UPDATE from 23 February 2021
Following the announcement from the Prime Minister on 22 February 2021, advising that all children and young people will return to educational settings from 8 March 2021, there will be no change to the Children and Young People’s Therapies service offer. We will continue to comply with social distancing measures when delivering appointments by using a virtual first approach. Therapists will deliver face to face intervention where indicated, wearing appropriate PPE for all sessions, both in education setting, clinic or at home. Within HCT all staff have been offered the COVID-19 vaccination and those who are undertaking face to face appointments are regularly self-testing using a Lateral Flow test.
The Children’s Occupational Therapy service offers a child and family centred approach to support children and young people with their independence in all aspects of daily living, such as self-feeding, dressing and participating in play and school activities. The service is available to children and families across Hertfordshire.
We work in partnership with parents/carers and other colleagues to promote positive outcomes for children by using a range of approaches that are individually tailored to each child and family. This may include the provision of an activity plan, specialist equipment, treatment sessions or training to parents, carers and school staff. This is achieved through individual assessments, treatment, advice and multi-agency working.
The Children’s Occupational Therapy Service in Hertfordshire is integrated across health and social care, which means in addition to the support above the service can also provide assessment and advice on adaptations to your home or child’s school environments to meet their specific needs.
Please use the links on this site to find out more about us and how to contact the Children’s Occupational Therapy Service.
Children & Young People's Therapies Service Offer
Training
Places are now available to book for our Moving and Handling training sessions in the Summer term of 2021. Click here for dates and how to book.
Online Parent/Carer Sensory Information Sessions
Understanding your child’s sensory preferences: Click here for dates and how to book
Supporting your child’s sensory Self-Regulation development: Click here for dates and how to book
Online Parent/Carer Motor Development Sessions
Supporting your child’s motor skills development: Click here for dates and how to book
We also have a dedicated telephone number which parents, carers and professional can call to speak to a therapist about a new referral or child’s development. The advice line number is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please leave a message on our Advice Line 01992 823093 and a therapist will contact you. Calls are responded to by a therapist on weekdays.
If your child is already known to the service please contact us on the number below.
Contact the service
Telephone: 01923 470680
Email: hct.cyptherapies1@nhs.net
Service Delivery during Covid-19:
Children and Young People’s Therapies has changed the way we are working due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are continuing to accept new referrals through our usual referral pathways but have reduced service capacity at this time. In order to comply with social distancing the majority of appointments will be offered virtually either with telephone or video appointments via <Attend Anywhere >
Information on using ‘Attend Anywhere’ can be found at: https://nhs.attendanywhere.com/callers
Process for Face-to-face appointments:
- Please do not attend a face-to-face appointment if you, your child or anyone in your household is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or if you or your child are required to self-isolate during the time of the appointment.
- Only one parent/guardian is permitted to attend the appointment with a child. Please do not bring any other children to the appointment.
- On arrival at the HCT centre, please follow local instructions provided when the appointment was booked. Please arrive at your appointment time as there is limited waiting space in the buildings and car parks. A clinician will collect you and lead you to the clinic room. Clinicians will be wearing personal protective equipment, as per recommended guidelines.
- We ask that you maintain social distancing wherever possible and when entering the building, please ensure that both of you are wearing a face covering or mask (very young children or those with additional needs will not be required to wear a face covering or mask).
- Strict cleaning procedures are in place.
Along with our Advice Line we are also delivering:
- Support for CYP who need to be discharged out of hospital
- Support for CYP who may require end of life care or an urgent social care assessment
- Support for CYP with dysphagia (eating and drinking difficulties)
- Urgent moving/handling and access assessments, and advice/review of equipment needs
- Assessments for statutory Education, Health and Care plans
- Contacting families of CYP with therapy provision as part of their EHCP to discuss their child’s needs
- Appointments to review a CYP’s needs where they have complex or urgent therapy needs or for those CYP whose needs are as yet unclear
We are not currently delivering face to face groups due to the increased risk of transmission that they pose.
If you have any urgent or new queries please contact the CYPT Advice Line number - 01992 823093 and a therapist will contact you to discuss your concern.
Please remember to also look on the Website pages under Useful Information for further advice and support.
The Children’s Occupational Therapy team work with children and young people in the most appropriate setting to promote functional skills. We work closely with families, education staff and all members of the team around a child or young person. For those children and young people with an identified need an episode of care will be recommended. If required, the Occupational Therapist will work through an interpreter should a child, young person or their family have difficulty communicating in English.
We offer support in different ways:
- Universal – something for all children, for example: raising awareness and increasing understanding of sensory difficulties and difficulties with daily living tasks.
- Targeted – something for some children, for example: working with families and settings to help identify and overcome barriers faced by children and young people with difficulties which impact on their functioning and daily living.
- Specialist – something for children with a defined clinical need, for example: where our input can make a significant contribution to a child or young person’s health and wellbeing. Not all children and young people will require specialist support, as advice and support can be accessed through our targeted and universal offer.
The Children’s Occupational Therapy Service support children and young people who live in Hertfordshire from birth to 18 years old. We also support young people aged 18-25 years old who have an Education Health and Care Plan.
