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CONTENTS

1. Routes to becoming an occupational therapist

2. Skills you’ll need

3. Finding work experience

4. How to get a job as an occupational therapist

5. What it's like to be an occupational therapist

Routes to becoming an occupational therapist

Occupational therapists support those recovering from illness, disability, trauma, and other ailments that affect daily life. They’re fundamental in delivering treatment that allows patients to build and maintain rich, independent lives.

To practice as an occupational therapist in the UK, you must register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You can do this once you’ve completed an HCPC-approved undergraduate course.

In an Occupational Therapy degree, you’ll be taught:

• Practical approaches to rehabilitation and treatment
• How to promote long-term health and well being
• Use of assistive equipment to aid patient recovery

There are course options at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Most involve a lot of practical learning in clinical settings, along with lectures and tutorials. A year abroad is an option for some courses.

Undergraduate degrees

There are plenty of Occupational Therapy degrees offered throughout the UK. Most take three years, but those with an integrated foundation year can take four years. Both take longer if you study part-time.

You’ll have access to a £5,000 bursary each year, provided by the NHS. This will help you pay your tuition fees and doesn’t need to be repaid.

To explore undergraduate degrees in more depth, our Occupational Therapy subject guide unpacks course entry requirements, what modules you can expect to study and how you’ll be assessed.

Degree apprenticeships

If you want to work while you study part-time towards a bachelor’s degree, then consider a degree apprenticeship. Courses are arranged by an employer in conjunction with universities.

You can find available apprenticeships via and . The employer and university will decide on entry requirements.

Note that you won’t be eligible for any grants or loans towards your tuition fees, because the degree is funded by your employer.

Postgraduate degrees

You may also take postgraduate certificates, diplomas and master’s in Occupational Therapy. They can take one or two years to complete. They’re often studied by students who want to get into research and teaching or wish to specialise in a certain field.

You can take a graduate-entry pre-registration course to become an occupational therapist if you haven’t studied Occupational Therapy. You’ll need a first degree in a related subject to be eligible.

Skills you’ll need

Successful occupational therapists share these key skills:

• Ability to analyse and observe how different factors can affect patients’ daily lives
• Extensive knowledge of human anatomy
• Interpersonal skills and an approachable manner
• Clear and confident communication
• Ability to break complex information down into simpler terms
• Time management and organisation

Finding work experience

It’s encouraged that you seek work experience before starting an Occupational Therapy degree. It’s not required for your application, but it’ll demonstrate your enthusiasm and eagerness to learn about the subject. Work experience is often needed for graduate roles, which you’ll be afforded through undergraduate clinical placements.

We recommend looking for work experience in the following ways:

• Help at any
• Shadow an occupational therapist
• Sit down and chat with an occupational therapist about their experience
• Work in a care home, retirement village, hospice, or disability centre
• Help in a local school or daycare centre
• Volunteer with charities such as St John Ambulance

Public, private, paid, or voluntary work are all equally valuable.

How to get a job as an occupational therapist

The common way is by gaining a qualification in Occupational Therapy – either at degree level or through a degree apprenticeship. Postgraduate conversion courses are available for those with a degree in a related area, such as Health Science or Psychology.

You’ll also need to register with the HCPC before practising professionally. Registration costs £49.06 and can take up to ten working days to process.

or are where you’ll find vacant roles but note that you’ll only be considered once your HCPC registration’s been approved.

You’ll want to be accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) to work overseas. Check whether your undergraduate course is approved by either.

What it's like to be an occupational therapist

As an occupational therapist, you could be working at an NHS or private hospital, GP clinic, a care home, a client’s home or a client’s business.

Day to day, you could be:

• Teaching patients how to adapt to life after illness, injury, or surgery
• Showing people with physical and learning disabilities how to live independently
• Helping the elderly remain in their own homes and adapting their environments
• Supporting someone with depression through new activities
• Finding fresh solutions and strategies to help patients meet their goals
• Recording patient or client progression
• Adapting offices so injured employees can go back to work
• Supporting families and carers

After qualifying you’ll have Continuing Professional Development (CPD) meetings, where you talk about your future career goals. You can become a member of organisations, such as the British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT), that provide specialist career support.

A working week is typically 37.5 hours, and you may have to work evenings and weekends. Salaries for occupational therapists are on the Agenda for Change system (the NHS staff grading and pay scale), usually on band 5. The NHS will give you access to generous pension schemes, holiday allowances and health service discounts.

Is a role as an occupational therapist right for you?

It can be an emotionally and physically demanding role, and you could be working with patients who have upsetting circumstances. However, you’ll be making an enormous difference in their lives, and the work can be extremely rewarding.