Latest / The SOM Podcast / SOM NEWS UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 2026

Transcript

SOM NEWS UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 2026 · The SOM Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: This podcast is sponsored by Orchid Live. Find out more
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: at orchidlive.com. Here's your SOM News Update for September 2026.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: I'm Steve Randall. The SOM Leadership Conference takes place on
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: October 8th in London. It's an inclusive day for all disciplines,
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: offering inspiration to develop your leadership skills. This year's theme
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: is Human Leadership in a Changing World. Looking after your
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: own well-being, the well-being of your team... and the benefits
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: this has for your business as a whole. You can
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: still register for both in-person and online attendance, and the
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: link is in the show notes. A new UK government
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: survey has found that almost half of workers took at
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: least some time off sick in the past year, while
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: around one in three has a long-term health condition. The
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: Department for Work and Pensions surveyed more than 4,200 employees
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: and self-employed workers about health and wellbeing at work. The
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: research also highlights a gap for the self-employed, Four in
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: five self-employed workers who took sick leave reported having no
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: income during their absence, while many said they were unfamiliar
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: with occupational health services or how to access them. Public
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: Health Scotland says more young people are becoming economically inactive
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: because of health problems, with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: an increasingly important factor. Its latest report focuses on 16
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: to 24-year-olds and warns that becoming economically inactive at the
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: start of working life can have lasting consequences for employment,
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: income and wellbeing. The report says employers, schools and support
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: services need to work more closely together with greater access
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: to work experience, mentoring and flexible employment opportunities for young people.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: SOM is hosting a free online presentation looking at the
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: history of occupational health. The session will explore some of
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: the key people and developments that have shaped the profession
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: from its early traditions to the modern occupational health sector.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: It'll be presented by Julie Staun, an OH specialist from Denmark,
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: and chaired by Professor Anne Harris. The event takes place
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: online on October 5th from midday to one o'clock. That
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: one's free for all, but there are also some events
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: that are free for SOM members, including a webinar looking
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: at medical fitness standards for vocational drivers. The session will
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: cover DVLA Group 2 medical standards, notification requirements and employers'
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: responsibilities for drivers such as HGV, bus and taxi drivers.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: It will also look at some of the challenges in
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: assessing fitness to drive and limitations in the current medical
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: assessment process. The free webinar for SOM members takes place
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: on October 19th from midday to one o'clock. Also free
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: for SOM members is a webinar looking at how workplace
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: mediation could help people return to work following mental health-related absence.
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: The session will explore how communication problems, workplace tensions and
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: relationship issues can contribute to prolonged absence and how mediation
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: could support a more sustainable return to work. It will
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: also consider the government's Keep Britain Working agenda and proposed
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: changes to the Fitnote system. The webinar takes place online
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: on October 20th from 4 to 5 p.m. and is
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: free for some members. and draws on the SOM leadership
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: competency framework to show how leadership can be recognised in
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: everyday OH practice and evidenced across the different accreditation levels.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: Visit the podcast page on SOM's website to get all
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: of those episodes. What do you know about Z-scores? An
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: evolution in lung capacity assessments is the focus of an
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: upcoming SOM podcast mini-CPD episode with Rebecca Burton. That episode
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: will be coming soon. Also on the podcast, we've been
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: finding out how the life of an OH physio in
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: Australia differs from that of those in the UK. Catherine
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: Roberts spoke to me about her benchmark research comparing practice
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: in the UK and Australia, supported by the SOM Jubilee
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: Travel Fellowship.
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: It was a wonderful opportunity. So to apply for the
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: Jubilee Travel Fellowship, you need to be doing something abroad
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: regarding research. So, you know, go for it. Decide where
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: you want to go or what you want to do
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: and apply. Yeah, I would urge anyone that's interested, doesn't
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: matter how small that piece of research might be, it
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: will enable you to get your foot in the door,
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: if you like, with some research options. We know it's
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: quite hard to get any funding for research these days. So,
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: you know, every penny helps. And if you're like me,
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: somebody who's, you know, moving into a clinical academic role,
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: this research that I've done through the Jubilee Fellowship has
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: sort of enabled me to go on and apply for
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: further research funding. And I'm going on in September to
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: do a PhD.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: You can hear more on SOM's podcast channels, which also
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: now include YouTube. SOM members get all the news first
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: in the e-news email. And remember to catch up with
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: our other podcast episodes in the same place you're listening
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: to this one. They include special interest group, occupational therapist
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: and mini CPD series. And until next time, thanks for
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: listening to the SOM News Update. And work with both
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: more at orchidlive.com.