With over 35 years’ experience as an occupational therapist, Linda has been a clinician, operational manager, occupational therapy lead and director for AHPs. She has developed, supported, led and managed teams of allied health professionals, nurses and acute hospital staff as well as teams in strategy and development, communications and marketing, patient and public experience, human resources and staff and partner engagement. Within the NHS she developed and implemented an in-house charity to provide social return to local community groups focused on improving health and wellbeing.
Her experience has helped her develop into an occupational therapist with an extensive understanding of the ‘business’ of health and social care, a head that can ‘do numbers’, a passion for people and a skill for service development. However, the most important things remain our focus on services for our clients, maintaining our focus as occupational therapists and developing our services and profession.
To make our mark, we initially need to understand the environment and motivations of the people who will fund our services and need our outcomes. Linda can help people consider the skills and services they are delivering, the environments they operate in, and the development of their independent practice or statutory services. She can help people work on marketing and communications from an occupational therapy perspective, develop business cases, describe clinical and economic impact and social return, and consider their own strengths and contributions.
Linda’s background has mainly been in mental health, but she has also worked in community and acute. She has recently completed some further training in Job Demands Analysis and Functional Capacity Evaluation and has started some clinical work in vocational assessment and rehabilitation.
As an independent occupational therapist, she provides advice, consultancy support, mentoring, business development coaching, project management, service review and economic analysis. She runs workshops on business development and has recently developed and run a successful workshop for the RCOT Specialist Section for Independent Practice. She is a guest lecturer at Salford University on their module on emerging areas of practice and health economics for occupational therapists.
She is currently chair of the English Board of Occupational Therapists, a member and vice-chair of the Council of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and a member of RCOT audit committee. She is a board trustee for a local stroke charity and a dementia champion. As an associate, she provides advice to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
2 comments
Hello Linda,
My name is Gemma Taylor and I’m looking for a combination of what you offer OT’s above. Currently in private practice since January this year. My background is with a wide variety of complex child and adolescent mental health services and roles not always associated with OT but where I certainly made good use of my OT skills.
Have made many networking /potential business contacts with the exact clientele I wish to work with and know there is a demand for the types of services I offer, but struggling to package in a ‘non-overwhelming way’ and simple way. Also some difficulties with pricing.
At this precise moment, I’m refining my services based on the feedback I have received and working all hours I possibly can to make this the success I’m positive it can be.
I want to pursue some additional training and personal development but would appreciate some discussion about this with an OT experienced in the area of supervision, coaching, and business, plus someone who understands a service primarily for children and young people exsperienceing challenges associated with their cognitive, physical or psychosocial functioning, directly influencing their mental health and wellbeing… or visa versa.. a primary mental health diagnosis affecting function and ability to engage in ADL’s.
I would love to understand a little more about the support you could offer me personally and hope to speak soon.
Kind regards,
Gemma Taylor.
Hi Linda,
My name is Debbie and it’s just possible that you could be the ‘Angel’ I’m searching for, at this point in my OT journey, to guide and support me in my new business venture. I’m led to believe is that this idea is outside of the normal boundaries of OT practice.
In brief, I’ve worked within NHS mental health services for nine teen years, which has provided me with various opportunities to develop skills in sensory awareness and psychology, alongside my OT core skills. Around thirteen years ago I stopped smoking and attribute this largely to my understanding of smoking behaviour as an occupation, that has value and meaning for smokers; whilst also appreciating the significance of the sensory and psychological aspects, that create a smokers perception of this behaviour. Which from experience I know to be a ‘flawed’ perception, which once understood enables you to ‘stop’ rather than ‘give up,’ which is a totally different experience.
I’ve created a model and terminology to support and explain my understanding of this behaviour/occupation to work with others, and I am now embracing a new path in my journey with this, after leaving my NHS post recently.
This all came about a few years ago now, when a member of our family was facing her second battle with cancer, she won thankfully. She asked me how I did it, and it all started from there.
If you’re interested in knowing more Linda it’d be great to hear from you.
Many Thanks for your time
Warmest Wishes
Debbie