Who was Dr Elizabeth Casson?
Dr Elizabeth Casson was born on April 14th 1881. Not only is she seen as the founder of occupational therapy in England, but she was also the first woman to be awarded a medical degree by the University of Bristol. Heavily influenced by the work of the social reformer Octavia Hill, whom she worked for in her early years, Dr Casson’s passion for the healing power of occupation drove her lifelong work in establishing occupational therapy practice, education and its professional association.
In 1929, Dr Casson borrowed funds to establish the Dorset House School of Occupational Therapy in Bristol; Constance Owens was its first principal. There followed a relocation of the school to Oxford in 1946. In 1948, Dr Casson established the original Casson Trust to support her developmental work in occupational therapy and the Dorset House School of Occupational Therapy. A wonderful history of the school can be found in the Dorset House archive. When the School merged with Oxford Brookes University in 1993, the Elizabeth Casson Trust was established in its present form.
Dr Casson’s obituary, printed in Occupational Therapy, the journal of the Association of Occupational Therapists in 1955, talked of Dr Casson’s drive and determination:
“It was her faith in our healing work that enlivened and enlightened medical opinion regarding occupational therapy, it was her courage and foresight that first established professional training, and it was her determination and perseverance that carried it forward in the face of opposition and indifference.” (Occupational Therapy 1955)
What is the Elizabeth Casson Trust?
The Trust is governed by its Memorandum of Association, which sets out the Trust’s primary purpose: to further the profession of Occupational Therapy.
What does the Trust aim to do?
The original Objects are regularly reviewed to ensure that the work of the Trust and the language in which it is written meet the current needs of occupational therapists within the UK and beyond. Today the Trust’s Strategic Intentions (its Objects) and Operational Framework focus on supporting three main areas of work:
1. The development of occupational therapists, helping to build their professional confidence, capability and wider inclusion to take the profession forward in all settings, including within the Trust
2. Further development of the evidence base of occupational therapy in order to strengthen the understanding of the efficacy, utility and unique contribution of occupational therapy
3. Commit to robust governance to ensure legal compliance by the organisation and future development of the profession and our services
The strategic intentions and operational framework can be read in more detail here. The Trust delivers against these Objects by commissioning programmes and giving grants to occupational therapists who apply for funding.
Our closing thought ……………….
Dr Casson was a pioneer and an opportunist. As Professor Jenny Butler (an Elizabeth Casson Trust associate) quoted in her Casson Memorial lecture 2004, she knew that the ‘ordinary’ can become the ‘extra-ordinary’ by taking opportunities that present themselves, by believing that possibilities are always there, and by being bold.
So, in honouring Dr Casson, the Trust extends its invitation to all occupational therapists, especially those in the UK, to take the opportunity to follow in her footsteps and use the Trust’s awards and programmes to expand your knowledge and practice so that you too can further occupational therapy.
