The role of occupational therapists working with children and young people is to provide intervention, support and/or advice to children and young people (0-19 years) and their families, where there is disability or impairment which significantly impacts on their performance and participation in everyday activities of life.
Advice and strategies are offered to the child/young person, their family, education staff and other professionals working closely with the child/young person; this provides them with the information they need to improve the child/young person's wellbeing. Adaptations to the environment, tasks and equipment will be recommended to enable the child or young person to be as independent as possible.
The occupational therapy team also offer advice and information to nurseries and schools to develop the staff's knowledge of some of the difficulties the children/young people may have and how they can support them to join in these environments.
Children’s occupational therapy have an open referral system. This means that we accept referrals from any source including parents/carers, health visitors, pre-schools, nurseries, mainstream and special schools, paediatricians and GPs.
Please either click on this link to refer your child into the service or if preferred you can telephone the department on 01522 459848. The referral will be triaged and you will be either directed to our universal offer or if appropriate will receive an appointment for an assessment.
Our occupational therapists work with children with a variety of difficulties. This includes children with:
- Rheumatology conditions
- Significant orthopaedic problems (problems with joints or bones) that are causing functional problems
- Neurological conditions (for example cerebral palsy or traumatic brain injury)
- Muscular conditions (for example muscular dystrophy)
- Children with profound and multiple learning disabilities where physical ability significantly impacts on their function or care.
The role of occupational therapists working with children and young people is to provide intervention, support and/or advice to children and young people (0-19 years) and their families, where there is disability or impairment which significantly impacts on their performance and participation in everyday activities of life.
Advice and strategies are offered to the child/young person, their family, education staff and other professionals working closely with the child/young person; this provides them with the information they need to improve the child/young person's wellbeing. Adaptations to the environment, tasks and equipment will be recommended to enable the child or young person to be as independent as possible.
The occupational therapy team also offer advice and information to nurseries and schools to develop the staff's knowledge of some of the difficulties the children/young people may have and how they can support them to join in these environments.
At this current time, the occupational therapy service is not commissioned to see children who have a diagnosis of developmental co-ordination disorder, also known as dyspraxia or to assess for this condition. The occupational therapy service is not currently able to assess children with sensory processing difficulties however there is virtual training available for parents carers - please refer to this section of the website for details. We are unable to provide assessment for children and young people with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
The child/young person should be resident within the County of Lincolnshire and have a Lincolnshire GP
Or
The child is not resident but attends a Lincolnshire special school where the main reason for referral relates to problems accessing the curriculum or school environment
And
The child should be present with severe functional difficulties or in the case of babies or infants, potentially severe difficulties which affect their health, development, performance and independence in daily activities relating to self-care, home/school and play/leisure activities.
The service is offered to
- Children with severe functional and/or postural management requirements as a result of physically disabling conditions either genetic or acquired, who need a rapid response to facilitate discharge from hospital.
- Children with terminal or progressive conditions at the point of diagnosis or times of change will be considered as high priority.
- Children with severe functional and/or postural management requirements as a result of physically disabling conditions either genetic or acquired will be seen as quickly as possible.
Examples of appropriate referrals are difficulties arising from; Cerebral Palsy, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Arthrogryposis, Congenital Absence of Limbs.
We operate an open referral system
If you are unsure of the appropriateness of a potential referral please contact the service on 01522 459848
Exclusion criteria
- Developmenatal coordination disorder (DCD) or Dyspraxia
- Sensory processing difficulties
- Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)
- Adaptations in the home support or equipment for behaioural issues
- Wheelchairs or specialist buggies
From April 2024, we are launching a new pilot across Lincolnshire.
Parents, carers and professionals will be able to phone the advice line and speak to a clinician who will be able to offer advice and support children/young people with general fine motor problems and activities of daily living that affect their participation in terms of play, education and leisure.
Who can use the advice line?
The advice line is open for parents and carers across Lincolnshire with a Lincolnshire GP. Please call in on 01522 459848. We will take your child/young persons details and nature of your concerns. You will then be booked into a designated slot where an experienced Occupational Therapist will call you at the planned time.
All Lincolnshire health, social care and education professionals can use the line with consent from the child’s parent/carer. You will need to complete our online referral form to ensure we have consent. Once we have received your online referral we will email you acknowledgment of receipt and ask you to call in on 01522 459848 to book a designated telephone slot.
Purpose of advice line
- To discuss the appropriateness of referrals into the service where specialist assessment may be required
- To offer reassurance around normal development, red flags and when to refer on for occupational therapy specialist assessment
- To sign post to other resources and services
- To sign post and give information about LCHS courses
- To offer low level advice around fine motor skills, activities of daily living, sensory needs, postural needs, reasonable adaptions to the nursery/classroom and low level equipment needs.
How do I contact the pilot advice line?
You can call us on 01522 459848 to make a referral. You will be contacted by an Occupational Therapist within 4 weeks.