Staff Profiles
Michael Chevalier Dip COT M.Phil
Career History
Michael graduated from St Loye's School of Occupational Therapy in 1989. Since that time he has worked with a wide spectrum of conditions and disability in specialist in-patient and community settings both in physical and mental health.
He specialised in palliative care and has conducted research in oncology and haematology at undergraduate and postgraduate level. His MPhil degree in Medical Sciences involved research on haematology patients undergoing treatment in protective isolation. Since 2001 he has worked with Exeter Hospice and Devon County Council as a key Manual Handling advisor, training volunteers and providing risk assessment for patients in the community.
Current Work
Michael currently works in private practice as a manual handling trainer/advisor and case manager. He has worked as a case manager for Westcountry Case Management for two years and also provided case management for Rehab Logic prior to this.
His case management role includes undertaking assessment, identifying difficulties in everyday functioning, planning appropriate strategies and treatment to manage symptoms and working with clients to regain function and occupational roles. He also prepares expert witness reports costing rehabilitation and care needs following personal injury.
Key Skills
- Wide experience in disability and expertise in assessing psychological and physical impact of trauma on function and quality of life
- Comprehensive assessment and needs identification skills to assist client, carer and referrer
- Ability to empower others to identify, plan and achieve their own goals
- Sound liaison and training skills to support other workers, clients and carers, working closely as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- Effective communicator with empathy and humour, lectured successfully to large and small groups
- Quality report writing, consistently acknowledged by peer appraisal
Professional Affiliations
- Member of British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT) .
- Member of Association of Occupational Therapists in Palliative Care / HIV (HOPE)