Sheffield Hallam University

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Occupational Therapy at an Inner City Farm
Anne Williams and Catie Wilson

• Sheffield Hallam University
• MSc Students

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Introduction to Non- Traditional Placements

• Promote Profession
• Broaden the work and scope for the OT profession
• Understand and develop professional identity
• Implement OT Theory within a non-traditional
  setting

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• with the expansion of OTs working in community
  programs, many therapists will be working where
  their knowledge and skills, not their titles, are
  valued (Howe Schwartzberg, 2001)

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Heeley City Farm

• Charitable Organisation
• Groups include
• Adults with learning disabilities
• Teenagers from local schools
• Young offenders on placement
• Older Adult groups
• Educational courses for local nurseries and
  schools
• Heart of a deprived inner city area

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Aim and Objectives of the Placement

• Broaden awareness of the context of health and
  social care
• Identify a role for OT with the setting/service
• Devise, apply and evaluate an occupation based
  intervention relevant to the service and setting

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The Client Group

• Adults with varying degrees of Learning
  Difficulties
• The clients were attending a 3 year horticulture
  and woodwork course
• Some of the group members became volunteers at
  the farm.
• Attendance was up to three times per week

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What we did

• Established ourselves
• Looked for a role
• Started working with the group
• Asked members of the group what they would enjoy-
  looked for meaningful activity.

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OT Intervention

• Painting, cards, clay, collaging, tree of
  feelings and lantern making.
• Activity analysis breaking down an activity
  into separate tasks.
• Grading of tasks activities graded dependant on
  each individuals abilities.

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Lanterns were fantastic, it was a beautiful day,
had so much fun
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Clay was good, would like to do it again.
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Did the group benefit?

• Socially
• Increased group interaction
• Communication skills developed
• Physical Improvements
• Dexterity when handling tools, pens etc improved

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Benefits of Working in the Community

• A present many people with learning difficulties
  do not take part in community activities or
  participate in wider social networks with non
  disabled people. Being part of the local
  community benefits everyone. The White Paper,
  Valuing People A new strategy for learning
  disabilities for the 21st Century, 2001.

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Future Developments

• Continued integration with other groups on the
  farm and within the wider community.
• Service becoming more client centred feedback
  from group taken on board.
• Direct payments instead of the course.
• More OT student placements

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http//www.heeleyfarm.org.uk/