Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists support people to join in with (participate in) everyday activities (occupations) to help them lead a full and happy life, reach their goals and learn the skills they will need during their life in order to be an active members of their community.

An Occupational therapist will aim to support a person to do the things they want and need to do in their daily lives. Occupational therapists do this by thinking about the person, the occupation and the environment.  If these three things are not working together then it can be hard for that person to take part in what they need and want to do. Occupational therapists can help a person make changes to improve their engagement and therefore their enjoyment in everyday life. 

Stockport NHS Children’s Occupational Therapy Local Offer

The Stockport NHS children’s occupational therapy service is a specialist service for children with a Stockport GP from 0 - 16 years old or June of year 11 (year 14 if they attend Heaton Special School).

We are a specialist NHS service that supports children who experience significant difficulties completing their daily activities due to a physical health need resulting from injury, physical or motor impairment or spasticity.

If the child’s difficulties are not due to a physical health need related to injury, physical or motor impairment or spasticity the child’s setting should be able to advise or engage educational services to support their needs such as inclusion co-ordinators, learning support, behaviour support or the Autism team.

Referrals

Stockport NHS children’s Occupational Therapy service offer an open referral system where a parent or any professional working with the child who meets the below criteria can make a referral:

• Registered with a Stockport GP
• Has not left year 11 at school.
• Experience significant difficulties completing their daily activities due to a physical health need resulting from injury, physical or motor impairment or spasticity
• Has significant physical health needs that lead to significant difficulties in completing activities that cannot be met by universal/targeted services or education specialist therapy provision (commissioned by the SMBC)  

Exclusion Criteria:

• School age autism / ADHD  queries (these should be referred following the autism pathway - MASSH non urgent wellbeing pathway)
• Anxiety related difficulties -  (refer following non-urgent wellbeing pathway via team around the school / MASSH non urgent wellbeing Pathway)
• Children with Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions – refer these to the main Outpatient Physiotherapy department at Stepping Hill Hospital: e.g. torticollis, talipes, rehab post fractures and sprains, knee pain. Please contact the team via Otadmin@stockport.nhs.uk
• Sensory assessment or intervention where there is no related physical injury, physical or motor impairment or spasticity.  For children experiencing difficulties with sensory processing please refer to the training session and resource packs on the online training section of the Stockport SEND local offer webpage.
• Children who are already supported and are achieving outcomes set through existing support from specialist services / universal / targeted / interventions at their education setting
• Children with mild developmental differences (these should be supported by universal / targeted provision or services).
• Children in specialist provision with complex needs which are educational, rather than health  - refer these to the education specialist therapy provision through the teacher at the child’s special school (commissioned by schools or SMBC)
• Young people that have finished year 11 of school – refer to adult therapies – see Stockport local offer for services available.

What to expect following your referral

In order to help understand what support the child needs the OT service may offer the parent or carer an initial telephone appointment with an Occupational Therapist.

For children with a physical health need an occupational therapist will consider their daily activities (occupations) such as play, activities of daily living (e.g. eating, dressing, personal care), or where there are barriers to physically accessing their environment.

By the end of the first discussion, the occupational therapist will advise you of what support is required to meet your child’s needs and if the NHS occupational therapy service is the most appropriate service to meet the child’s needs at this time.  If the NHS occupational therapy service cannot support your child’s needs the occupational therapist will signpost you to the service that is best placed to support your child. 

Referral details

If you're a Stockport Foundation Trust health professional using the EMIS patient system, please use the referral form on the system and tick the '0-16yrsOTphysiosaltcdu' exorg task box.

If you do not use the EMIS system as a member of Stockport Foundation Trust, you can email CTSAdmin@stockport.nhs.uk to request the current referral form.