In the same way that Dr Elizabeth Casson, our founder, was a pioneer of occupational therapy in England, we aim to follow in her footsteps and work to expand the profession in other countries.
In 2016 the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) revised its Minimum Standards for the Education of Occupational Therapists. The 2016 revision highlighted a shift in educational requirements for occupational therapists from diploma level to a degree level Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. As a result of these changes, in some countries, occupational therapists with a diploma may be:
In response to these changes, the Elizabeth Casson Trust established the International Development Award. The aim was to provide funding that enabled individuals to complete this BSc top-up qualification. Individuals with the BSc could then go on and practice and continue their study at Master’s level, furthering their profession. The Trust hopes this award will continue to develop a skilled and qualified workforce, offering the profession the capacity and leadership to grow and become self-sustaining in the future.
See below some of our funded students who graduated with a BSc in Occupational Therapy.
Since 2021, the Trust has funded 32 individuals to complete their top-up programmes. These recipients have gone on to work and further the profession in their home countries of Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and Kenya. We would like to offer them sincere congratulations for their commitment to the profession and their own personal development. We would also like to thank their employers who supported their colleagues by providing study leave.
In June 2024, the Trust held a roundtable event with support from the World Federation of Occupational Therapists to consider how the Trust might scale its current offer to have greater global reach and impact. As you can imagine, this is a bold ambition, and complexities lie ahead to further this objective within a changing global context.
We would like to share two case studies with you, which were kindly written for us by two award recipients: here: Timothy Kalule and here: Godfrey Kimathy.
With determination and focussed efforts to further their own and the profession’s development within these countries leave us feeling inspired and assured that this award is helping to achieve what we set out to do.
If you have any further questions about the award, we would be pleased to hear from you and point you in the right direction; email: [email protected].
If you have suggestions for how the Trust could scale this offer to continue to support more individuals to top up their Diploma qualifications, we would be open to further ideas and discussions. Please contact: [email protected]
The Trust is committed to supporting the development of the profession, in line with our Articles, so that individuals and communities can experience the positive benefits and impact of occupational therapy, in much the same way as our founder aspired. While we are proud of this initiative to date, we hope to be able to achieve greater impact in the future.
Watch this space!
