Julie is an experienced Occupational Therapist with 30 years experience of clinical and managerial aspects of health care provision. She has extensive experience of developing new and innovative services to meet emerging and changing needs of service users

Julie has worked in a variety of settings including learning disability, acute medicine, cardiac rehabilitation and community equipment and adaptations in health, social services and the voluntary sector.

She was the first Occupational Therapist in the UK to specialise in the field of continence care in 2000. She is a member of the multi professional continence team in Chorley, Lancashire, UK.

This team consists of nurses, a physiotherapist and OT working within a dedicated continence service. Julie took on the role of Team Leader for this team in 2011.

The team were winners of the Department of Health Primary Care Award in July 2003. They were also awarded the Outstanding Team achievement award by Chorley & South Ribble PCT prior to the reorganisation changes of 2006. Julie was a North region finalist in the Allied Health Professional of the Year 2005.

Julie’s clinical work focuses on promoting continence by improving or maintaining the independence and function of clients or finding alternative solutions to difficult toileting situations. She works with both adults and children.

Julie also has a part time seconded post with PromoCon, Disabled Living NW. This research post focuses on raising the national and international profile of the OT role in continence promotion. An aspect of this role involves publishing professional articles and book chapters to raise awareness. A key element of her seconded role involves delivering training packages to pre and post graduate OT’s as a means of integrating continence issues into their clinical work. She delivers training locally, regionally and nationally on functional aspects of continence promotion and the value of working multi-professionally for the benefit of the client.

She has worked at a national level with a number of working parties with the Department of Health, Royal College of Physicians and NICE. Julie was also involved as an external Expert Advisor for the continence section of the ‘Any Qualified Provider’ initiative within the Department of Health.