Workforce

Not all aspects of recruitment and retention are within our control, but we can:

   1. Provide practice placements. A positive placement experience is linked to learners returning as a registered occupational therapist. We bring people together to discuss ways of developing sustainable placements. Placement Cafes See also ‘Resources for practice educators’ on CPD@RCOT.

   2. Review job descriptions for vacant posts - are the skills and experience specified really ‘essential’ or is there scope for people to develop within a role?

   3. Minimise the impact of vacancies by supporting newly registered occupational therapists, support staff or apprentices to take responsibility for some of the tasks under the vacant roles.

   4. Publicise what we do. Services that are cited nationally or are published attract more interest. Publish and promote your quality improvement projects, test of change pilots, research or benchmarking initiatives. Share your service examples and learning with RCOT to improve your visibility. Submit your service improvements to our Innovation Hub or to OTNews.

   5. Hold onto our professional expertise. Review your practice and service delivery against our Occupation centred practice briefing. Capture and report on outcomes that promote the value of occupational therapy. Explore RCOT Assessments and Outcome Measures.

   6. Make best use of support staff, occupational therapy assistants, peer support workers and technology so we work to the top of our skills set.

   7. Develop a positive and inclusive working environment by getting to know our colleagues, their skills and experience and what motivates them. Better overall staff experience is linked to better wellbeing, lower turnover and lower sickness absence.

   8. Support colleagues to maintain autonomy and professional identity by having opportunities to develop clinical networks, ensuring supervision remains consistent and encouraging ideas for innovation. For networking opportunities visit RCOT Specialist Sections

   9. Support colleagues to manage work/life balance by using all available benefits, such as annual and carers’ leave and agreed flexible working arrangements.

   10. Understand why staff leave. Use exit surveys and interviews to develop strategies to invest in the team.

NHS Employers (2020) Evidence based approaches to workforce wellbeing

NHS Employers (2022) Staff Retention Guide 

NHS England (2019) AHP (Allied Health Professions) Job Planning: a best practice guide  

NHS England’s (2022) toolkit to support flexible working

Skills for Care’s recruitment support

The Library catalogue has these eBooks on resilience:

• Battye, Alison (2022) Self-care for allied health professionals: from surviving to thriving.
• Bharwaney, Geetu (2015) Emotional resilience: know what It takes to be agile, adaptable and perform at your best.
• Clouston TJ, Westcott L, Whitcombe SW eds (2018) Transitions to practice: essential concepts for health and social care practitioners. (See specifically Chapter 15: The resilient practitioner: working in a context of change)
• Grant, Louise; Kinman, Gail (2020) Developing emotional resilience and wellbeing: a practical guide for social workers.
• Holroyd, Jane; Brown, Ketih; Turner, Aron (2015) Self-leadership and personal resilience in health and social care. (See specifically Chapter 6: Self-leadership and resilience….)
• Straathof, Theresa (2022) Coping strategies to promote mental health: training modules for occupational therapists and other care providers.