Tia Hipkin

I am a skilled third year Occupational Therapist with lots of lived experiences working with adults, children and children with special educational needs. I am a driven, passionate individual who has always been passionate around human development. I have a track record of enhancing patient independence through my adaptability and empathetic communication to boost patient engagement in daily living activities. During my placements I have excelled in team collaboration, significantly improving care outcomes through innovative therapy techniques and effective time management.

Date of Birth: 09/25/94

• PROVIDE – St Peters Hospital/Community Frailty (Adult Services), Spital Road, Maldon, CM9 6EG, 02/27/23 - 03/24/23, At St Peters Hospital I was able to work on the Stroke ward and a rehabilitation ward. Here I was able to carry out assessment on each patient's abilities and challenges, focusing on regaining independence before being discharged home. This was my first placement and only 4 weeks long. Most of my time here was spent observing and working alongside my placement educator to bounce ideas and build confidence within my role as a future OT.
• The Befriending Scheme – Role Emerging Care Farm, Red Rose Community Farm, Lindsey Tye, IP7 6PP, 11/06/23 - 12/15/23, As an OT on the care farm I was expected to support individuals with learning difficulties develop their skills through activities related to farming and animal care. Skills I focused on were physical skills, social skills, emotional regulation and overall wellbeing. Using therapeutic use of self I was able to understand what was meaningful and not meaningful to the service users on the farm and promote engagement in activities for overall performance satisfaction for the service user enabling them to meet goals and thrive in their environment.
• SCH-Bury Town Community Therapy Team, West Suffolk House, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3YU, 04/22/24 - 06/14/24, This role enabled me to be able to support individuals in their everyday environments to enhance their ability to participate in activities of daily living (ADLs) and ensure their safety. I was often meeting patients at their own homes upon discharge from hospital. On arrival I would carry out an assessment to observe how patients carried out things such as; washing, dressing, making breakfast/lunch/dinner/drinks, transferring in and out of bed/shower/bath and toileting. I would also look at access to property, how patients would usually get medication and shopping and how to overcome that barrier if patients were no longer able to go carry out this task independently. I would also signpost to other professionals such as physio, social care, GP’s and community subscribers (someone who would visit the patient to let them know what groups and sessions are available in their area to get them out and about). If equipment was needed, I would order equipment for the patient, provide training and sign the patient off ensuring they were safe to use the equipment in their home without my supervision. After carrying out my assessments I would then be expected to go back to the office and type up all notes and add them to their system within 24 hours.