Lauren Thomson

To be honest, prior to my training, I had no idea what on earth an Occupational Therapist does! That was until a family friend set me up with some work experience at a hospice; I spent some time with the OTs and knew then it was something I would love to do. I qualified in 2007 at Southampton University and for the next few years I went on to complete junior rotations in NHS acute and rehab settings.

It was in 2009 that I made the jump into adult social care and got my first OT role within Hampshire County Council. This is where my passion for community work began! This move opened many learning opportunities and a chance to develop new interests and expertise that had not been possible before. The role of the OT is so vast, which will certainly keep my interest alive for years to come.

In 2017 the OT service officially became part of HCC Reablement, alongside our community response and sensory team colleagues. This brought along a whole new dynamic and a chance to develop new skills and an understanding of a much wider service.

After almost 10 years of service with HCC I made the very difficult decision to move on and took an opportunity to develop my interest in Neurological Services elsewhere. The experience and knowledge I gained from this was invaluable and was the right decision at the time. However, in 2020 I took the chance to return to HCC and join the leadership team, taking on the role as a Senior Reablement Practitioner.

The decision to return was easy! The learning & development opportunities are endless. But most of all I am so grateful for the support, encouragement, understanding (and not forgetting friendship), I am given by my management and the team. I could not be prouder of all my colleagues and everything they do for our HCC residents. Simply put, I am very happy to be part of this brilliant team!

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