Student Placement Profile

Occupational Therapy –Oakdene

Service / Adult Mental Health
Location(s) / Oakdene, 1 Oakdene Rd
Key contact details / Kathryn Wealthy (band 6 OT)

Lee Allen (band 5 OT)

02392 682500
Description of Service / Oakdene is a 15 bedded Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation and Recovery Unit situated adjacent to St James’ Hospital which provides rehabilitation for people who are recovering from an acute or long term episode of mental ill health. Nursing Staff and Health Care Support Workers are available 24 hours, 7 days a week.One part time Band 6 OT and three band 5 OTs are integrated into this team and provide a 7 day a week service. The ward has a part time Activity Co-ordinator, who facilitates aspects of the therapeutic programme.
Oakdene benefits from a self contained Assessment Flat within the unit. The flat contains a bed, en-suite and cooking facilities andprovides an opportunity to practice and build upon existing skills or develop new skills in readiness for discharge. The assessment process helps to highlight potential accommodation and support needs, and informs housing applications.
Other areas of interest and related experience available / The OT team links with the Recovery Teams via a Band 5 support network. OTs across Residential Services link in to share best practice and pursue service development projects. The OT service is occupationally focused. The Model of Human Occupation is used to guide practice. Alongside this, there is a strong emphasis on Recovery, with OTs facilitating Recovery Workshops to help service users build their knowledge and skills to enhance their Recovery. The OT Team oversees and coordinates the therapeutic programme, delivering some aspects and supporting MDT members where necessary.
Work/Shift pattern / Seven days a week, 07:00-21:30 (emphasis for students on weekday working).
Dress/Uniform code / OT uniform: green trousers, white polo shirt or tunic, flat, black, leather shoes.
Staff room / Rest Room facilities / Small kitchen and staff rest room on the unit. Meals are not provided. Café area and staff dining room in the main hospital.
Library / IT Resources / Small resource cupboard on the unit.
Access to IT facilities will be arranged.
Induction / Orientation Programmes
Welcome Folder / Induction/student folder. Student induction form completed on the first day.
Student Tutorial / Seminar Programme (if available) / As per student request. Can link in with AMH band 5 meetings during placement.
Prior recommended reading / websites / resources / Dependent upon experience and to be discussed before placement with supervisor.
Common assessments / interventions / procedures / treatments / evaluations / MOHO assessments including MOHOST, VQ, ACIS, OSA
AMPS, ESI.
Functional assessments and home visits are used to assess skills in activities of daily living.
Informal assessments used to determine interests.
Interventions are based on identified needs and an individual therapeutic programme will be designed based on individual Recovery goals. Interventions include supporting development of skills and confidence in activities of daily living, increasing service user’s social inclusion (such as development of new hobbies and interests, increasing social network and the pursuit of educational/vocational goals), increasing self-management skills such as managing symptoms of anxiety, improving sleep hygiene, budgeting, developing confidence in social interactions, managing roles and responsibilities effectively.
MOHOST is used as an outcome measure and progress is measured using service users’ own identified rehabilitation and recovery goals.
Common conditions seen / Schizophrenia
Anxiety
Personality disorder
Depressive illnesses
Specific areas of expertise/clinical skills which students can observe / learn from / Practice / AMPS
ESI
MOHO assessments
Occupationally focussed practice.
List of inter-professional learning opportunities available during placement / OTs work as part of an integrated team so will be working alongside members of the MDT each day. It is common for nursing students to be on placement at similar times and this has proved beneficial for inter-professional learning.
Our expectations of learners whilst on this placement / **Please ensure that you make contact with your placement area and your mentor prior to the start of your placement
What our students had to say / Most of our students say they feel well supported on placement, and welcomed by the MDT and service user group. Students find there are lots of opportunities to get involved in all aspects of the OT process, opportunities to work autonomously dependent upon skills and experience, and opportunities to suggest new initiatives/interventions. Students often say the placements has gone so quickly and they would recommend the learning experience to their peers.