Call on 0330 024 9910

Call for more information and costs or if you are enquiring for yourself or a family member you can use our online cost guide for individuals.

Working with Parents and guardians

We recognise the importance of finding the right services for your child to help them develop their independence and confidence at home or school. We have designed our children's services to allow you to control the times, frequency and location of your child's occupational therapy support.

Find out how we can help

Why use The OT Practice?

We understand the importance of prompt, reliable and high quality care when it comes to choosing occupational therapists for children. We offer:

  • An office-based team managing your case with oversight internally from designated clinical services manager who is an experienced OT
  • Simple and transparent fees
  • Timely delivery of assessments and treatment, with no waiting lists, for as long as your child requires
  • Comprehensive, jargon-free reports
  • The largest nationwide network of private occupational therapists in the UK, all with at least five years' post-qualification experience covering all specialisms
  • A strict selection, interview and registration process for OT Practice therapists to guarantee only the highest standard of care
  • Evening and weekend appointments to suit you, either at school or home
  • Monthly progress reports for ongoing interventions at no additional cost

OT Practice Kids

OT Practice Kids provides expert children's occupational therapy through a nationwide network of skilled paediatric therapists.

We provide assessments and treatment to children at home or school, and work with solicitors, case managers, parents, LEAs and schools directly to deliver tailored services for each child. Your enquiry will be directed to our in-house peadiatric client management team, who will be able to support you throughout your time with us.

Clinical specialisms

All our occupational therapists are at least 5 years post-qualifying with at least 2 years experience within their specialist field. The specialist areas of OT we cover are:

Services

Assessments & advice

Our paediatric therapists can assess your child at home or school, and at a time convenient for you. The assessment is a collaborative process where we obtain a full picture of your child's difficulties before planning the next steps with you.

We appreciate that parents or guardians are likely to have questions, and the assessment is your protected time to ask these of an expert. We will also provide immediate and practical advice at this stage, relieving you and your child of anxiety in the meantime.

Initial Consultation Service

If you are unsure about the right pathway to take and concerned about the cost of an OT assessment, then our initial video consultation may be a helpful starting point. Our initial paediatric consultation service has been created for parents and guardians simply seeking some practical advice from a specialist paediatric OT and to gain confidence about the right next steps.

Whilst a consultation is not a substitute for a full assessment, where appropriate our OT will discuss strategies and programs that can be immediately implemented by yourself or your child's school. It maybe that the day-to-day difficulties that a child is experiencing, could to varying extents, be managed through practical advice to parents or schools. During the consultation, our paediatric OT will discuss with you whether this is an appropriate and sufficient alternative option to a full assessment, and if not, explain what a full assessment would provide to ensure you are well informed to decide on next steps.

Why we have created our initial video consultation service for parents:

  • We appreciate the cost of an OT assessment can be daunting and we want to offer a more widely accessible starting point
  • If you are unsure of what an OT assessment will provide, to ensure you are well informed and give you confidence to proceed with a full assessment if appropriate
  • If possible, immediately give you some practical and actionable advice and/or programs you can implement yourself or at school.
  • Because it is delivered remotely, we can draw on our entire nationwide network to ensure there is no waiting for availability and we are not constrained by location to provide you with access to some of the very best paediatric OTs in the UK.

Find out more about our Initial Consultation Service on our dedicated page.

Treatment packages

Following an initial functional assessment and consultation, we will propose a treatment programme oriented towards the goals you have for your child, aiming to address their difficulties, boost confidence and ultimately equip them to be as independent as possible.

  1. One-to-one treatment sessions

Our one-to-one treatment sessions focus on specific skill development at home and/or school. They are usually delivered in blocks of eight, allowing us to periodically review a child's progress and adjust our programme.

  1. Bespoke programmes, designed by us and delivered by you

Of course, not all children require the presence of an OT at every stage of their treatment, so we can devise bespoke programmes that incorporate activities throughout your child’s day, giving them increased opportunity to practice the techniques we develop with them.

