Occupational Therapy (Pre-Reg)

With an increase in patients with long-term and complex health needs, alternative treatment pathways are essential.

As an occupational therapist, you could work with people of all ages. This often includes those living with mental health conditions, or physical or learning disabilities. You’ll assess their strengths and challenges and look at modifications in the home, school or workplace.

You could work in health services, social care services, housing, education and voluntary organisations.

Many occupational therapists practice independently too and may work alongside emergency services, or psychiatric services.

Graduation doesn’t have to be the end of your time with us. You could continue your academic career with a PhD programme at ARU. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and save £400 on your fees.

We want you to be a step ahead when you graduate, so we offer:

• courses designed with employers
• tutors with professional industry knowledge
• hands-on learning which may include industry-led projects, placements or Professional Experience modules.

Alongside your course, there are lots of other opportunities to build your skills and experience:

• add value to your CV with an ARU Certificate of Professional Development
• get involved in a thriving volunteering programme
• develop your brilliant business ideas
• work with businesses to make a social impact.

We’re here to help you develop your CV and find that all-important role after graduation. Our Employability Service offers tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, help to complete job applications, and much more. You’ll have 24/7 access to an online Careers Centre too, which is packed with useful resources.

The support continues after you graduate, with lifelong access to our Alumni Career Centre.

Find out more about careers support at ARU.

To qualify as an occupational therapist, you’ll spend a minimum of 1,000 hours in practice or in a practice simulated environment.

Placements and simulations are a rich learning experience that support your classroom learning.

You’ll work with service users, under supervision, and develop your clinical and professional skills.

Placement blocks
We work with community and hospital services across the East of England.

You’ll usually have five different, full-time ‘block’ placements. They take place in both physical and mental health settings.

Physical health settings may include hospital wards or community settings, working in a person’s home.

A placement with a local authority working in social care would offer the opportunity to assess and provide specialist equipment to support independent living. You’ll see people in their own homes and learn about major adaptions to a house.

Mental health settings may be in a community or clinic setting. Placements may cover specialist areas such as working with children and young people or in a forensic setting.

You’ll have the opportunity to work with a variety of service users, such as older people in community hospitals, children and young people, and people with learning disabilities. You may also experience a placement in a non-traditional area, which could be a not-for-profit organisation.

Placements start from the last trimester in Year 1 and continue across Year 2.

How much time will I spend on placement?
Placements are generally structured on 37.5 hours per week, however, your working patterns may vary. They may include overnight and weekend shifts, as well as virtual and simulated placements.

Placement locations and travel
We work with community and hospital placement providers across the East of England.

Cambridge:

• Addenbrooke's Cambridge University Hospital
• Peterborough City Hospital
• Cambridge Community Services
• Cambridge and Peterborough Foundation Trust
• Private practice
• Simulated/virtual placement

Chelmsford:

• Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust
• Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
• Colchester Hospital
• Provide
• Private practice
• Simulated/virtual placement

It’s worth considering how you might travel to placements and manage the cost involved. You'll be responsible for funding travel to all of your placements, but can apply for a non-repayable training grant to cover day-to-day expenses like travel and other living costs. Your placement team will try to arrange placements near your term-time address but please note this can’t be guaranteed.

Supervision
Placements are supported by a Practice Assessment Document (PAD), completed by you and reviewed by your supervising clinician. You’re assessed on your practical competence, qualities and professional behaviour.

We use a variety of summative assessments to ensure you're able to integrate your theoretical and practical knowledge with relevant contextual understanding.

Assessment types for this course include: MCQ, short answer and SBA exams; practical clinical examinations (OSCE); critical writing; presentations; patchwork text; reflective writing; and Placement Assessment Documents (PAD).