South and South West CAMHS OT group
October 2007 report
Hi all
Our study day, held on Friday, 12th October, proved to be another inspiring and thought provoking event. It was organised by our Specialist Section Children, Young People and Families, South and South West CAMHS Network.
The event was held at our familiar setting in Bath and, as ever, the specialist knowledge of our presenters didn't fail to impress. We had a range of presentations including:
- An introduction to Sensory Integration Dysfunction - Emotions, Behaviours, Social Skills and Attachment Patterns. This eye opening presentation really bought to light the issue of differential diagnosis and got us all thinking about our own caseloads with a sensory slant.
- Case study presentation of a young girl seen in CAMHS with Benign Intracranial Hypertension. This case study gave an insightful glimpse into the methods used, and challenges faced, with this young lady and again recognised the possibility of differential diagnosis.
- We had an informative overview of the OT Psychological Assessment of Learning (OT PAL) and its use by OT’s within the school setting. The assessment is said to have provided structure to assessments in schools and enabled school assessment to be more OT specific.
- We also had feedback from a group for Young People with Tourette Syndrome. The refreshing, informal set up of the group left us all questioning and reflecting on our own practice and encouraged us to look outside the box.
We had feed back from the NEC and regional reps, and even managed to squeeze in our popular resource share and help slot. We send out a massive Thank You to those who presented and attended, making it a great networking opportunity!
Our next event is on Friday 7th March 2008 at The Forum in Bath. For more information contact Gemma Abitabile on 07789926415 or email me at gemma.abitabile@oxfordshire.gov.uk and I will keep you posted!
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Gemma Abitabile
Chair of Specialist Section Children, Young People and Families, South and South West CAMHS Network
Support and Networking
The South and South West group has been meeting for over 10 years to offer support and networking to the Occupational Therapists in this region. It is a lively group with a rich mix of Occupational Therapists working in a number of specialties within the CAMHS field including community clinics, adolescent units, social services, eating disorder units, Sure Start and more recently Primary Care. There is a broad range of experience within the group so whatever your area of work there will be something on offer for you and something you can contribute to the group. We always welcome student attendees at a reduced rate.
Who is on the planning committee?
The committee has just changed and we have a new chair
Gemma Abitabile (chair)
Tim Burnham (treasurer)
Anna Binnie Dawson
Naomi Whitty
Fran Lewis
Becky Moore
Louise Nicholl
What regions does the group cover?
'We welcome members from any region but our regular attendees are from -
- Severn
- The South West
- Pan Avon
- Wessex
- Oxford'
How many people are in the group?
'We have a membership of about 40 however attendance can be anything between 15 and 30.'
How do I contact the group?
'The current chair is Gemma Abitabile - gemma.abitabile@oxfordshire.gov.uk'
Do I have to be a member of the COT Specialist Section - Children, Young People and Families?
'Yes, however people can attend for an increased fee if they are non members.'
Where and how often do you meet?
'We have been meeting in Bath as it is central and good for rail connections. We are flexible and have met in other locations when members have expressed a wish to change the venue. We meet 3 times a year including a 2 day study event.'
Who are the speakers?
'The group has always encouraged members to present at the meetings. In more recent years the presentations have become more evidence based and given individuals the opportunity to practice their presentation skills or present research, evaluations, dissertations and new developments. We have had three 2 day study events where on occasion we have had speakers from outside the group. The study days have naturally formed around themes such as parenting. We have also included a small slot for developing confidence in research and pulling together ideas for research proposals.'
How much does it cost to go to the meetings?
'We have to make a nominal charge 9about £10) for the hire of a central location in Bath providing teas and coffees. We have met on hospital premises in the past but these are no longer available centrally, increasing travel cost for attendees and parking is very difficult. We therefore aim to be close to the railway station and town.'
How are the meetings structured?
'The meetings generally start at about 10 and finish by 4 to allow time for travel. There is usually a selection of presentations from members within the group about clinical and practice issues. We have resource share where attendees can share resources including courses, books, websites etc and a 'help slot' where members can use each other's expertise and experience to assist with practice issues.
Lunch time is seen as a valuable time for networking. We have a business agenda where there is feedback from the regional groups, the NEC and any other business.'
What subjects have been covered in the past?
How do I find out more?
'We are hoping that the website will be a source of information for people who are interested in attending. However you can also contact Gemma if you want to be included on a circulation list for future events.'
