As part of Occupational Therapy Week, we've been getting to know a little bit more about our first-ever International Occupational Therapist, Vindi Dematagoda.

Vindi came to us from Sri Lanka and started her role in July 2023. In Sri Lanka she worked as an Occupational Therapy (OT) lecturer and has been an OT herself for 23 years, having a special passion for upper limb and hand therapy. She decided to become an international OT to gain new experiences and to improve her professional skills.

The photo to the left is of Vindi after landing at Manchester Airport. She said: "I still remember when I first arrived, I was really happy. I couldn't imagine that I had really come to the UK. Later that day when I was travelling from Manchester to Huddersfield, I did feel sad thinking about my family and knowing it would be a long time until I saw them again. But I was still excited, I had been longing to work internationally." 

Since starting at CHFT, she has worked in acute therapy, stroke therapy and has spent the last four weeks working in intermediate care. She said: "Even after four weeks in intermediate care, it's my favourite place to work. I feel so relaxed and stress-free. My colleagues are very friendly, and I feel like they are always here to help me.

"Moving to England was very different at first - the culture, food, accents and weather. The weather especially was almost unbearable for me initially! But my colleagues helped me to settle in. They helped me find accommodation and gave me great support."

Vindi's family have fully supported her decision. Her husband, who is also an OT, and her daughter still live in Sri Lanka, as do Vindi's mum and dad. They have continued to encourage her, even from more than 5,500 miles away.

This week we're taking the opportunity to celebrate all of our fantastic occupational therapists (OTs) and to promote their profession

We have OTs based across a number of different sites: our hospitals, community health centres and within children's services. Their role is very varied and can see them helping patients learn to make a cup of tea again, or finding them suitable equipment to help get them back to their day-to-day lives after illness or injury. If you would like to learn more about occupational therapy, you can watch this video which gives a look into a day in the life of an occupational therapist.

Here are some highlights of the great things our OTs have achieved recently

• Occupational Therapist, Michelle Sykes, has been shortlisted as part of the Ageing Well Practitioner Team for two HSJ Awards. One for Data Driven Transformation and the other for Integrated Care Initiative.
• Ten newly qualified OTs have recently completed our AHP preceptorship program.
• A continuously growing OT apprentice workforce, with our first two OT apprentices due to qualify Summer 2025.
• New band 5 OT role within our urgent community response team.
• A mental health rotational placement for band 5 OTs, thanks to strong partnership working with our local mental health trust. 
• A number of OTs have been successful in securing a place on the leadership fellowship hosted by the ICB and West Yorkshire AHP faculty.
• Occupational therapist, Anita Devine, represented CHFT regionally at the West Yorkshire Brain Injury Conference where she gave a presentation.

As part of OT week, all OTs are invited to come together over a daily teams lunch and learn session. These 30 minute sessions will allow us to all share learning, network and celebrate the great work happening within the world of CHFT OT.