Children’s Occupational Therapy Service
Our Occupational Therapy Service offers specialist assessment and intervention to enable and maximise the potential for children to engage in their daily living activities (occupations).
Our team are skilled in the assessment of a child’s everyday activities which may impact of their access and participation in their environment.
We are able to provide analysis and adaptation of activities and recommendations to improve a child’s occupational performance and outcomes across a range of areas.
The children’s occupational therapy service will offer:
- Specialist Assessment of a child’s needs and identification of outcomes and goals for the child
- Advice and Intervention on the basis of assessment of clinical need
- An individual management plan developed and agreed with the young person, parents and carers as appropriate
- Evaluation of outcomes and future plans
- Advice on Transition and Discharge.
The children’s occupational therapy team work with children presenting with a range of physical and pervasive developmental conditions, complex needs and functional difficulties.
Children, young people and their families can access expert knowledge in the following areas:
- Developmental Delay
- Neurological conditions
- Sensory processing
- Feeding Diffculties
- Independence Skills (self-Care)
- Motor Co-ordination Difficulties and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
- Fine Motor skills, including handwriting
- Neuromuscular conditions
- Rehabilitation for children and young people following injury/accident
- Hospital discharge planning.
Who can refer?
Referrals are accepted via medical, health, social care or educational professionals. Referrals are through a letter or referral form with consent from the family. Families can request any relevant professional to refer on their behalf.
Referrals are accepted by post to the address below:
Children’s Occupational Therapy Service
Platt Bridge Health Centre
Rivington Avenue
Platt Bridge
Wigan
WN2 5NG
or
Email: wwl-tr.paedtherapyadmin@nhs.net
Professionals making a referral
Educational and health professionals are required to bring the referral to a prereferrals meeting to discss the child/young person's needs, prior to making a formal referral. If you require this please contact the admin team for a link.
All referals will be triaged by an occupational therapist in line with service critera, to determine if the occupational therapy service is the most appropriate service to meet the child or young persons needs.
Information to be updated shortly
Information to be updated shortly
Information to be updated shortly
Initial Assessment and Review Appointments
Appointments take place at the following Health Centres:
Leigh Health Centre
Children’s Service
The Avenue
Leigh
WN7 1HR
Tel: 0300 707 1476
Car Parking
Car parking is available at the rear of the Walk-in-Centre.
Platt Bridge Health Centre
First Floor Children’s Service
Rivington Avenue
Platt Bridge
Wigan
WN2 5NG
Tel: 0300 707 1476
Car Parking
Parking is avaliable at Platt Bridge
Evidence shows that the best results are achieved when we work with those in daily contact with the child and young person.
This enables those around the child to promote skills to their full potential in a variety of meaningful environments.
For the Occupational Therapy service this means working with a variety of settings and with a variety of other people including parents and professionals.
The aim is to form a partnership with families and professionals to support others to maximise their child’s potential.
Parents are a significant member of the team who hold a unique insight into their child and whose contribution we value.
Occupational Therapist’s work closely with other health colleagues to provide an integrated approach to management.
This includes other health services:
- Children’s Physiotherapy Service
- Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service
- Children’s Early Years Assessment
- Children’s Community Nursing Team
- Wheelchair Service
- Health Visiting Service
- School Nursing Service
The occupational therapist’s will also work closely with any other health colleagues who are involved in the child’s care, such as the child’s Paediatrician, GP and professionals within the local and tertiary centres.
Close working with partners from education, including nurseries and schools are advocated within the service, in order that we are able to provide the best support and approaches in developing the child’s skills and functioning in their education setting.
We also work alongside colleagues in the local authority, including social services occupational therapists and social care.
Once the child or young person’s occupational therapy needs are met then a child will be discharged from the service. This may be for reasons including:
- Skills are at an optimum level
- Parents and other professionals working with the child are able to implement the advice and strategies to enable increased participation in daily activities
- Difficulties no longer have significant impact upon the child’s development
- Resolution of difficulties with no ongoing needs
- Child moves out of area in terms of home address, GP and school
- A child or family declines input from the service at this time.
The decision to discharge will always be discussed and agreed with the child or young person, their family and other relevant professionals.
A re-referral to the service coud be made, should need change.
If a young person reaches the maximum criteria age within the service and there are still ongoing occupational therapy needs then a referral to the appropriate adult occupational therapy service will be made. Collaboration and joint appointments where appropriate will be facilitated in order to facilitate the transition to adult services.
Platt Bridge Health Centre
Rivington Avenue
Platt Bridge
Wigan
WN2 5NG
Telephone: 0300 707 1476
Email address: wwl-tr.paedtherapyadmin@nhs.net
We offer training courses run by the Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service and will include interactive workshops.
- Handwritting/finemotor.
- Sensory parent training (0 - 5).
- Sensory Circuits.
- Feeding.
Please contact the department for further infomation.
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Q) What happens if I miss an appointment?
If you know in advance that you can’t make a pre-arranged appointment then please contact Platt Bridge Health Centre on 0300 707 1476 where we will re-arrange your appointment.
If the appointment time and date has passed and you have not contacted the service to notify of non-attendance then the patient will be discharged from the service in line with Trust policy
If your child still has on-going occupational therapy needs please call to discuss this further.
Q) How long will the initial assessment take?
An Initial appointments will usually take approximately 60-90 minutes, however further assessment maybe required.
Q) Where will initial assessments take place?
Routinely initial assessments are held either virtually or Face to face dependent on the pathway the child is placed on. For further information please call the Occupational Therapy service on 0300 707 1476.
Q) What will the assessment involve?
The occupational therapist will gather information around your child’s current needs. The assessment may also involve your child participating in a range of activities.
Q) Is the Occupational Therapy service fully accessible?
All buildings used by the team are fully accessible and contain appropriate facilities for families and children with additional needs.
Q) Is Car parking available at Leigh Health Centre and Platt Bridge Health Centre?
Yes.