Your comments: 13 April 2016

An article titled Mass movement described the developments of the Oxleas NHS Trust’s paediatric therapy service in using the Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE) Programme (page 24, 21 October 2105).

 

The children’s therapy team, based at Goldie Leigh and featured in this article, have become the first therapy service in England to be awarded the MOVE quality mark. This quality assurance assessment covers 10 criteria on delivering of a high-quality, family-centred service working collaboratively with other agencies through the MOVE programme, ensuring this level of integration is available to children across the London borough of Greenwich, irrespective of whether they are based in special or mainstream education. 

 

This award is normally awarded to schools with therapists supporting the service. The Goldie Leigh team has taken a more proactive approach, introducing it to local schools. The award was presented by Sophie Levitt, a CSP fellow at an event last month. 

 

I read with interest the article promoting opportunities for physiotherapists to pursue joint roles as clinicians and researchers. It highlighted, in particular, the opportunities in the Health Education England/National Institute for Health Research (HEE/NIHR) Integrated Clinical Academic schemes (3 February, page 30). 

 

I completed my part-time PhD while maintaining part-time clinical duties in July 2014. Last year, I applied for an HEE/NIHR clinical lectureship and found out earlier this year that I have been successful. I am delighted by this news and am preparing for my start date in June. I am excited to help raise the number of NIHR-supported physios (an issue highlighted by Nadine Foster in the Frontline article). 

 

The support of my NHS managers has been crucial, together with support from my research and development department and excellent mentorship from my higher education institutes. 

 

 

Having recently returned from my first national group of regional stewards meeting, following my appointment as North London regional steward last November, I wanted to share my thoughts. 

It was so nice to be among such a supportive, energetic, proactive group of stewards who welcomed me with open arms to the group. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet with other stewards to discuss the difficulties members are experiencing in our regions and to develop strategies to take these issues forward, alongside hearing the success stories. 

 

It was also great to work with CSP staff in developing the future work of the CSP by focusing on the issues that are most pressing for our members.

 

The regional stewards are campaigning actively on a range of issues.

 

I encourage all reps to utilise their regional steward as a key link between their members and the CSP.