Our children’s therapy teams provide specialist assessment and therapy for babies, children and young people.
The teams are made up of occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and dietitians and are mostly community based, working in nurseries, mainstream schools, special schools, children’s centres, community clinics, hospital based outpatient clinics, people’s homes and the child development centre. We also offer advice to colleagues working in the hospital where appropriate, to support the care of individual children in the inpatient setting.
Partnership working is vital and we link in closely with parents and a wide range of other professionals including teachers, educational psychologists, paediatricians, early years practitioners, social workers, school an specialist nurses community and health visitors.
Our main aims are to help children and young people to:
- Develop and make progress at school/nursery to the best of their ability
- Be as independent as possible and make choices for themselves
- Have satisfying relationships at home and at school
- Participate and feel confident, be free from discomfort, stay well and be safe
- Meet nutritional needs to promote and support appropriate growth and development.
Your first appointment
If this is the first time your child has been referred to the children’s therapy team, you may be wondering what to expect. At the first session:
- You will have the chance to discuss your child with the therapist
- The therapist will work with your child so that he or she can find out what your child can do. We aim to make sessions fun so that children relax and want to take part
- The therapist will explain what’s happening – and why – and give you feedback about your child
Remember: you know your child better than anyone – we will listen carefully to what you
have to say.