  1. Techniques and strategies

These are provided as part of our therapist's assessment report, and provide practical advice to improve your child’s skills.

In addressing the school environment, the report may include strategies for teachers to improve a child’s classroom participation and learning, while for the home environment we offer various techniques to maximize independence and manage daily challenges.

Where appropriate parents will receive options two and three as part of their assessment package, while many children will require one-to-one sessions for additional support.

Case transitions

We often work with children and families that, for a variety of reasons, move to us from other practices or therapists. In these circumstances we will ensure as seamless a transition as possible, with recent assessments and treatment plans either maintained or reviewed as necessary.

Carer training

We work with parents, guardians and school staff to provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to support your child in their development.

Our short training packages can therefore cover a range of topics, from sensory programmes to moving & handling, handwriting techniques and behavioural strategies.

Handwriting programmes

There are many component skills underlying handwriting, and a deficiency in any one of them can significantly impede a child's progress.

The OT Practice has developed its own, bespoke handwriting programme that can be tailored to the specific needs of each child and aims to develop:

  • A mature pencil grip
  • An effective sitting posture
  • Letter formation & spacing
  • Concentration strategies
  • Pre-writing & copying skills
  • Visual perception
  • Core & shoulder stability
  • Fine motor skills, hand strength and dexterity
  • Organisation of work on the page
  • Self-confidence with school work

The programme can be delivered by a specialist therapist but may also be overseen either by parents or school staff.

Complex needs

We appreciate that some children will come to us with complex physical needs. So the services offered by our paediatric occupational therapists include splinting, home adaptations, property advice, professional guidance regarding equipment & environmental control systems, seating & postural management, and moving & handling.

Therapeutic listening

Our bespoke, therapeutic listening programme has helped many children improve their ability to comprehend and process spoken information, sometimes in concert with other treatment.

The programme involves a sequence of activities for your child to complete while they are listening to carefully chosen recordings, which the therapist will review every two weeks. In this way, research suggests that significant progress can be made within six months, although many children continue to benefit over longer periods.

Our approach to working with parents and guardians

Having worked closely with parents and guardians for many years we have gained a strong appreciation of their needs and have tailored our services to match. There are three core elements we believe are critical to delivering exceptional care.

Our client management team

From your initial enquiry to discharge you will have a dedicated office-base paediatric team, supervised by one of our Clinical Services Managers who will be an experienced paediatric OT, managing your case ensuring quality, consistency and timeliness. They will first aim to fully understand your needs, before recommending how to proceed and working with you to select the most appropriate OT in our team to provide care.

Our processes & systems

We manage hundreds of cases at any one time and have many OTs working in the community working with families, so ensuring that every case runs smoothly requires dependable logistics. We have refined our processes and invested in bespoke systems to provide the foundation to The OT Practice's operations.

Our nationwide team of therapists

We have the largest team of private OTs in the UK, and all have passed a strict selection & registration process to ensure we only have the best on our team. Clinical skills and experience are essential, but to become an OT Practice therapist our team members must demonstrate a track record of professionalism and the right attitude to customer service, as well as having an energetic and innovative approach.

Can we help?

Call us on 0330 024 9910 or you can get an estimated cost online based on some simple questions. Use our online cost guide now.

Next steps

Initial enquiry

Your call will be answered by a member of the client management team who will be able to understand your circumstances and provide information and advice on our services. They will be able to explain the referral process in more detail, advice on costs and how to proceed. If you would like to get an idea of cost before calling we recommend using our online cost guide, which asks a few basic questions before emailing you a cost estimate.

Online cost guide

Quote

All our fees are transparent and clearly presented within our quote. Once our client management team has established your circumstances, you would then be sent a detailed quotation itemising the actions we propose and the associated fee.

Referral

Once you have had time to consider the options and costs, and if you would like to proceed, the next step would be our straightforward online referral form. Of course, if you would like guidance on completing the form, or if you have any other questions at that time, our client management team will always be available to assist.

