Overview
Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 16:50 (excluding bank holidays)
Who are our services for? The Children's Disability Service OT carries out assessments for children and young people to look at whether they may require specialist equipment and/or adaptations within the home to enable independence in activities of daily living or support safer care by a parent or guardian.
In the case of children who are independently mobile, but are displaying unsafe or unwanted behaviours in the home, we have the following referral criteria in place:
Parents to have already engaged with appropriate parenting or behaviour support.
Parents to have put in place commercially available home safety measures in the first instance.
What do we do?
Following assessment, the support from Occupational Therapy could include:
Assistance in arranging minor alterations such as grabrails and second stair rails.
Assistance in arranging essential major adaptations such as ramps, lifts or larger scale works. Funding of the adaptation work will depend on who owns the home - the OT worker will explain this and make any necessary recommendations to the relevant agency.
Support and advice on moving to a more suitable property to meet long-term needs.
Advice on managing everyday tasks, such as managing personal care and safe mobility around the home.
Assessing transfers and provision of plans to promote safer moving and handling.
Provision of specialist equipment on long term loan such as specialist cots/bed, bathing equipment and toileting equipment.
Specialist equipment on long term loan for children/young people who are Deaf/deafened/hearing impaired, blind/visually impaired, or have dual sensory impairment.
Provision of specialist seating on long term loan to support postural care and development.
Advice, guidance and signposting to appropriate services.
The team is made up of both Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants. These workers visit children and young people at home to assess how they and their family are managing every day activities, such as, mobilising within the home, toileting, and bathing. The assessment also considers the child's ability to access essential facilities within their home, and any requirement for postural support and/or moving and handling advice or equipment.
The team works closely with the Adaptations Agency to enable essential adaptations to the home if required.
How can you access us? The Service operates public duty points which are staffed by workers from within the Teams who can answer questions, offer advice, take referrals and signpost to the appropriate service.
Times and availability
Age Range: 0-18 years old (19 if still attending a special school)
Contact
Address
Referral
A child is eligible for a formal assessment by the Whole Life Disability Occupational Therapy Service if they are aged 0-18 (19 if in a Special School) and:
Have a permanent and substantial disability.
And
Are not fully independent in and/or has significant difficulty with, their essential activities of daily living, appropriate to their age and development.
Or
Where there are significant safety concerns, relating to the child's disability, which cannot be met by commercially available solutions.
Or
Whose parents are unable to sustain the current level of support without equipment and/or adaptations.
Assessments are not provided to children who have short term needs arising from a temporary impairment or hospital discharge and we do not assess or provide wheelchairs.
To make a referral for an Occupational Therapy Assessment, please use the following links:
For Professionals:
https://myaccount.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/service/whole_life_disability_occupational_therapy_referral
For Parent/Guardians:
https://myaccount.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/service/whole_life_disability_occupational_therapy_referral___parent_and_guardian