Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
How to become an occupational therapist
Help people to live a more independent and fulfilling life with confidence by becoming an occupational therapist. You’ll work with patients whose quality of life is being impacted by physical limitations, providing them with the tools they need to manage their illness, condition and injury in a way that benefits their entire sense of health and wellbeing.
What is an occupational therapist?
An occupational therapist works with people across a wide range of ages and issues, helping them to regain independence through a process of assessment, advice, therapy, rehabilitation, education and adaptations. Taking a holistic approach, you won’t just support your patients with their physical limitations, but also with a view to their social, environmental and emotional needs too.
How do I become an occupational therapist?
If you want to become an occupational therapist, you’ll need to register with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) which requires qualifying from one of their approved undergraduate or postgraduate courses.
- Undergraduate degree – take an HCPC approved BSc in occupational therapy. These are usually three-year courses (four in Scotland), although there are some part-time four-year courses available too. Entry requirements are generally two or three A levels (or equivalent qualifications) in English, maths and a science subject
- Postgraduate training – if you already have a degree in a related field such as psychology, health science or biological science, you could undertake a postgraduate conversion course or if you also have some first-hand healthcare experience, you could take a masters in occupational therapy
What would I do as an occupational therapist?
An occupational therapist works alongside a range of other healthcare professionals in order to identify their patients’ specific needs, developing a support programme that’s devised to help them overcome their physical challenges and achieve a greater sense of independence and personal wellbeing.
Your role as an occupational therapist is essentially to empower people to recover their autonomy and manage more independently in their home and work environments in the face of illness, injury, medical conditions or mobility issues due to ageing. Using your in-depth knowledge of the patient, their problems and treatments, you’ll create bespoke plans to help them more easily accomplish their everyday requirements.
As an occupational therapist, you’ll work in both healthcare and community settings, and your average working day will include responsibilities such as:
- Assessing patients and building treatment programmes
- Evaluating the effectiveness of treatments
- Working with individuals to ensure treatments are realistically manageable
- Keeping records, report writing and other administrative tasks
- Organising referrals to complementary healthcare services and specialists
- Attending case meetings and organising support for patients and carers
- Collaborating with GPs, physiotherapists, social workers, teachers, employers and other services or people involved with the individual’s case
Becoming an occupational therapist could be for you if...
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You’re compassionate and caring
You’ll be dealing with patients who may be in pain, frustrated or upset, so you need to be able to show sensitivity, empathy, compassion and kindness.
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You’re a problem solver
You’ll need to identify the best treatment methods for each patient you work with, so you need have good problem-solving and practical skills that you can draw on even under pressure.
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You’re organised
You’ll be juggling several cases at a time and also supporting other professionals alongside your patients, so you need to be a meticulous and organised planner.
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You’re a strong communicator
From explaining treatments to encouraging patients to engage with them, and working with people from all backgrounds as well as key professionals, you need to be a confident and capable communicator.
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You’re patient and flexible
People engage, invest and progress at different rates, so patience is key. As is the ability to flex and adapt to changing patient requirements or new treatment techniques.
What are the typical working hours for an occupational therapist?
Most NHS occupational therapists work a standard 37.5 hour week, with occasional weekend and evening work where required.
For occupational therapists working in private practice, you’ll need to be willing to be flexible in order to fit in around your clients’ availability.
An occupational therapist’s salary varies, but here are some average ranges:
- £24,907 to £30,615 – average salary range for NHS occupational therapists
- £31,365 to £37,890 – for specialists
- £38,890 to £44,503 – for advanced level specialists
- £45,753 to £62,001 – for consultant occupational therapists
