Occupational Therapy

How to find us:

The Children’s Occupational Therapy (OT) Service is now based in Outpatients East, Level 2, together with adult Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy. The service started in July 2016 with just one full time member of staff, but has now grown to 5 Occupational Therapists, three working full-time, and two-part time. Children are primarily referred to OT by the paediatric Orthopaedic, Plastics, Oncology, Neurology and Rheumatology consultants for short term OT interventions.

Each child and their family are given advice, treatment or a management programme based on an individual assessment of their needs and their condition, with the aim being that each child reaches their full potential and maximum independence, especially with regards to activities of daily living including play, school activities and self-care skills.

Where do we see children?

Children are seen in the hospital either on the children’s inpatient wards, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, within MDT clinics or as outpatients in the Jenny Lind Therapy department and Outpatients East, Level 2 at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. We sometimes also visit children at home or in school if we can carry out a more effective assessment that way.

Who do we treat?

Rheumatology:

We see children and young people with various rheumatological conditions including Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, various autoimmune diseases and young people who are struggling with hypermobility or chronic pain. We work as part of the MDT, focusing on independence with activities of daily living, and this often includes liaising with school. We also now help young people to transition into adult services in a supportive and appropriate way.

Orthopaedics:

Includes working with children, young people, and their families primarily where their ability to participate in their daily activities is affected by pain, congenital difference, trauma or following elective surgery. We carry out pre-op assessments for children due to come onto the Ward for elective surgery, and then see them post-operatively to prepare the young person and their family for discharge from hospital, working closely with the physiotherapists and specialist nurses. We also support children to recover and return to function following upper-limb trauma, for example finger factures, and help to manage any potential long-term effects that might impact on their future ability to participate in activity.

Plastics / Orthopaedics:

we provide tailored treatment plans for children and their families living with congenital upper-limb difference. This will include seeing children to maximise upper limb function, correcting contractures, or facilitating function through splinting as part of a tailored therapy plan, supporting challenges at nursery/school and providing therapy after corrective surgery.

Upper-limb assessment clinic:

We are part of a consultant led MDT clinic supporting children living with neurological diagnosis including cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, or movement disorders. We help to prepare children and their families for elective surgery both pre-operatively and post-operatively. We also provide treatment blocks of specialist therapy following upper-limb surgery or muscle relaxant injections (botulinum toxin). We work closely with the Community Childrens’ Occupational Therapy team to support these families.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit:

We provide an occupational therapy service to babies and their families admitted to the NICU. We look at how babies interact with the environment and how that influences their neuro-behavioural and neuro-motor development through positioning, handling, and sensory stimulation. We can support parents/caregivers on how to establish their role as parents and build interactions at each stage of their journey through the neonatal unit, so that their infants will be able to achieve their developmental milestones later in life or maximise their potential.

Referrals:

If you feel your child may need an Occupational Therapy assessment, please discuss this with your Consultant or Specialist nurse who may be able to refer you to the service if appropriate.  Please note there is also a community Children’s Occupational Therapy team who work with children and young people with long term disabilities.