Influencing Policy and Legislation: Spin or Evidence?

Introduction: The College of Occupational Therapists (COT) over the last 10 years has been engaged in influencing policy and legislation (Great Britain. Parliament 2014), and key stakeholders to raise the profile of... [ view full abstract ]

Introduction:
The College of Occupational Therapists (COT) over the last 10 years has been engaged in influencing policy and legislation (Great Britain. Parliament 2014), and key stakeholders to raise the profile of occupational therapy to demonstrate the value of occupational therapy to service users and their carers.
COT has had some success and employed a number of ways in which to influence using facts, evidence and spin with the result that occupational therapists has been named in legislation and a higher profile in governmental policies across the UK.
Description
This presentation seeks to explore the numbers of ways in which occupational therapy professional bodies can: develop products to assist influencing locally, lobbying at a governmental level, and how engagement early on within governmental policy groups can raise the profile of occupational therapy and services delivered.
Application to practice:
COT has developed occupational therapy evidence fact sheets in 20 areas of practice that include cost benefits of occupational therapy interventions (COT 2015), which has helped occupational therapists to influence service delivery locally. Occupational therapist being named in legislation has had an impact on their profile, delivery of services and workforce commissioning.
Outcomes:
This presentation will seek to look at some of the positive outcomes achieved across the UK. It will demonstrate how spin and evidence both have their place with examples of influencing gains for occupational therapy and their service users and carers. It is hoped that participants will leave with a better understanding of how to influence.