Edinburgh Napier lecturer receives the Merit Award from the Royal College of Occupational Therapists
The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) established the Merit Award in 2008 to recognise and celebrate the excellence of its members. Peers can submit nominations for those who they consider have contributed to the profession in an innovative way.
Dr Fiona Maclean is Head of Subject of Allied Health & Social Care Sciences and Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy at Edinburgh Napier University. Fiona has an impressive resume, with over thirty years working in the profession. She has undertaken research with occupational therapists in acute hospital settings to advance their knowledge and understanding of the changing patterns of drinking alcohol in later life. She has also worked for Alzheimer Scotland as an Allied Health Professions (AHP) Project Lead, to support the nation-wide implementation of ‘Connecting People, Connecting Support’, Scotland’s first AHP dementia policy. Fiona has also brought a fresh approach to learning and teaching occupational therapy at postgraduate level at ENU, as part of the MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre Reg) team.
Previously having worked at Queen Margaret University, Fiona was nominated by one of her former colleagues, Dr Sarah Kantartzis, as well as Alzheimer Scotland Allied Health Professional Consultant and honorary Edinburgh Napier Professor, Elaine Hunter. Dr Alison Warren from the University of Plymouth and Professor Brendan McCormack, Head of School and Dean of the Wakil School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Sydney, also contributed to the extensive nomination process.
Delighted and grateful to her peers for the nomination, Fiona is looking forward to the award ceremony later this year that will take place in London. She equally expressed her gratitude to colleagues at Edinburgh Napier University, stating, “the Merit Award is testament to the support and encouragement that Edinburgh Napier University have invested in the Occupational Therapy programme, our wider team, and ongoing development of resources to further enhance our learning and teaching, such as the brand-new creative space that will be ready for us to use shortly.”
Having co-authored and published a book, Occupational Therapy and Dementia, Promoting Inclusion, Rights and Opportunities for People Living With Dementia, Fiona is now shifting her attention to the ongoing development and delivery of continuing professional development opportunities focused on the right to Allied Health Professional (AHP) rehabilitation for people living with dementia. This newly created CPD programme for AHP practitioners has been designed in partnership with ENU, Alzheimer Scotland, the Scottish Dementia Working Group and the National Dementia Carers Action Network.
The CPD course ran for the first time last year with great success and Fiona highlighted, “the School of Health and Social Care have been hugely supportive in the on-going knowledge exchange work we’ve developed since joining ENU and we will again deliver the course, later this year”.
Edinburgh Napier University is one of the newest providers of occupational therapy education in Scotland, and according to Fiona, the Merit Award further establishes and confirms our place as a quality provider of M-level occupational therapy education.
Please click here to find out more about Occupational Therapy at Edinburgh Napier University.
Congratulations Fiona!