Children and young people aged 0-18 years of age who live in Hertfordshire with a long term disability of chronic illness that significantly affects their access to their home environment can be referred for assessment for equipment and adaptations within their home.
During the appointment you will have the opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have about your child’s development of functional skills.
The occupational therapist will assess what your child is able to do through observation of play and activities, they might also use a standardised assessment which will help them measure your child’s performance against national age norms, and they will then decide if your child has a need for further OT involvement.
After the initial assessment the occupational therapist may decide to do one or more of the following:
- provide advice and treatment. Treatment can be an activity programme for home and school practice, individual therapy sessions with the therapist or therapy assistant, or group sessions with other children with similar difficulties and needs
- recommend specialist equipment for use at home, in school or nursery
- offer advice on adaptations to support your child’s independence or care needs at home and/or in school
- offer training to parents, carers and Education staff on how best to support your child with functional activities, this advice is usually delivered via workshops and presentations
- write a report to provide information or access to other services
We offer a flexible service supporting children in the most appropriate environment, whether that is a clinic, at nursery or school or at home. We work closely with parents, teachers and pre-school staff and all members of the team around the child or young person to achieve this.
If required, the occupational therapist will work through an interpreter should a child or their family have difficulty communicating in English.
The Children’s Occupational Therapy service has provided some resources for parents and people who work with children.
This is general advice to help overcome some common difficulties in everyday activities including dressing, ball skills, using a pencil.
Please read the General Principles for Completing Activities first.
Activity Recording Sheet
Basic Sensory Diet Ideas
Strategies for mouthing, biting and chewing in children
Fine Motor Skills
Explaining Using Scissors and Rulers
Using a Pencil
Developing Coordinated Hand Use
Gross Motor Skills
Explaining Ball Skills
Explaining Riding a Bike
Postural Control, Balance and Motor Planning
Starter Activities for Balance, Coordination and Strength
Self Care Skills
Developing Dressing Skills
Developing Feeding Skills
Sensory Processing
Applying Sensory Strategies to Personal Care
Investigating Sensory Hurdles
Understanding Self-Regulation
Investigating Self-Regulation
Understanding Sensory Preferences
School Strategies
Getting Ready for Secondary School
Attention and Organisation in the Classroom
Secondary Starters Workbook
Dressing Tips, Ties and Shoelaces Workbook
Equipment Use Workbook
All our Occupational Therapists are registered with the Health Professions Council www.hpc-uk.org and work to standards set by Trust, the College of Occupational Therapist and Children, Young People and Families.
www.hemihelp.org.uk - UK based charity for children and young people with hemiplegia.
www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk - Supporting children, families and adults with dyspraxia.
www.scope.org.uk - Cerebral Palsy information and support.
www.muscular-dystrophy.org - information and support to people with muscular dystrophy.
www.cot.co.uk - The professional body for occupational therapists and OT staff in the United Kingdom.
Have you heard of the Local Offer? If you are a young person with, or have a child with special educational needs and disabilities, (SEND) the Local Offer is Hertfordshire’s central source of information for SEND services and support. Visit www.hertsdirect.org/localoffer for an easily accessible one stop shop.
All referrals sent to the service are triaged by a therapist based on the information provided to decide whether an assessment appointment will be offered.
Click here to download a referral form.
Guidance on how to complete a referral
Pre-school children
Should you have concerns regarding your child’s independence in aspects of daily living such as self-feeding, dressing and participating in play activities please speak to your Health Visitor or local Family Centre. They will often be able to provide you with advice on ways to support your child at home. Health visitors and other health professionals, such as your GP, can refer a child to the service.
School-aged children
If your child is in full-time school you should discuss any concerns you may have with your child’s teacher. Some children can be supported in their school without requiring a referral to the service. SENCos and other education professionals can refer a child to the service.
Referrals for Home Equipment and Adaptations
Referrals relating to home environmental issues can be made by parents and carers, as well as anyone involved with your child.
Children’s Occupational Therapy Housing Hub – Information for Parents and Carers
Click here to download a Home Assessment referral form.
Virtual Screening Clinics
Virtual screening clinics are now available to book on through Eventbrite. These clinics are an opportunity for you as a parent to talk with the therapist regarding your child’s development and for us to gather information to understand your child’s needs. You may have been directed to these clinics by a Health Visitor or a professional working with your child but you do not need a referral to attend one of these clinics.
We have two separate clinics running, one by Speech and Language Therapists and one by Occupational Therapists. The criteria for attending the OT clinic is as follows:
OT:
- Screening Clinics are for children between 4 years and 8 years old i.e. Early Years and Key Stage 1 / Reception to Year 2. The clinics are to provide families with advice and support when there are concerns about their child’s development.
- We are unable to see children requiring specialist equipment, those where assessment for home adaptations is being requested and those with complex medical needs including children discharged from hospital.
Please click HERE to access further information and to book your place for the OT Virtual Screening Clinic.
If you would like to share your story, please contact the Patient Experience team on 01707 388036 or email pals.hchs@nhs.net.
We would also love to hear about your experience on our service, please complete a survey by clicking here.
