Tai Frater

Biography

I joined the University of Winchester in 2021 as a Senior Lecturer in Digital Health and Practice-Based Learning following nine years of lecturing in Occupational Therapy at Brunel University London.  At Winchester I oversee the development of educators' skills leading the Post-graduate Certificate in Practice Education and Post-graduate certificate in Practice Education (Social Work) programmes. In my Digital health role I have helped to shape the university's digital health strategy and led cross-faculty digital health education initiatives. I am currently module leader for ME7502 Supporting Learners in Practice Learning, ME7501 Leading Learning in Practice Education, HW2015 Wellbeing in the Digital Age and lead on the MSc Children’s Occupational Therapy Practical Bootcamp.

My occupational therapy journey began with a BSc at the University of East Anglia followed by a number of clinical roles before specialising in work with children, young people and families.  In 2011, I received the Elizabeth Casson Tufts scholarship to complete my post-professional MSc and Advanced Professional Practice certificate in Occupational Therapy at Tufts University in Boston, USA. On my return to the UK I joined the Brunel University London team as a lecture for nine years with a range of responsibilities including leading the BSc occupational Therapy programme.

I have a strong interest in person-centred approaches such as parent coaching, shared decision making, and motivational interviewing and have carried out a range of projects targeting these approaches.  In 2018 I carried out an Improvement Leader Fellowship from NIHR CLAHRC Northwest London, where I led a shared decision making quality improvement project for children with brain injuries and their families.  Amid the pandemic, I received funding from the Casson Trust, supporting a telehealth-based coaching feasibility study for parents of children with disabilities. Currently, as a Churchill Fellow, I am actively exploring parent coaching practices in occupational therapy in New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.

In my role as an educator, I champion innovative and authentic health and social care education.  My focus lies in crafting immersive, authentic, and engaging learning experiences that cater to diverse learning needs and the use of strengths based approaches in education.  I am passionate about equipping students with the range of skills needed to address the evolving challenges of the field.

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist.

Publications

Kramer-Roy, D., Hashim, D., Tahir, N., Khan, A., Khalid, A., Faiz, N., et al. (2020) 'The developing role of occupational therapists in school-based practice: Experiences from collaborative action research in Pakistan'. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 83 (6). pp. 375 - 386. ISSN: 0308-0226