Duty / Screening Occupational Therapist: role or function?

For over a decade many changes have been made to the size and structure of Social Services long term OT teams as Local Authorities sought innovative ways to maintain services while reducing costs.
OT Duty /Screening work in Social Services is increasingly classed as an integral “function” of the team’s business with responsibility for manning “Duty” often divided between OT’s in the team, in addition to managing their existing case work.
The experiences of a remote working Duty / Screening OT in Adult Social Care will be discussed, as will an exploration of published research, the outcome of data collected and impact statements from team members to introduce the concept of the Social Services Duty / Screening OT role as an emerging specialist area of practice.

• To understand the scope of practice involved in a Duty/Screening OT role.
• For delegates to think about their own therapeutic worth, the value that brings to the public and to frontline practice.
• For delegates to feel empowered to dispute the notion that the Duty Occupational Therapist is merely a function within teams rather than a crucial and specialist frontline role when designing services of and for the future.