Specialisms
- Adult physical disability.
- Visual impairment and hearing loss.
- Neurological conditions in adults including Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Peripheral Nerve Disorders, Muscular Dystrophies and Cerebral Palsy.
- Long term conditions including osteoarthritis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and heart disease.
- Progressive/palliative conditions including Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and cancers.
Clinical Currency Statement
As at December 2020, I am engaged in the role of self-employed Rehabilitation Case Manager working alongside Independence Works Ltd for an average of 95 hours per month. I also work as an Independent Occupational Therapist for an average of 10-15 hours per month.
Signed
Employment Profile
Nicola qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2004 and has extensive and varied experience covering all aspects of adult physical health services. She currently works in independent practice as an Occupational Therapist and Rehabilitation Case Manager.
As an independent Occupational Therapist, Nicola manages a varied caseload of clients with a range of needs. She works alongside case managers, charitable organisations, local authorities and housing associations.
Nicola is an experienced trainer and delivers regular training to staff on behalf of a Local Authority, to widen the skill base of their staff by teaching them how to assess for and fit items of assistive equipment, minor adaptations, and assistive technology.
She works alongside a housing association carrying out all of their OT assessments and making recommendations for equipment and adaptations, including the drawing of wet-room plans and writing specifications for showers and stair lifts. In addition to this role, Nicola has experience of large projects including overseeing privately funded major adaptations.
Additionally, she has worked in non-traditional OT roles and has a wealth of experience of social care assessments. This has increased her knowledge and awareness of the social care system including personal budgets, direct payments, single-handed care and ‘right-sizing’ of care packages. Nicola has undertaken training in this area it is likely she has completed over 250 assessments of this nature.
Nicola has worked with adults with visual impairment. She has assisted clients with neurological visual loss to learn techniques to adapt to live with their sensory impairment. Nicola has made recommendations for housing and equipment needs for adults living with visual impairment. She has completed assessments alongside visual impairment specialists. Nicola has experience of working with both sudden onset and gradual visual loss and so is aware of the significant psychological implications and impact on the loss of confidence and independence for the individual.
In 2019 Nicola joined an independent network of OTs as a Rehabilitation Case Manager. She oversees a caseload of clients with a range of injuries, for whom Nicola designs and implements co-ordinated and timely packages of rehabilitation in order to maximise recovery and return to their pre-injury occupations.
For over 6 years prior to moving into independent practice, Nicola was a specialist Occupational Therapist working for a large social housing provider. Her clinical role involved completing full functional assessments of tenants in their own homes, detailing recommendations for adaptations to meet immediate and future needs and preparing reports detailing recommendations regarding future housing needs.
At Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust one of her roles was co-ordinator for the multi-disciplinary Motor Neurone Disease Team. This highly specialised service and senior role relied upon the ability to quickly and accurately predict future care needs through ongoing timely assessment, sourcing of equipment and adaptations, and securing of funding. Nicola formed close links with social workers and care agencies, making recommendations on the level of care required to address deteriorating needs. She regularly attended case conferences to discuss complex cases.
Since 2013 Nicola has complemented her clinical work by undertaking medico-legal work with Jacqueline Webb & Co as a Care Expert Witness. She is skilled in carrying out thorough assessments both in person and over the telephone/Skype, and preparing in depth reports detailing a claimant’s past, present and future needs. Nicola has taken part in a number of Expert Meetings and case conferences. She is regularly instructed in Visual Impairment cases.
Nicola ensures her Continuing Professional Development by attending conferences, training courses, study days, seminars and other networking events.
Qualifications and Membership
- BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, University of Teeside (2004).
- Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT).
- Member of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Royal College of Occupational Therapy – Specialist Section – Independent Practice.
- Case Management Society UK (CMSUK).
Career History
Present
Care Expert
Jacqueline Webb & Company Ltd
2019-Present
Rehabilitation Case Manager
Independence Works Ltd
2016-Present
Independent Occupational Therapist
Nicola Johnson Occupational Therapy
2010-2016
Specialist Occupational Therapist
Large social housing provider
2007-2010
Specialist Occupational Therapist, Long Term Neurological Conditions Team
Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield
2007
OT – Split Post Community Long Term Conditions (largely Neuro) & Cognitive Rehab Service
Barnsley Primary Care Trust
2004-2007
Basic Grade Rotational Post
Barnsley Primary Care Trust
Publications
Nicole has lectured and presented on seven occasions.
Presentations and Lectures:
- Equipment adaptations and telecare training session.(Present)
- Presentation at the OT Show – Social care assessments (2017).
- Ran training session to a local care agency on Motor Neurone Disease (2009).
- Led training session to GPs and the primary health care team at a local GP practice (2009).
- Lecture at Huddersfield University ‘The management of Motor Neurone Disease (2009).
- APPLE (Accredited Practice Placement Educator) – Supervised several students on clinical placement including role emerging placement at a local Headway group (2008).
- Speaker at MS Society ‘Getting to Grips Course’ for newly diagnosed patients (2007).