Currently carrying out a research projects for Tortworth Forest Centre CIC through a series of questionnaires and face to face interviews before analysing the data to create qualitative and quantitative research reports to the levels required by National Heritage Lottery. I have worked with multiple organisations and at all levels from volunteers and visitors to Directors.The reports themselves are built using a mixture of MS Word and MS Excel and provide analytical graphs alongside written detailed analysis. The report will be used by the organisation to justify their grants and to continue to justify ongoing funding from the National Heritage Lottery and to develop the project.Previously carried out an Evaluation of a service provided by Down to Earth a CIC. Patients are prescribed an allotment by their GP on Social Prescription also members of the local community have allotments. Designed a questionnaire aimed at discovering health benefits that allotmenteer’s thought they were/were not getting form the service. Results were collated into a detailed Evaluation document & recommendations made for improving the current services and how to provided take the service further. Carried out an additional project to advise upon and carry out further research for Down to Earths funders. Organised and facilitated a number of focus groups. These groups were designed to encourage discussion regarding the experiences of the allotment holders and to delve into their opinions of using the allotments. Meeting results were used to design and compile a comprehensive report to reflect the results of these meetings. Made appropriate recommendations to promote the service and develop it further in the future especially the Social Prescribing element. Prepared funding applications to apply for extra funding for a potential new project at the Allotments. Results were presented to the local GP and steering group and sent to the funders of the service.

Working on a self-employed basis for a community interest company providing Social and therapeutic horticulture activities in care homes. Working as a group facilitator helping to develop and run social and therapeutic horticulture and related activities for elderly people with health and social care needs. This includes working with the Director to design and implement person centred horticultural activities. Being creative and flexible to adapt to weather, environment and client needs where sessions are run. Teaching clients to use tools and materials and take part in activities safely. Using the resources (such as seeds, compost, pots, plants etc.) and tools required to facilitate maximum involvement and activity in each session. Helping to develop and implement craft activities when weather does not permit going into the garden. Conducting ongoing, assessments of the needs of the client groups and ensuring the service I provide responds to those identified needs in a safe and appropriate manner. Enabling and motivating service users to be involved in as many garden tasks /activities as they want or are able to. Stimulating and facilitating social interaction and engagement within the group. Ensuring that family members and staff are given the opportunity and support needed to be involved in the activities. Recording the quantities of all the resources used at each session, ensuring that they are within the agreed budget. Maintaining appropriate records of all work undertaken, monitoring and contributing to the evaluation of all aspects of work carried out, producing reports / case studies as required.Building and maintaining good working relationships with care staff, grounds staff and where necessary the management at the care homes I work in. Working alongside care staff to promote best practice, ensuring as many residents as possible are actively involved and gardens are maintained outside of activity sessions. Maintaining and developing my knowledge

Worked part time as part of an occupational therapy team, visiting clients within their own homes or local residential homes and carrying out initial assessments to determine their needs. Provided timely assistance to meet their needs; i.e. issuing equipment or initiating requests for property adaptations to be carried out in order to enable them to function safely and independently at home. Liaising closely with the client, family, home and a variety of agencies to make sure the work was carried out in a timely and appropriate manner. Responding to crisis situations when clients were at risk of social or environmental breakdown, leasing with client, families and all agencies to re-house clients or set up care packages when required.

I initially worked for the North Somerset ICT, which was a joint team of Council and NHS staff. The team provided Rehabilitation and Rapid Response to the community of North Somerset. The rehabilitation was provided in 6 weekly blocks and I carried out the initial assessments and formulated the rehabilitation program working closely with clients to ensure the activities were meaningful and purposeful for the client. Throughout the rehabilitation I monitored the client’s performance and where necessary I made adjustments to the client’s environment and taught them how to adapt the activity in order to make it more accessible and safe for them. On completion of the 6 week program an evaluation form was completed to ascertain if the rehabilitation had been successful and the client had reached their personal goals and was satisfied with the service we provided. I added the results to the team’s outcome measures document, in order to produce the reports required by the management.I worked also on a rota for the Rapid Response team providing Occupational Therapy to clients who were at risk of hospital admission. I carried out an initial assessment to determine the client’s personal needs and implemented the appropriate intervention to ensure the client would be safe and independent as possible. I worked jointly with a multidisciplinary team and worked to a 3 hour response time. I often carried out joint assessments with other health professionals and made referrals to the appropriate teams when required.When the Community Partnership was formed I worked part time as a member of the Portishead community nursing team, with a mixed case load ranging from acute, rehabilitation, and rapid response to palliative. I carried out Occupational Therapy assessments to ascertain the client’s personal needs and where necessary I carried out appropriate OT interventions and liaised closely with the rest of the team to make sure all of the client’s needs were met.