Table 1 Demographic details of mentors and OTs interviewed
| Mentors | OTs | |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 1 (5.3) | |
| Female | 6 (100) | 18 (94.7%) |
| Years qualified as an OT | Mean: 29.3 (range: 18–40) | Mean: 18.7 (range: 6–34) |
| Years’ experience in: | ||
| Mentoring (or supervising) | Mean: 13.4 (range: 2–35) | |
| Stroke rehabilitation | Mean: 13.3 (range: 2.5–22) | Mean: 10.1 (range: 0–32.3) |
| Vocational Rehabilitation | Mean: 17.8 (range: 9.5–25) | Mean: 3.3 (range: 0–12) |
| Research | Mean: 6.5 (range: 0–14) | |
| Previous research roles (note: multiple roles were reported by some mentors) |
Research Occupational Therapist (1) Mentor (3) Trainer for clinicians and researchers (2) Completed PhD (2) Research Assistant (2) Research Fellow (2) | |
| Employment circumstances/clinical roles during RETAKE period (note: multiple roles were reported per some individuals due to changes during RETAKE period) |
Retired (1) Employed in NHS senior position (2) Seconded from NHS to UoNa (1) Researcher at UoN (1) Private VR business owner (2) Retired/moved abroad later on in study (2) |
Clinical Occupational Therapist (14) Occupational Therapy Team Leader (3) Independent Occupational Therapist (1) Senior Research Assistant (1) |
| NHS band |
Band 6 (12) Band 7 (7) | |
| Educationb |
DipCOTc (1) Bachelor’s degree (1) Master’s degree relating to OT (1) Postgraduate certificate in VR (1) PhD in VR research (2) |
DipCOT (2) Bachelor’s degree (16) Master’s degree relating to OT, healthcare, or research methods (4) |