Assessment

Completed in a child's home or at school, we would arrange to visit at a convenient time that suits them to complete our collaborative assessment process. The aim is to identify areas of difficulty, provide immediate initial advice where possible, and gather the information needed to inform our recommendations.

Report & recommendations

You would then receive a detailed written report, reviewed and delivered by our client management team, within 7 days of assessment. Our reports are professional, concise and jargon-free, detailing the findings of the assessment and providing practical recommendations on what can be done to address your child's difficulties.

Treatment

Our treatment packages are typically delivered in blocks, which allows for a review or rest period between treatments if needed. We set initial goals which are reviewed towards the end of the sessions, allowing us to revise our plan and goals if necessary. We only recommend treatment for as long as we feel clinically necessary, our aim being to make your child independent of us rather than dependent upon us. If ongoing professional support is needed for more complex recommendations then these will be fully quoted in advance, and monthly progress reports provided at no extra cost.

Client feedback

Can we help?

Call our client managers on 0330 024 9910
Or email enquiries@theotpractice.co.uk

Our client’s experience

Tahira’s daughter Safiyah was diagnosed with Autism at an early age. The diagnosis altered the family’s path and led to her being referred to us for OT support. The OT Practice Paediatrics team worked with her family to understand and achieve their goals.

Hear from Tahira how OT helped her family
Tahira
More from our  A New Normal  video series

Commonly asked questions by parents & guardians

Which types of children do you work with?

We provide occupational therapy to children across the range of possible areas of difficulty, including handwriting difficulties, sensory issues, development coordination disorders, autism, gross or fine motor skills, and concentration or behavioural problems.

Find out more about the conditions and problems our OTs can help with.

My child has already been assessed by a therapist who has recommended treatment but is unable to offer it. Can you help?

We often work with children that come to us from other practices, and if their latest OT report is less than six months old and still relevant to your child's condition, there is a strong chance that we can provide the recommended treatment without the need for another full assessment.

Find out more about our paediatric service and how our OTs can help.

Are your services likely to be covered by our private medical insurance?

Since the terms of private medical insurance vary greatly, you would need to contact your insurer directly to find out which of our services would be covered by your own plan.

What if I don't agree with parts of your assessment report?

Any concerns or objections to our findings can always be discussed with our client management team in the first instance. In most cases they are able to resolve any misunderstandings around the contents of an OT report, but in the very rare instances where mistakes do occur then we will of course ensure these are corrected.

Why do you prefer to assess and treat at home or school, rather than in a clinic?

Children best present a realistic picture of their difficulties in their own day-to-day environment. They are also likely to be more relaxed. Both of these factors help our OTs to gain a more accurate picture, and to offer practical advice on-the-spot where possible. Avoiding clinic appointments also reduces the disruption to your family.

I have been told my child needs suspended equipment to work on their sensory difficulties. Can this be managed at home?

Yes. It is important that children have access to necessary sensory stimulation both at home and at school, so our therapist can advise on the equipment your child may require in both environments. They can also advise you and your child's teachers how best to use it.

How regularly do you review progress?

Progress is reviewed after every treatment block, which usually comprises eight sessions, allowing goals and strategies to be adjusted accordingly.

How soon are you able to visit and assess my child?

Once we receive a completed referral form, one of our OTs will contact you within 24 hours to arrange an appointment. We aim for all initial appointments to take place within 7 days, and at a time convenient to you.

Will you provide a report that can be used to support my child in school?

The assessment and its recommendations are likely to be useful for your child's teachers, and you are welcome to distribute the report to whomever you judge it appropriate to do so.

We also provide school-based treatment programmes, in collaboration with teachers and support staff to whom we can also provide advice and training.

I am looking for an occupational therapist to provide an assessment of my child and attend an SEN tribunal. Can you do this?

Yes, we are experienced in doing so and our client mamagement team will be able to talk you through the process.

Looking for more information?

We have more commonly asked questions relating to the specialist areas you may require: