Combat Stress helps to pioneer new UK occupational therapy network

21 January 2025

Combat Stress and Brunel University have collaborated to pioneer a new UK Occupational Therapy Community of Practice network in partnership with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOTS).

Occupational therapy plays a unique and vital role in the assessment, treatment and support of serving personnel, veterans and their families. To continue to meet the needs of these groups, Christie Alkin, Lead Clinical and Research Occupational Therapist at Combat Stress, worked with Lucy Wray, Doctoral Researcher at Brunel University, to establish the new network.

On 21 January 2025, representatives from RCOTS including Director of Practice Karin Orman visited Combat Stress to sign the Armed Forces Covenant to signify RCOTS commitment to recognising and addressing the needs of the Armed Forces community. Following this, members of the network met to connect, share, learn and educate each other about their varying roles within the military and former serving communities, to raise awareness of the occupational therapy needs and deliver outcomes to these groups.

This was an exciting and transformational event for occupational therapists across the UK who are all passionate and dedicated to bettering the lives of those who serve and have served in the Armed Forces.

Chloe Mackay, CEO of Combat Stress, said: "Occupational therapy plays a unique and vital role in the assessment, treatment and support of serving personnel, veterans and their families. So we were delighted to host the Royal College of Occupational Therapists in signing the Armed Forces Covenant to signify their commitment to recognising and addressing the needs of the Armed Forces community."

Christie Alkin, Lead Clinical and Research Occupational Therapist at Combat Stress, said: "It has been such a great recognition of occupational therapists to have the their governing body, RCOT, pledge their commitment to the Armed Forces community through the signing of the Armed Forces Covenant. There are so many dedicated occupational therapists with such a wide amount of knowledge who are passionate about spreading their work and skills with each other, and the wider occupational therapy workforce. Today is just the start of great things to come!"