some time with the client before asking her remaining friends and relatives some information about this client. They all mentioned that she went to church all of her life and when she went into care due to her Dementia she stopped going due to her health and memory deterioration. The visitor found out which church she attended and visited the church. The visitor was given a hymn book from around the time the client would have been a child and growing up in the church. The visitor returned to the care home and sat with the client. She started to sing some of the hymns and after a little while the client looked up at her and was trying to smile, her eyes were reactive and slowly the client started to tap her hand to the beat of the song and was trying to vocalise along to the music. The change in this client was amazing.

I asked my Aunt, “Who is this woman and what is it that she just did” my Aunt explained that she is an retired OT who visits care homes to help people. She explained to me the role of an OT and I instantly fell in love with everything that OTs stand for and their client centred approach that looks at the whole person in a holistic way.

Where did you go to school?

I was home schooled briefly before attending Horton C.E V.A Primary School, later attending Chipping Sodbury Secondary School and then finally onto study Health and Social Care level 3 at SGS Filton College and leaving after my 1st Year was completed.

What drew you to this field?

The career I wanted changed throughout my time in education. I didn’t know what Occupational Therapy was until after I finished college when I was working full-time. My family have always worked with vulnerable people and I was able to join my family members from a young age volunteering and as I grew up I was encouraged to partake in my own fundraising and volunteering opportunities. My family have always been so kind and generous and help anyone in anyway they can. I try to follow in their footsteps so I have always known helping people was what I wanted to do.

What skills and values should someone in your field have?

The main values an OT should have are: client-centeredness, use of evidence, cultural competence and occupation-based practices.

The main skills an OT should have are:

Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.

Patience, empathy and tact.

Ability to work in a diverse and multiculture environment.

Professional and trustworthy with high levels of motivation and optimism.

Active listener who can identify the needs and difficulties of person.

Ability to work holistically and in a non-judgmental way.

What skills did you have to develop early in your course?

The ability to say “I don’t know- but I will go away and come back to you when I do know!”

Working in teams with people that you may not necessarily choose to work with as you have friends you would rather work with.

The ability to communicate about my struggles and difficulties to access the right support which has enabled me to stay on the course.

What is your typical day like in your course?

A typical day on this course is arriving to start our morning session at 9:00-12:00, this is usually a lecture but may be a guest speaker, a seminar, Directed study or Group work and projects. There will be a 15 minute break during the morning lecture. You then have an hour for lunch- so this could involve eating the Hub, spending time in the beautiful grounds, visiting the library or the Student Union. At 13:00 we return to a lecture or we do group work sessions, workshops or projects (another 15 minute break within this session) and we finish our day typically at 16:00.

What is your favourite part of your course?

The skills we are able to learn and put into practice when we go onto placement. And the like-mindedness of people on the course.

What is the most challenging part of your course?

It is a fairly fast paced course and you do need to keep up with the workload to get the best out of the course. Being on campus will give you best experience and the most impact.

How do you manage your time?

Our studies tend to cover 4 week days (typically with a Wednesday off for self study). I also have several (optional) roles at my university too - I am a pretty busy bee, but I try to keep university time in university hours, this allows me to maintain my job as I also work night shifts too.

How do you maintain a work-life balance?

No university on weekends. I have had to become really strict with allowing myself time to rest and keeping on tasks to get the most out of my time. Weekends are my time to relax, see family and friends or doing nothing at all!

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy singing, reading, and volunteering. I enjoy being able to support the people I care about and spending time with my indoor cat- she’s a cuddler.

What are your long-term career goals?

I would like to be employed initially by my 1st Year Placement (who offered me a job thinking I was graduating that academic year) they were amazing! I would then like to work alongside housing projects to ensure adaptable houses are being built to stop segregation in communities , I would also like to work on global projects to support the most vulnerable people and communities around the world. Eventually I wish to set up a community project that provides opportunities for all  in a safe and intervention styled environment. Allowing the ability to build a variety of skills, reaching out to all people with no discrimination and an environment which is fully accessible and sustainable. I want people to feel more in touch with their communities again and allow people to meet and socialise face to face in a world that can at times feel so isolating, no matter who you are.

Was there a setback you faced during your studies that you later realised was a learning opportunity?

I faced a problem with my car during my 1st Year placement and I was on a community placement (meaning not only did I need to drive to my placement- I also had to drive to clients too!). This forced me to go outside of my comfort zone and have those “tough” conversations with management and senior members of staff and come up with a solution that suited everyone involved, considering all of the logistics and the affect it would have on me and my placement experience. Everyone was really understanding and accommodating and I felt much more confident from then on being open and honest if I was having any problems.

What professional associations are you a member of?

I am a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT) who are a registered charity and are “champions” of the OT profession in the UK with over 35,000 members.