Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration)

Taught modules

Compulsory modules

• Navigating professional identity and communication (10 credits)

  This module helps you prepare to be ready for commencing your role as occupational therapists professional learners in real-life service contexts. Also you'll have the opportunity to explore the principles of, and develop skills in:

  • communication
  • behaviour
  • ethics and reflective practice. 

  You'll get to to understand the foundations of the occupational therapy process for practice, and its alignment with supporting people as occupational beings.

• Developing Values Based Professional Practice (10 credits)

  You'll develop a critical understanding of your professional identity, helping you to progress a personalised way of being and relating in the health and social care environment. You'll learn about the delivery of effective health care, aligned with our governing bodies’ standards of practice, within a framework of client centeredness and teamwork. 

  Through evaluation and reflective opportunities, you'll take a deep exploration of the concepts of professional domains of concerns - more specifically:

  • codes of practice
  • standards of conduct
  • ethics
  • allyship
  • equality
  • diversity and inclusion.  

  You'll investigate the clinical reasoning process required to practice with sound judgement, honesty, openness and integrity, taking an academic critical approach. .

• Meaningful occupation and the human body (10 credits)

  This module will run at the same time as you're participating in a part time practice placement learning experience.

  This format provides you with opportunities for practical application of your learning that you've gained from the start of your course. You'll explore relationships between body structures and their functions and how these impact on humans’ ability to do the things they want and need to do, with or without assistive technology. You'll be introduced to a range of theoretical perspectives to support your ability to engage with graduate level analysis of factors that impact on human function, and to develop your skills of clinical decision making. 

• Applying Occupational Therapy Evidence (10 credits)

  This module will run at the same time as you're participating in a part time practice placement learning experience.
  
  You'll explore the research evidence that underpinns the centrality of the relationship between a person and their occupations and environments in support of meaningful occupation. Founded on pre-existing graduate research knowledge, you'll identify quality information, and be guided to demonstrate critical consideration of different forms of research, and you'll explore the ethical principles underlying evidence-based occupational therapy practice.

   

• Occupational Participation: Mind and Body (10 credits)

  You'll explore medical conditions and impairments impacting body structures and functions, and the importance of core occupational therapy skills in adapting activity in accordance with person/environment/occupation factors. You'll use a problem based learning approach, through teamwork and collaborative working you'll identify and share knowledge about health and social needs, and apply shared learning to case based scenarios and clinical triggers. 

   

• Occupational therapy process in practice (10 credits)

  You'll gain in-depth understanding of occupational therapy-specific theories and models, and you'll develop skills in using them to guide the implementation of a theoretically founded, professionally-reasoned occupational therapy process. 
  
  On this module you'll all discuss the centrality of cultural humility, diversity and planetary health to the delivery of occupational therapy services.

• Doing occupational therapy: Older adults (10 credits)

  You'll gain enhanced knowledge related to supporting the occupational participation of older adult populations. 
  
  And you'll apply your knowledge and understanding of relevant anatomy, physiology and pathology in relation to lifespan development theory. You'll explore the cultural and societal influences on the occupational participation of older adults. alongwith with factors informing the delivery of appropriate, sustainable and ethical occupational therapy services for this population group. You'll focus on theory-based professional practice, and explore a range of therapeutic approaches for working with this population group.

   

• Doing occupational therapy: Long term conditions (10 credits)

  Foster your skills for the development and delivery of theoretically-founded, client-centred occupational therapy for individuals with neurological or physical difficulties. 
  
  You'll demonstrate effective use of occupational therapy models, while critically evaluating appropriate frames of reference and therapeutic approaches when working with individuals with long term conditions.

• Doing occupational therapy: Mental health (10 credits)

  On this module you'll progress your skills for delivery of theoretically-founded, client-centred occupational therapy for individuals experiencing mental health challenges. 
  
  In relation to various mental illnesses, you'll consider body structures and functions, sensory processes, stress and trauma responses and their impact upon occupational participation. You'll be involved in group work and therapeutic use of self in relation to a critical application of relevant frames of reference and therapeutic approaches, while demonstrating consideration of the social determinants of health and wellbeing.

   

• Doing occupational therapy: Children, young people and families (10 credits)

  You'll gain enhanced knowledge related to supporting the occupational participation of paediatric populations, and interrogate the practical and ethical considerations related to balancing client-centredness with family-centredness. 
  
  Developing your knowledge and understanding of relevant anatomy, physiology and pathology in relation to early lifespan development theory. You'll explore the cultural and societal influences on the occupational participation of children and young people, along with with factors informing the delivery of appropriate, sustainable and ethical occupational therapy services for this population group.

• Occupational therapy for the global world (10 credits)

  On this module you'll gain an understanding of how occupational therapy professional philosophies change over time, and the influences of such changes on professional models, frames of reference and approaches. 
  
  You'll explore meaningful activities from the perspectives of people from different backgrounds, considering intersectionality, cultural drivers and environmental sustainability, and you'll interrogate their personal responsibilities towards the delivery of appropriate occupational therapy practice for all service users.

• Occupational Therapists as Leaders (10 credits)

  You'll focus on leadership and change management in health, social care and non-traditional settings. Building your understanding of your personal role as a leader, and how you can facilitate quality improvement for efficient and sustainable service delivery. You'll proactively develop and deliver evidence-based services in an evolving world.

• Occupational science: Advanced professional thinking (10 credits)

  Through analysis of occupational science concepts, you'll develop your understanding of how people engage in daily activities and the impact of these activities on their health and well-being. 
  
  You'll explore the social and cultural influences on occupation, using intersectionality to understand the challenges faced by individuals. This connects therapeutic occupation to improving health at individual, community, and global levels, while questioning assumptions about health and environment.

   

• Changing the status quo: Occupational therapists of the future (10 credits)

  Appraise the occupational therapist’s role for future practice in uncertain contexts, with consideration of the potential contribution of individual and group-based occupational therapy services. 
  
  The relationship between issues of occupational justice and human rights in relation to public policy will be analysed and you'll interrogate the contribution of occupational therapists as advocates within a global profession, in ever-changing, complex health, social care and non-traditional contexts.

   

• Occupational Therapy Dissertation (40 credits)

  The dissertation module will help you to gain experience in identifying appropriate practice-based research gaps, and implementing suitable strategies for addressing these. You'll have the opportunity to further progress your understanding of ethics and critical appraisal, and apply your learning related to a wide range of research methods and approaches. 
  
  You'll be able to demonstrate abilities of contextualisation of research findings in relation to the health and social care context in general, and occupational therapy practice in particular, with specific consideration of your personal obligations in this regard.

• Capstone project: Culmination, Integration and Reflection (10 credits)

  This module is submitted in the final semester of studies, however, it is launched to you during your first semester/first taught module. 
  
  This module bridges the gap between academic theory and professional practice, you'll take responsibility for developing a professional portfolio from the outset of your programme. During this semester, you'll have the opportunity to demonstrate high-level consolidation of all components of your learning in relation to your integrated professional identity, which will enable you to successfully deliver a role as future occupational therapist. 
  
  At this point you'll be aware of the ethical, professional and behavioural expectations of HCPC registered occupational therapists. Through consistent effort towards a long-term task with direct links to employability, you'll develop high level post-graduate skills related to integration and application of knowledge, portfolio building, project and time-management and communication techniques.