We employ a range of AHP arts therapists across all of our children and young people, adult, and learning disability services. We also support academic placements as well as honorary placements (volunteering).

For more information about the work of our art therapists, please contact Richard.Whitaker@sabp.nhs.uk.

Dietitians work within the multi-disciplinary team to help optimise and develop a positive relationship with food. They will use tools and techniques, including behaviour change, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness. Our dietitians develop nutritional resources for people using our services and provide education and training on nutrition to other healthcare professionals. 

Working in the following specialist fields, our team carry out assessments, provide consultation and advice and help individuals to improve their nutritional status:

• children and adolescent eating disorders
• adult eating disorders
• adult learning disabilities 
• adult inpatient services

Leadership development is actively encouraged within our Trust and we have strong links with the University of Surrey and support their placement students. This includes individual and peer supervision to support ongoing personal and professional development, whilst fostering quality patient care and outcomes.

Why our dietitians enjoy working for our Trust:

"I have enjoyed working within a team that is so committed to providing the best care and supporting each other to deliver it."

"The favourite part of my job is seeing the young people and their families I work with on a weekly basis. It means I can see recovery happening which I find rewarding. I also really enjoy working as part of a specialist multidisciplinary team, there are so many learning opportunities."

Occupational therapists within our Trust are valued for their expertise in delivering occupationally focussed interventions and specialist group therapy.  They work across all our adult and learning disability services and have clear occupational therapy intervention pathways.

The Occupational Therapy Service has developed innovative ways to deliver effective individual and group occupational therapy interventions, Outcomes are measured to demonstrate the progress and impact of interventions.  

These interventions enable people to develop their skills, enhance their motivation, develop roles and routines, and develop sensory profiles so that they are able to engage in occupations that bring meaning and purpose to their lives.

Our occupational therapists work alongside carers and other supporters throughout our interventions. 
 
We use the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) as our core frame of reference and have a strong focus on embedding occupational and neuroscience into our practice, along with developing leadership skills at every level. 

The Occupational Therapy Leadership Team is committed to an extensive, co-ordinated and Continued Professional Development (CPD) programme, including:

• Robust supervision
• Care group meetings
• Trust-wide and core competence training
• Annual conferences 

People who have used our service said:

“It was crucial as a starting point for my recovery.”

“I now want to live and not just exist.”

Why do our occupational therapists enjoy working for our Trust?

"My job is rewarding and I go to bed most nights knowing that I’ve made a positive difference”

"I feel like I'm able to do real occupational therapy work"

Miranda, Lorna, and Becky’s story

Our chartered physiotherapists combine their knowledge and skills and work holistically to treat a broad range of physical problems.  We work closely with people who use our services and their carers to enable people to reach their full potential.

We use our skills to improve the quality of life of those living with long term conditions and encourage people to manage these independently. 

Working as a physiotherapist at Surrey and Borders Partnership means being part of a supportive team (multi-disciplinary team and physiotherapy team) with lots of opportunities to develop clinical knowledge and diversity of skills through practice and Clinical Professional Development (CPD) - such as internal and external courses, journal club, MDT training and many more.

Physiotherapists at our Trust work across the following divisions:  

• Learning Disabilities - community and inpatient adult services  

• Older adult inpatient services  

• Working Age Adult inpatient services  

Our physiotherapists work holistically within the multi-professional team to provide an assessment, share advice, and try to ensure effective discharge planning for people who use services and who require assistance with their physical needs whilst staying on our mental health wards.

We also work with any person who has a learning disability and may be unable to access mainstream services. This includes episodes of care to target specific goals, and often working jointly with other members of the multi-disciplinary team. We use clinical reasoning and a creative approach to deliver personalised care.

Assessments and interventions include providing advice and exercises to target the current issue or concern, training, and advice to carers in a variety of settings to ensure that the programme can be safely carried out. Gait assessment and referral to other services may also apply.

For further information please contact Charlotte Marsh: Charlotte.Marsh@sabp.hns.uk 

Podiatry provides preventative care, diagnosis and treatment of a range of problems affecting the feet, ankles and legs.

The primary aim is to improve the mobility, independence, and quality of life of the people they are supporting.

Podiatrists combine their knowledge and skills by working holistically to treat a broad range of foot problems.  

Our podiatrists provide input to the following services: 
•    Learning Disabilities - community and inpatient units
•    Older Adult inpatient units
•    Working Age Adult inpatient units

The unique role of podiatry at our Trust 

Working within SABP allows the podiatrist the opportunity to work creatively with adults who have complex needs and challenges. A multi-disciplinary approach is essential when assessing a person to formulate an individualised, person-centred treatment plan.

Assessing capacity and risk is an integral part of all interventions to ensure that treatment is provided in a safe environment.

Podiatrists work closely with family, carers and health professionals to provide training and education in good foot health to promote pain and problem-free mobility.

Podiatrists utilise several of their core skills including vascular assessment, neurological assessment, wound management, diabetic foot management, footwear and falls advice.

A significant part of the role is working with people within inpatient units who are currently struggling with their mental health. This can often result in self-neglect, especially around footcare and as such a podiatry assessment and intervention is an essential part of an inpatient’s experience whilst in our care. 

Learn more about the role of a Podiatrist

What Podiatrists think about working in the trust:

“I enjoy the varying challenges that the role presents – one day you can be working on a diabetic foot ulcer and the next day formulating a desensitisation plan for a person with autism who has a severe phobia around having their feet touched.”

Feedback from People who use our services: 

“My nail doesn’t hurt anymore so I can put my wellies on and go back to the farm – I’ve really missed working there.” 

Speech and language therapists at our Trust specialise in communication and dysphagia (eating and drinking difficulties) and help to support:

• Children and young people
• People with learning disabilities
• Working-age adults’ who are inpatients
• Older people who are inpatients
• People with learning disabilities
• Forensic services
• Neurodevelopmental services

Communication

Speech and language therapists work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide communication assessments and recommendations for people who use our services. They may provide individual or group interventions in inpatient or community settings. 

These interventions support people to make choices about their care and support, express their needs and wishes, understand their health and social care requirements, demonstrate capacity and access support from other health care professionals.

The Speech and Language Therapy team work alongside families, carers and other professionals to give people who use services a voice. This includes a focus on the 5 Good Communication Standards and providing training to individuals, their supporters and the staff within the trust.

Dysphagia

The Speech and Language Therapy team also provide dysphagia assessment and support in inpatient and community settings. They work closely with dietetics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychiatry and pharmacy colleagues to assess risk and develop person-centred plans for eating and drinking that promote safe outcomes and enjoyment at mealtimes. The team also provide training to all of our staff on the topic of eating and drinking.

The Speech and Language Therapy team are committed to professional development and the sharing of our learning between members. Team meetings and training days are frequent and there is a clear structure to supervision.

Why our Speech and Language Therapists enjoy working for our Trust:

“There are so many opportunities to build up skills and knowledge through wide-ranging experiences – truly, no two days are the same.”  

“Working as part of a team to support someone to have effective communication is what I enjoy most about being a speech and language therapist.”

“Whilst ways of working have changed somewhat over this time, what has remained is the encouragement from our Trust leaders to work as an autonomous clinician with the individual at the heart of what I do.”