Where do I start when writing about self-management? Perhaps I could talk about how supporting people to self-manage is one of the core principles to occupational therapy practice? Perhaps I should start by explaining how we are, and always have been, a profession that prides itself on its person-centredness, an essential part to any self-management work. Ensuring we work with people to achieve their goals, or co-production, runs through an occupational therapist's veins after all. I could take some time to explore how truly co-productive we are in our practice. I could look at why self-management is so high up the national agenda for every country in the UK. Is it because this should have always been the focus in health and social care, or is its new focus being driven by financial necessity? Also, where do we position ourselves? We aren’t an infinite resource and need to think hard about where, as an occupational therapist, we position ourselves in a person’s self-management journey.
I’m in the fortunate position in my role, given I am involved in national groups, to get to hear about latest guidance and practice, and am involved in discussions that have, at their core, self-management. I see how occupational therapists are, or should be, involved in a variety of approaches; whether this be in self-care, social prescribing, the use of technology, health literacy or Asset Based Community Development. However, too often there are very few representations of the great work we do in a lot of these approaches.
At RCOT, we have pulled together a description of what self-management means for occupational therapists, to start the conversation. We cannot expect people to self-manage until they have the correct information, and as a profession we are in an ideal position to support people with more complex needs, or indeed mentor others in their approach. With our ability to analyse a person’s strengths alongside their daily challenges, we are ideally placed to assess people’s motivation and support behaviour change, enabling them to truly self-manage.
I invite you, the reader, to consider what your unique offer is as an occupational therapist. What do you do that is different to every other person that says their focus is on person centred care and supporting people to manage their own health and/or social care? If asked, and perhaps you are, how can you demonstrate that your self-management approach improves lives and saves money?
Prior to a Kings Fund event on social prescribing this year, I was asked by a member why occupational therapists weren’t involved, given this is a fundamental skill set that we have. I agree, and it is up to us to promote ourselves more around approaches like this. We do have some great examples of members working in this area, but we need more. On the more positive note, we are increasing the profile of the profession as evidenced in the work around the Improving lives, Saving Money campaign. In addition, you only need to look at another recent Kings Fund event to see how occupational therapists are innovating and pushing the boundaries of practice. In my travels around the UK, I know that this innovation and creative thinking isn’t unique. Having completed a number of regional roadshows recently, I have heard inspiring practice from members in a variety of areas demonstrating excellent self-management approaches.
So what next? It’s up to us to define what we do and position ourselves clearly as a profession. Let me know what your views are on this. As stated above, how do you demonstrate co-produced, self-management approaches in your practice and really pull out occupational therapists' unique contribution in this area? Let’s get the conversation started.
Continue the conversation with Paul: @PaulCooperOT / paul.cooper@rcot.co.uk