17³Ô¹ÏÍø

I qualified as an occupational therapist in 2010 exiting with the Pre-reg postgraduate diploma in occupational therapy at 17³Ô¹ÏÍø. I later received my Msc at QMU in 2014.

Prior to training as an occupational therapist, I spent 5 years working within homeless services in and around Edinburgh and various health promotion focused charities that worked with sex workers, young adults living with drug and alcohol use and young offenders.

As a post qualifying occupational therapist, my clinical practice initially began working within re-ablement and care management teams. I then had the opportunity to develop a new and emerging role within occupational therapy practice that focused on utilising everyday digital technology with adults living with physical and neurological conditions.  Latterly I worked in neuro-inpatients.

I have had the opportunity to gain additional training in assistive technology assessments at Karolinska University, Stockholm, Sweden.  Develop a framework for practice to assess and identify technology solutions for a health and social care partnership. I have also spoken at a variety of local and national conferences raising the profile of occupational therapy within this are of practice.  I have won an award for innovative digital practice and runner up in a variety of national digital health awards.

I am also a licensed trainer in Talking Mats ltd, and I am very passionate utilizing this method of communication to enable those living with cognitive impairment to have a voice on areas that matter to them.

I joined the occupational therapy team as a lecturer at Queen Margaret University in 2022