Occupational Therapist apprentice Review

Item: Occupational Therapist apprentice at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Rating: 3
Author: Anonymous

at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Degree Apprenticeship

Healthcare

Nottingham

Review Submitted: March 2026

Overall Rating

3 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

3/5 - Overview of Role

5/5 - Skills Development

2.6/5 - Structure and Support

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

4/5

Being allocated 6 hours a week (which was not always fulfilled) outside of my usual job role to complete OT duties. In this time I observed the OT undertaking assessments in cooking, home visits, community assessments etc., I was informed that as I am an apprentice not a student there’s a lot more observation and things you can’t do independently like a traditional student would.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

2/5

University work has to be done in your own time and is not paid so if you count that as working time you end up working 50/60 hour weeks which can make the program exhausting.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

5/5

I have learnt a lot of new skills.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

4/5

The teaching program and deadlines are often given last minute and there are many changes which can be an issue rearranging with work. The on the job training varies a lot depending on which department you complete the apprenticeship in.
The placements are always well organised and I have always been informed where I will be going around 1-2 months in advance which has been great!

How much support do you receive from your employer?

2/5

My mentor meets with my apprenticeship coach (from university) once every four months where we will discuss my progress, beyond this support is limited.

How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

3/5

Lecturers are helpful and the apprenticeship coach is incredibly helpful! I would find it helpful if there was a more set structure to the work place learning.

How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

3/5

I don’t feel very prepared for when I qualify. However, I have had a lot of support from OT mentors on my placement and it has been insightful and educational seeing different areas an OT can work within.

Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

1/5

There are extra curricular activities at work such as support groups or conferences/meetings but it’s difficult to get involved in them due to them taking time away from work.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to a friend?

Why?

Supervision is often missed, I have had to stay late to complete work on many occasions and for the apprenticeship a large majority of my university essays I will book annual leave to complete them otherwise I have to do these in evenings and weekends.