![\"Montage](\"https:\/\/specialeff-d2p02.sites.urbanelement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/OT-montage.jpg\")
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If you\u2019re an occupational therapist looking for an exciting variety of work across a wide range of conditions and settings – and a chance to make a huge positive difference through long-term contact with service users – then a role as an OT with SpecialEffect could be a game-changer.<\/strong><\/p>\n That\u2019s the view of Gillian, Liz and Nomi, three of the OTs with our specialist assessment teams. They\u2019re the heart of our mission to raise the quality of life for people with physical challenges right across the world through the innovative use of technology.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether we\u2019re working with eye gaze computers in intensive care units or helping people in their own homes to play video games to the best of their abilities, the aim is the same; to enhance function, well-being and quality of life,\u201d said Gillian.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re known for our specialism with video games, but you don\u2019t have to be a gamer to thrive as part of the team here as we\u2019ve always been involved in a range of other long-term projects.\u201d<\/p>\n Gillian\u2019s part of our StarGaze<\/a> assessment team, who introduce eye-gaze technology to bring communication, independence and hope for people in intensive care units following a severe injury or illness. She appreciates that the SpecialEffect OTs are able to provide long-term client support with the time and resources to back it up.<\/p>\n \u201cOT roles here offer a great opportunity to gain experience over a wide variety of clinical settings,\u201d she said. \u201cOur StarGaze work often starts in Intensive Care or High Dependency Units and involves working with patients with acute life-changing conditions such as stroke, trauma and neurological syndromes. We work in close partnership with many other health professionals, both in the early stages and as the patients move on through rehab.\u201d<\/p>\n The StarGaze team is well-received and valued by the healthcare staff. There\u2019s often welcome surprise, firstly that patients are getting an opportunity to benefit from technology that staff haven\u2019t necessarily had the opportunity to see or learn about, and secondly at the lifelong level of follow-up support that we\u2019re able to offer.<\/p>\n That lifelong promise also extends to people who we help through our video game access service<\/a>, a point emphasised by Nomi, who has spent over seven years at the charity helping people to enjoy games to the best of their abilities.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really rewarding to be able to spend time getting to know people, sometimes over several years, building a deep understanding of their abilities and needs as they change,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always loved gaming since I was little so when I saw a job which combined my love of gaming with my career in occupational therapy, I jumped at the chance. It\u2019s hugely uplifting to help people of all ages and abilities to do something both they and I love.\u201d<\/p>\n She can understand how many newly qualified OTs might be reluctant to specialise early or see such a role as a divergence from a career in primary care. And the prospect of being thrown into the deep end with unfamiliar high-tech equipment might also appear daunting.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s not an issue here at SpecialEffect,\u201d said Nomi. \u201cWhatever OT role you take on here, the team and the environment are incredibly supportive in helping you learn on the job. You\u2019re constantly learning about cutting edge technology – like voice-controlled gaming for example – and how to apply your skills as an OT to make it work to best effect. There\u2019s no sense of being left to manage on your own.\u201d<\/p>\n Nomi believes that charities like SpecialEffect have an important role to play in making leisure activities like video games more inclusive. \u201cLockdown has shown how important gaming can be in so many ways, including socialisation, quality of life and mental health. Its popularity is only going to increase, so there\u2019s always going to be growing need for OT expertise if it\u2019s going to be truly accessible to as many people with disabilities as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The charity always works directly with people who need support, ensuring that the process is client-led throughout. Pre-pandemic the OTs worked in teams, travelling to visit people in their homes or care settings. That changed over lockdown though.<\/p>\n \u201cWe switched to a model of remote working,\u201d said Nomi, \u201cIt proved to be a really effective way of maintaining not only the high quality of our service delivery, but also the numbers of people we can help.” The team are now making face-to-face visits again, but the benefits of the hybrid working system have been retained, enabling them to help more people than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n The team have good reason to look forward. \u201cIt\u2019s reassuring that SpecialEffect is an established charity,\u201d said Liz from the StarGaze team \u201cWe\u2019ve been around for over fifteen years, we collaborate with some of the biggest names in our fields, and our teams have built up many years of expertise for new staff to draw on.\u201d<\/p>\n That expertise extends to affording the therapists valuable time to give attention to details. \u201cThat\u2019s all-important,\u201d emphasised Liz. \u201cA support call to setup an extra social media channel on a computer, a small tweak in the settings to make using it slightly easier or faster – we\u2019re able to invest time and expertise in the small details that often make the world of difference to the person, their families and their support teams.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s an OT role that’s incredibly varied and rewarding,\u201d said Nomi. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting – whether you\u2019re a gamer or not, it\u2019s a fantastic job.\u201d<\/p>\n Find out how our specialist assessment teams are transforming lives<\/a> through the stories of the people we’re helping. <\/p>\nEye gaze intervention<\/h3>\n
Gaming for life<\/h3>\n
![\"Therapist](\"https:\/\/specialeff-d2p02.sites.urbanelement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/nomi_main.jpg\")
\nImage: Nomi demonstrates an adjustable mounting arm for a gaming controller<\/em><\/p>\nA flexible service<\/h3>\n
![\"Video](\"https:\/\/specialeff-d2p02.sites.urbanelement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Steve_TW.jpg\")
\nImage: Hannah (top) and Liz from our\u202fStarGaze\u202fteam on a remote support call working alongside a hospital team.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/specialeff-d2p02.sites.urbanelement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/OTcase.jpg\")
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