The Children’s Occupational Therapy Service works with children and young people who are experiencing difficulties with their chosen everyday activities (leisure, self-care, productivity) due to physical/neurological disability, co-ordination difficulties, sensory difficulties, learning difficulties or developmental delay.

The service believes that improved functional participation in meaningful activities will have a positive effect on self-worth, health and overall wellbeing. It considers the whole child, their environments and their desired occupations, identifying limitations and barriers, in order to set realistic goals.

The service works jointly with the child and their family and/or educational setting using evidence-based practise to assist them with ways to reach these goal through teaching techniques and/or providing adaptive equipment. As an occupational therapy team, they strive to be at the forefront of evidence-based practise and family focussed.  

How?

The service provides a range of universal training sessions aimed at parents and educational settings to support children with additional needs to acquire skills to engage in their chosen activities.

Depending on the child’s needs, parents/carers may be offered a training session or a face-to-face assessment. Following this, they may then be offered advice or a series of treatment sessions and advice to work towards an agreed goal/ outcome.

Generally, children are discharged at the end of an intervention and can be re-referred after a consolidation period of three months or sooner if there are safety concerns.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

Referrals are accepted from any health or educational professional.

The young person must:

• be between 0-18
• have a GP in Haringey or attend a school under the Haringey LA
  • if they attend a school out of borough require input in school, please refer them to the OT service in that borough
• experience functional difficulties with more than one everyday task (e.g. self-care, school activities, play activities, see prompts below).

Exclusions

The service does not accept referrals:

• for difficulties with handwriting/scissor skills where there is no other functional concern, as this can be managed in schools
• that say ‘fine motor difficulties’, ‘sensory processing difficulties’ or ‘developmental co-ordination disorder/dyspraxia diagnosis (this referral will be returned to the referrer)
  • please specify how these difficulties impact on a young person’s ability to perform everyday activities (i.e. functional concerns)
• where the sole purpose is behavioural management.

How to Refer

Locations

Tynemouth Road Health Centre