Curriculum Information

Students will develop and apply knowledge and skills to enable sustained occupational engagement and participation relevant to children and young people through adopting a framework of universal, targeted and specialist interventions. Throughout this module students will explore and reflect on their own role within an inter-professional/multi agency health and social care partnership, recognising the impact that this has on their intervention plans.

Occupation for children and young peoples’ health and wellbeing. The shifting landscape towards prevention, early intervention, and partnership approaches.

Students will have the opportunity to explore a variety of contexts in which occupational therapist work with the younger person including, wellbeing hubs, nurseries, schools, young offenders' units, charities, primary care, social services, social care, and their home etc.

Occupation engagement and disruption in the younger person will be explored, including self-care, education and work, structured/unstructured play and leisure, creativity, caring responsibilities etc.

Legislation, policies, and models/frameworks that inform practice will be used to contextualise contemporary occupational therapy practice for children and young people.

Different local, national, and global contexts will be explored to highlight occupational justice, equity of opportunity, legislative and policy influences, and international occupational therapy practice.

Building on Level 4, additional appropriate models of practice and assessment tools will be explored in relation to assessment of children and young people, from birth to adulthood. Each will be explored for validity, reliability, and an appreciation of how these inform the occupational therapy intervention process.
Example assessments:
Movement ABC 2
Perceived Efficacy and Goal setting system (PEGS)
Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP)
Sensory integration and praxis test
Participation and Environment Measure For Children and Youth (PEM-CY)

Key Frames of Reference that underpin occupational therapy intervention will be critiqued and utilised, where appropriate, to inform interventions.
These may include:
Cognitive-Behavioural
Biomechanical
Motor skill acquisition
Sensory integration
Neuro-developmental
Social Participation
Other Frames of Reference will be explored in the context of the case studies/triggers

The shift to health promotion and prevention, the need to target interventions to those at risk or already experiencing difficulties and providing specialist interventions will be explored, together with the need to take a partnership approach.

Adopting universal, targeted and specialist approaches to interventions, delivered in the most appropriate occupational context.

Key transitions in childhood and adolescence and how these impact on occupational performance – for example, nursery to school, parental influence.

Managing, supporting, empower and educating for children and young people, family, groups, and communities to ensure sustainable change.

Understanding of underpinning occupational science and human subsystems* that impact occupational engagement in children and young people.

Analysis and evaluation of interruptions to occupational engagement in childhood and adolescence will inform interventions.

Designing and implementing asset based, person-centred interventions to maximise occupational performance and meet goals of individuals, groups and communities in self-care, productivity, leisure, to enhance wellbeing. Providing the right intervention in the right place.

The use of appropriate digital technologies in interventions to enhance occupational engagement and promote wellbeing (e.g., online resources, support groups for families. Environmental controls etc.)

Environmental design to promote inclusivity.

Safeguarding in the context of childhood and adolescence. Gaining consent in the context of younger people.

Working in multiagency partnerships to promote an inclusive environment to support access to education, society, mainstream and specialist services and community resources.

Planning and running group sessions to meet the identified needs of a population of children and adolescents.

Developing group work skills, communication, and reflection on the therapeutic use of self.

Evaluation and measuring outcomes of intervention, for example:
Therapy Outcome Measures (TOMS)
Canadian Occupational Outcome Measure
Recovery Star
Social Services and Wellbeing Care and Support Plan 10-point Scale
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
Evidence-based practice and the development of clinical reasoning skills based on this evidence will be developed throughout, through engagement with triggers/Case Scenarios.

* Human subsystems examples: -
Mental health disorders (eating disorders, phobias), development co-ordination disorders, sensory disorders, special educational needs and learning disabilities, and physical health conditions (cystic fibrosis, juvenile arthritis) together with co-morbidities.