Course summary

Overview Choose to study Occupational Therapy and you’ll be taking the first step towards an exciting and rewarding profession that focuses on developing extraordinary partnerships with people and making lasting, positive changes to their lives by empowering them to reach their maximum potential. By entering onto our three-year course, you will develop the skills and attributes required to help people to address their difficulties. Occupational therapists play a critical role in helping people of all ages to overcome challenges caused by illness, ageing or an accident, so that they can continue with the occupations that are important to them. As well as giving you a solid and varied academic grounding, our programme will provide you with early patient contact and access to superb facilities, including our anatomy room and assistive technology suite. These will help you develop the practical skills which will prove vital to making your career a success. About This Course As a qualified Occupational Therapist (OT), you’ll need to work in close collaboration with other health and social care professionals, which is why our programme has a strong inter-professional focus, embodying the principles that facilitate effective teamwork. You’ll develop a professional identity of your own, while gaining a greater awareness of the roles and responsibilities of all partners in health and social care. Throughout the course, you’ll share modules with physiotherapy and speech and language therapy students. And you’ll take part in small teaching groups, allowing you to get involved with a close-knit student body and supportive learning culture. Hands-on practice is vital, so you will have practice placement experiences in every year of your courses with us. We ensure you get a varied experience with a mixture of both physical and mental health placements. Our three-year course, which is fully approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) ensures you are:

• Able to practice autonomously, using your knowledge and skills to make complex decisions in practice

• A lifelong learner, capable of using reflective practice within a framework of continuing professional development

• An active research consumer, basing your practice on high-quality research evidence, and able to contribute towards the culture of enquiry within the profession

• Flexible, innovative and responsive to change, able to manage yourself and others within shifting contexts of health, social care and education, enhancing service development while ensuring quality and productivity

• Able to work safely and effectively within your scope of practice, understanding the impact of culture, equality and diversity so you act in the best interests of service users at all times

• Proactive in leadership and the management of others

• A skilled team member, operating effectively within interdisciplinary and multi-agency environments