Settings for OT placements

Your placement will be in one of the following settings:

Single Point of Access (SPA) team

The SPA team consists of Occupational Therapists, Social Workers and Adult Social Care Workers. 

They provide

• timely advice and information
• signposting
• provision of equipment of minor adaptations and; 
• triage of referrals received to adult social services, for adults with a physical/mental impairment

SPA is recognised as critical in the delivery of effective, time-sensitive services to the residents of North Somerset.

The SPA team take a strengths-based, proportionate approach to assessment. This is to actively enable choice and independence for North Somerset residents. A significant proportion of referrals are resolved at this point of contact. 

If the team are unable to resolve the needs identified, they will be passed on to the locality teams.

Where you will be working

This placement can include remote working if you have a suitable home environment. A significant proportion of the work is on the telephone, so you will develop excellent communication skills. It is ideally suited to non-driving students, as the work base is near public transport links.

We also offer face to face clinic-based assessments at the Equipment and Demonstration Centre. Here you will be able to explore the solutions we utilise and fine tune your assessment skills in a clinical environment. 

The HDAT Team consists of Social Workers, one Occupational Therapist, and Adult Care Support Workers. 

Staff on this team will:

• undertake Care Act, mental capacity, and best interest assessments. 
• identify eligible needs and produce care and support plans to ensure a person’s needs are met effectively 
• ensure people’s rights are maintained whilst working positively with family members, carers, and other professionals for the best outcomes
• work proactively in a strengths-based way to ensure people are also able to draw on their own abilities and support networks to ensure quality of life

We work with residents of North Somerset, who have ongoing social care needs and are:

• about to leave hospital after an in-patient stay and are ‘medically optimised’
• about to leave Discharge to Assess (D2A) service following a recent hospital discharge and are deemed ‘rehab complete’
• leaving reablement service following a recent hospital and D2A discharge and are at their maximum level of function.

HDAT also has a section 2 Early Intervention and Prevention offer. They provide advice and support to increase independence and reduce or delay the need for care and support services.

This is an exciting placement, working alongside the current Occupational Therapist to provide research and evidence for the value/potential of having an Occupational Therapist within a ‘generic role’.

The creative focus will have ‘occupation’ as the core value. Part of this role will also include an array of assessments to support a person to live a meaningful balanced lifestyle.

Locality teams consist of Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, and Adult Social Care Workers (ASCW). They are the more traditional social care roles.

There are two locality teams at North Somerset Council, which cover the geographical north and the south of the county. They are different teams but hold the same placement opportunities.

These teams receive their referrals from the Single Point of Access (SPA) team. These are then prioritised depending on the risks identified and whether it would be most appropriate for a registered Occupational Therapist or a non-registered ASCW to assess. 

More about the referrals

The referrals that the locality teams receive are broad and varied. They include difficulties completing daily activities living such as bathing or cooking. They may have trouble with or access into or around the property. This may result in a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) for a level access shower, stairlift or through floor lift, ramp or kitchen adaptations. 

We often receive referrals related to moving and handling, and will assess for equipment, to include hoists, slings and stand aids to assist both paid and unpaid carers. 

Other interventions could also include assessment of seating and posture, bathing equipment, and telecare to support an individual to remain in their home. 

The work in locality teams is extremely varied and no two days are the same. But every day you will learn how to problem solve with a strength based and holistic approach.

The occupational therapists in the locality teams are managed by senior occupational therapists who are always happy to provide advice, guidance and support when required.

This is a multi-disciplinary team of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Adult Social Care Workers, and TEC (Technology Enabled Care) Project Leads. 

The team works to implement and promote a “TEC first” approach to support. They provide therapy assessments to determine if TEC products are suitable in meeting or reducing a person’s care and support needs. This may include telephone advice regarding the assessment and provision of TEC products, as well as Reablement services. 

We understand how important placement capacity is. This is why we are working on developing new and unique opportunities through role-emerging placements. We hope they will be a learning experience where confident and proactive students thrive.

Occupational therapy is an underutilised resource. We believe student Occupational Therapists can bring their knowledge, skills and strengths into different areas. Your perspective can help us identify where we can do something new or differently.

In the past, we have offered role emerging placements in:

• TEC
• Care homes

In future, we are keen to explore potential placements and new models of working in

• Public Health
• Homelessness
• Leadership