Wye Valley NHS Trust

Compassion, accountability, respect and excellence

Children's Occupational Therapy

About our service and role

Occupational Therapists (OTs) provide a community service for children and young people registered with a Herefordshire GP or Herefordshire council tax household (if referral is for home adaptations/equipment at home)
The role of the Occupational Therapist is to assess, evaluate, advise and/or provide intervention for children and young people whose participation in activities of daily living (including self-care, play, leisure and school) is significantly compromised by physical, motor, sensory or learning difficulties.
We also support children and young people where there are barriers in the physical environment at home or nursery/school that impact on function i.e. access to building and facilities, transfers, seating for function.

Assessments
Assessments take place in a variety of settings including clinics, home, educational facilities, pre-school and other environments applicable to the child.

Assessments are used to identify factors affecting a child’s ability to participate in activities of daily living and any difficulties with this. If appropriate, following assessment, interventions will be recommended which may include advice for parents/schools, workshops, group or individual treatment sessions, equipment or environmental adaptation recommendations.

Working in partnership
Our team work in partnership with children and young people, their families / carers, education, healthcare and social care professionals, and are part of a multi-disciplinary approach.

Children’s Community Occupational Therapy service leaflet. What is Children’s OT and what do we do.

Department outline

The Occupational Therapy team works together with colleagues across Health and Social Care including Health Visiting, Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy and the Wheelchair Service.