Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons)

In year two you will explore the importance of evidence-informed practice in occupational therapy and should build on your understanding of the significant difference occupational therapists make in the quality of life of service users. You will further have the chance to develop your theoretical understanding and practical application of occupational therapy practice.

Modules

• Skills for Occupational Therapy Practice - 30 credits

  This module aims to build on your learning from year one to provide you with the opportunity to enhance your skills for occupational therapy practice. You will have the chance to continue to develop your therapeutic skills, professional identity and your therapeutic use of self which should enable you to be able to work with individuals, groups and communities across all sectors of health, social care and contemporary contexts following graduation. In addition, you will have the opportunity to broaden your understanding and application of a range of professional skills and reasoning in order to give you the opportunity to enhance person-centred practice.

  Compulsory

• Reasoning & Decision-Making in Occupational Therapy Practice - 20 credits

  This enquiry-based module aims to build on your previous learning to provide you with the opportunity to enhance the application of theory, reasoning and decision-making to all stages of the occupational therapy process. Case scenarios will be utilised to enable you the opportunity to identify and articulate the contribution of occupational therapists across the breadth of occupational therapy practice and service delivery and consider your professional values.

  Compulsory

• Developing Evidence Informed Practice - 10 credits

  This module aims to enable you to apply the theoretical knowledge, ethical principles and evidence informed skills that should have been developed in the Foundations of Evidence-Informed Practice module to clinical settings. You will explore how to design and justify your own empirical or literature-based study, relevant to occupational therapy and/or occupational science, with the chance to demonstrate the application of sound ethical reasoning. To achieve this, you will be introduced to a diverse range of approaches to research, reviews and audits (qualitative, quantitative and participatory) and relevant health and social care policy and legislation. This module aims to encourage you to explore how your profession specific core values and beliefs can complement those of other health and social care professions, drawing on differing research traditions.

  Compulsory

• Occupational Therapy Practice Placement 2 - 40 credits

  This 10-week practice-based module aims to enable you to build on the practice experience⁵ undertaken in your first year. This placement will provide an opportunity for you to continue your professional development in a new practice environment. You will have had the opportunity to reflect on knowledge and professional skills gained during your first placement and will be expected to demonstrate transference of these skills. The emphasis will be on clinical reasoning, reflective practice and the application of theory into practice. You will be required to demonstrate increased responsibility for evaluating your practice learning and professional development. Your learning process will be supported by a briefing and de-briefing.

  Compulsory

• Understanding Occupational Therapy’s Unique Contribution - 20 credits

  This module aims to consolidate your understanding of the unique contribution occupational therapists make in the maintenance and/or restoration of health and wellbeing of service users. This should enable you to clearly articulate the multifaceted nature of the profession considering both entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial opportunities. National and global political drivers relating to health and wellbeing will be explored and you will consider how these may influence professional identity and employability.

  Compulsory

In the final year you will be encouraged to look at how to prepare for entering the workplace as a qualified occupational therapist upon graduation (and registration with the HCPC). You will study leadership and management in an occupational therapy context and have the opportunity to choose from a range of option modules to study an aspect of occupational therapy of particular interest to you.

Modules

• Enhancing Employability as an Occupational Therapist - 20 credits

  This module aims to increase your confidence and competence throughout the recruitment process with particular attention to communication skills. On successful completion of this module, you should be equipped with the skills to pursue the career option of a graduate occupational therapist. The aim of this module is to give you the opportunity to appraise and critique your own employability skills and unique professional identity within the wider practice context.

  Compulsory

• Occupational Therapy Practice Placement 3 - 40 credits

  This 10-week practice-based module, will provide you with an opportunity to continue your professional development in a new practice environment. You will have had the opportunity to reflect on knowledge and professional skills gained during Level 4 and 5 placements⁵ and will be expected to demonstrate transference of these skills. The emphasis will be on clinical reasoning, reflective practice and the application of theory into practice. You will be required to demonstrate increased responsibility for evaluating your practice learning and professional development.

  Compulsory

• Evidence Based Research Project - 20 credits

  This module provides you with the opportunity to undertake an in-depth exploration in an area of professional interest. On successful completion of this module, you should have an enhanced understanding of the research process (either literature-based or empirical) and the potential of informing future practice following graduation.

  Compulsory

• Leadership & Management for Healthcare Professionals - 20 credits

  This module aims to support the development of the leadership behaviours and management skills required to function effectively by a newly qualified registered healthcare professional working within the multi-professional team in the delivery of high-quality care.

