Student placement success spurs veteran’s charity to employ first occupational therapist
Glasgow Caledonian University’s student placement success has spurred Scotland’s oldest military charity, Scottish Veterans’ Residences (SVR), to employ an occupational therapist for the very first time.
The School of Health and Life Sciences (SHLS) has been working with the charity, which provides supported housing for former members of the UK Armed Forces who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and providing student placements since 2021.
The charity has now decided to take on a full-time occupational therapist and praised the University’s student placement scheme for showing them the benefits it can make to their residents.
An SVR CEO Martin Nadin said: “The benefits of occupational therapy for our residents were compellingly identified during student occupational therapist placements from Glasgow Caledonian University, within our residences.
“Beneficial outcomes were reported by residents who received their support. Resident feedback was universally positive. Many suggested that we employ an occupational therapist permanently, and this was echoed by our support staff.
“Hosting the student placements has been really beneficial for SVR and they have definitely made significant contributions to our overall service delivery.”
Leona Gray, a Lecturer in Occupational Therapy in the Department of Occupational Therapy, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, was delighted with the feedback from the charity.
She said: “This is a great example of community outreach and growing placement capacity outside the NHS, which is big on the agenda for SHLS. We are extremely proud of our students who have been doing a fantastic job on placements.”
Leona has been campaigning to grow the availability of student placements outside the NHS and highlighting the value of diverse placements with her recent blog:
Photo shows Glasgow residents at SVR’s Bellrock Close saying it with flowers as they bid a fond farewell to Glasgow Caledonian University occupational therapy students Rowen Bedford and Dearbhla Coll at the end of a successful placement.