My Placement Experience with Supporting Communities

by Eimear Brolly

Eimear BrollY, Occupational Therapy Student

As a final year occupational therapy (OT) student, I was tasked with finding a placement in an organisation without an OT already in practice. Supporting Communities is an organisation that works to empower and develop local communities and individuals, including improving their digital inclusion.

The widespread use of technology in our daily lives enables us to engage with others, manage our lives, and increase our opportunities. The core principle of OT practice is to optimise the skills of individuals to enhance their engagement in daily activities to improve their overall quality of life and well-being. Digital inclusion work seemed like a perfect fit for my placement.

I spent five weeks with Stephanie McKillop, the Digital Inclusion Officer at Supporting Communities, delivering digital skills sessions in communities around Northern Ireland. This placement allowed me to explore a new approach to my OT practice. I was able to develop a structure for supporting older adults’ engagement and participation in a digitalised society that helps them stay connected.

Stephanie’s extensive experience and skills in this area allowed me to develop my knowledge and practice. She provided me with immense support and encouragement, enabling me to become an advocate for OT within this area of expertise. I gained an insight into the benefits of technology to promote inclusivity for older adults by improving their digital skills to enable and encourage their participation in everyday online life, such as making medical appointments, attending online exercise and wellbeing classes, online shopping, accessing services, and staying connected with family and friends.

I completed assessments for each individual I worked with and incorporated OT models of practice to evaluate their progress as we introduced new digital skills. We used a person-centred approach for each client through individual goal setting to respond to the diverse needs of each group and adapted our practice accordingly to reduce inequalities and offer inclusive provision for everyone.

I had such a great experience with Stephanie and the rest of the team at Supporting Communities. It was such a friendly environment, and I felt welcomed there from the beginning. I highly recommend that future OT students consider a digital inclusion placement with Supporting Communities to dive into this innovative approach and add to ongoing research in this area.