  Compulsory

• Optional Modules

  Choose ONE option module from the list below. These modules are designed to equip you to adapt occupational therapy practice in creative ways to address occupational challenges faced by diverse or marginalised populations. Each module aims to introduce you to the specialist skills, techniques and interventions employed by occupational therapists in their specialist fields:

  Occupational Therapy - Children, Young People and Families - 20 credits

  This module aims to equip you to adapt occupational therapy practice in creative ways to address occupational challenges faced by diverse or marginalised populations. It aims to extend your knowledge and understanding of child and adolescent development and enable evaluation of occupational therapy provision with children, young people and their families. It offers you the opportunity to deepen your understanding of the occupations, opportunities and challenges encountered by the developing young person and to explore and evaluate occupational therapy models, approaches and intervention techniques which best meet their needs. Within the module you will critically evaluate the contemporary and contextual issues for occupational therapy practice with children and young people to equip you with the knowledge and skills for their future employment.

  Occupational Therapy - Design for Living - 20 credits

  This module aims to equip you to adapt occupational therapy practice in creative ways to address occupational challenges faced by diverse or marginalised populations. The module aims to introduce you to the concept of ‘Design for Living’ that encompasses the design of accessible environments, products and equipment in the context of inclusive design. Specific issues around the design of the home and assistive technology will be included. Using an enquiry-based approach, emphasis is on the development of practical and problem-solving skills required for occupational therapists involved in the home design process. You will choose assistive technology solutions suitable for a range of individuals with a variety of occupational needs.

  Occupational Therapy - Hand Therapy and Orthotics - 20 credits

  This module aims to equip you to adapt occupational therapy practice in creative ways to address occupational challenges faced by diverse or marginalised populations. This module aims to introduce you to the specialist skills, techniques and interventions employed by occupational therapists in the field of hand therapy and orthotics. The module will address key areas of knowledge including anatomy and physiology, aetiology, assessment, interventions, principles and practice of static orthotics. It is a practical module aimed at developing clinical competencies and a critical approach to working in this speciality underpinned by theoretical knowledge.

  Occupational Therapy - Neurology - 20 credits

  This module aims to equip you to adapt occupational therapy practice in creative ways to address occupational challenges faced by diverse or marginalised populations. The module builds upon the foundation material provided by level one and two studies. It aims to extend your knowledge of those experiencing occupational performance deficits owing to a neurological condition and will include normal movement, disorders of motor control, cognition, perception, behaviour and central nervous system function and dysfunction. In addition, the module will provide theoretical background to practical experience. This module will expand upon the principles underpinning the approaches adopted by occupational therapists working with this service user group. The module will aim to contextualise the approaches in relation to the occupational challenges which a person with a neurological difficulty might present. The occupational performance components that will be considered are physical, psychological, cognitive, social and perceptual. The module will combine theoretical principles with practical application and critique of past and present research evidence.

  Occupational Therapy - Older People - 20 credits

  This module aims to equip you to adapt occupational therapy practice in creative ways to address occupational challenges faced by diverse or marginalised populations. It aims to extend your knowledge and understanding of the experience of ageing and enable evaluation of occupational therapy provision with older people. It offers you an opportunity to reflect on the opportunities and challenges associated with later life and to critically analyse the contribution of occupational therapy to the promotion and maintenance of wellbeing in older age.

  You will seek to develop an understanding of the social, political and cultural dimensions of working with this client group and how these may impact upon the provision of occupational therapy services. You will have opportunity to develop knowledge and therapeutic skills that may be used to help maximise independence and empowerment of older people.

  Occupational Therapy - Pulmonary Rehabilitation - 20 credits

  This module aims to equip you to adapt occupational therapy practice in creative ways to address occupational challenges faced by diverse or marginalised populations. This module will explore the challenges to occupational performance encountered by people who have long term respiratory conditions. You will also explore the role of occupational therapy working within a pulmonary rehabilitation programme. The module will introduce you to common respiratory conditions and examine how assessments, interventions and outcome measures are utilised in pulmonary rehabilitation programmes. Common interventions such as relaxation techniques and energy conservation strategies will be studied, you will investigate strategies to optimise occupational participation and performance for people with respiratory disease. You will apply this knowledge to develop and critique effective assessments and interventions for clients attending pulmonary rehabilitation services.

  Optional