Job File: Occupational Therapist

Job title: Occupational therapist.

Who’s doing it: Elaine Muddiman.

Where: Telford & Wrekin Council.

Job description: Helping people with
disabilities remain living at home as independently as possible. I
work two days a week with the OT team doing social services work
and two days in the housing department.
Skills/qualifications needed: Occupational therapy is a three-year
degree course.

What’s good about the job: The variety. You
never know when you open a new case what you will find because
people are so different and even how they react to the same
physical condition is different each time.
What’s bad about the job: We are trying to become a paperless
office. While I understand the need to use computers more and am
trying my best, I struggle with them.

Pay: £26,625.

Grade: On a parity with social worker
grades.

What’s the job like? There is a growing trend
for housing departments to have an OT on board and I do a lot of
liaising with the Home Improvement Agency, internal housing
officers and registered social landowners. If it’s a housing need I
always do a home visit to assess the person’s home and make sure
people receive the adapted property they need. I give advice and
information and provide equipment to help maintain independence. I
also assess the carer, whether they are paid or a spouse or
partner, to make sure they are managing in a safe way. A social
work colleague is often involved. If the referral is a child, we
have to liaise with numerous people – schools, physiotherapists,
paediatricians, district nurses and so on. You have to be able to
accommodate people’s needs and think creatively about
problem-solving to do this job. You have to adapt to your client’s
chosen lifestyle and not impose what you think they should be
doing.