The Days Of Clapping Have Passed……….

As we all bask in the pleasure and warmth of being able to finally sit inside a local cafe or pub again I’ve been reflecting on the impact the last years had on me personally and I’ve noticed a few things that are holding me back from fully embracing the bliss that should come with the mere thought of normal life returning.

Firstly, my 10-year-old daughter normally loves a party, but at the moment she’s noticeably worried about the prospect of going to her best friend’s party next week, seemingly because it involves a gathering in public places, potential social anxiety and a sleep over. I’m sure she’ll embrace the fun when she’s there, but 18 months ago these were the things that made her bounce about like an over excited Tigger. Maybe she’s getting older and wiser, but maybe it’s a reflection of how many of us are feeling after a year of hibernation and isolation, a time during which the world hasn’t made a whole lot of sense?

My oldest daughter is also fast approaching her GCSE’s, but what job prospects does her generation have to look forward to and what competition is she going to face when stepping out to forge her career path? She has the resilience, strength and energy of youth to drive her forward, and I’m sure these will serve her well, but will enough of us be able to create the opportunities for her, and future generations to be nurtured, grow and flourish within? I believe we can as enough of us care about their future, but we’ll need to find our own resilience, strength and energy to make sure we do.

Professionally, I’ve lost count of the number of people who have said to me “I’ve not really been out of my house much for the past year”. This is a daily event when it comes to client’s I’m visiting and a big step on from the “What are you doing this weekend” – “Nothing” conversations that we’re all bored of. It must be scary and, for many, very hard to see a way out from this period. It feels to me like a time when kindness and acceptance will be everything.

But the time when neighbours stood outside clapping, for key workers and each other, has passed, and in the world of social care I’ve noticed a growing sense of this being replaced by a time of anger and frustrated shouts. I get why, people are desperate to emerge from hibernation and improve their quality of life once again, after all they’re only asking for the help they’ve needed for months to enable them to do the simple stuff again, like showering more easily without help and the risk of falling over or being able to get upstairs to bed again without feeling as if their lungs will explode. After months of waiting patiently, they eventually get a big, hairy lump of an Occupational Therapist like me telling them all about longer waiting times and further delays. I do get the overwhelming sense of frustration, and the fact that the system must improve and that these things shouldn’t be accepted, but I’m also noticing that some of the kindness we felt towards each other just a few months ago is starting to evaporate already. These systems aren’t our fault, but I believe OTs often feel professionally responsible and accountable for the failings of the multiverse we work within and, unless we’re careful, that can quickly become exhausting.

Waiting lists seem to be stretched again (both for assessments and major adaptations) and many community support services remain closed. Social prescribing routes feel limited in the palpable support they can currently offer. DFG pots appear healthy but equipment and staffing budgets less so, with further cuts at some point round the corner feeling likely. Community services are now under the increasing pressure that the NHS has just been supported through and these pressures are surely only going to increase?

...for myself, I’m still feeling professional and personal Covid fatigue and I’m sure I’m not alone. I’ve not had a year of shielding or illness, but it’s been one of continual effort trying to keep HMS social services afloat and to help sail her through what will hopefully be the worst storm of our lifetime.

This isn’t a cry for help though, and it’s not meant to be anything other than a reflection of things I’m currently aware of as we take our next steps forward, there is so much for us to be excited about now and my eyes are open to the huge potential I can see through the window of opportunity that is opening up again for us all.

So, what’s the point of reflecting like this if we don’t do something to improve the situation right……I’m committing to the following and I hope you all keep me accountable to these promises.

Inclusion.Me Manifesto 2021:

·      Inclusion.Me commit to create opportunity for future generations within the communities we serve: we have already utilised the governments apprenticeship scheme and we will create at least 2 Kickstart roles in the coming months. We commit to pay it forward and empower others through job, and in turn wealth, creation, and social mobilisation wherever we can.

·      Inclusion.Me commit to forge stronger relationships with partner charities, with our goal being to offer a percentage of free and/or affordable Occupational Therapy services for those who are unable to afford the option of bypassing statutory services.

·      Inline with our vision to be a centre for excellence, Inclusion.Me commit to create at least 3 white paper documents annually to help lead our profession.

·      Inclusion.Me will offer our therapists a wide range of training opportunities and support, especially in relation to working as an independent practitioner and to empower every OT with the necessary marketing and business acumen to enable them to demonstrate to their own networks and communities the amazing work they do daily; supporting each individual, and in turn the profession, to grow and develop as a result.

·      Inclusion.Me commit to offer a variety of flexible employment opportunities to support and enable our therapists to achieve and maintain a quality of life and financial income which reflects their personal and professional aspirations and requirements.

·      Inclusion.Me commit to promote the importance of diversity and inclusion at every level of our organisation and in the services that we offer within the communities we serve.

·      Inclusion.Me commit to demonstrating the true value of our services to those we work for, we will commission an independent Social Return On Investment report as part of every tender submission and new project we take on.

My Personal Manifesto 2021:

·      Personally, I commit to being a better Father and husband, to make more time for those I love and to expect less in return. My family are a fundamental reason why I work, and they deserve more of my time, attention, and energy.

·      I commit to being more realistic regarding the impact I can make within the elements of life and work that are outside of my locus of control.

·      I commit to leading and implementing change and working on my business, rather than in it. To being a better boss and the best OT I can be. I also commit to creating opportunity and change for others.

·      I will be more active, mindful, and present in the moment. I will unglue the phone from my hand/face after 6pm every evening and I won’t take work calls at weekends or evenings.

Does any of this resonate with you? Are you an OT looking for a fresh start, new challenge or some more regular work? Maybe you know an OT who is?

If you would like to support us/me and be a part of our vision moving forwards, then please consider joining our team. We’d love to hear from you - we’re going to need an army of like-minded OTs to help us make a difference. Please email me today, we can have a chat and then we can start to make a difference together:

[email protected]