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Children’s Occupational Therapy (OT) Service - information for Families

What we do

The Children’s OT Service helps children and young people with permanent and substantial disabilities to make everyday tasks easier or safer at home.
We work with families to support safety, comfort, and independence.

The service aims to:

  • Promote skill, development and independence
  • Support safe and effective care within the family home
  • Recommend equipment and/or adaptations where necessary and appropriate
  • Work collaboratively with other relevant health, education, and social care services. We will take a multi-agency approach when assessing children’s needs to ensure any recommendations are enabling and offer the least restrictive solutions.

Your child may be able to receive support if they:

  • Are 0–18 years old
  • Live in Sheffield
  • Have a permanent, substantial long term disability or condition
  • Find daily activities difficult at home (e.g. bathing, moving around, transfers, using the toilet)
  • Have been referred by another professional who knows them. This could be a Health, Education or Social Care professional. 

If your child has behaviours that challenge, you must already have support in place from services such as CAMHS, LD Nursing, NHS therapy services, the Autism Service, and children’s social care. This is to ensure any advice/ support we can offer is complimentary to that given from other specialists and that recommendations promote skill development and are least restrictive.

We may offer:

  • Advice and guidance over the phone
  • A home visit to understand your child’s needs
  • Recommendations for:
    Minor home changes (e.g. grab rails)
    Major adaptations (e.g. ramps, lifts, level access showers)
  • Information about housing options
  • Signposting to the right service if OT is not appropriate

If parents live separately, we can consider both homes.

We are not able to help when:

  • Another service is responsible (wheelchairs, mobility aids, hospital-based therapy). This includes specialist equipment provision to school which is provided by Health therapy teams
  • If you are a foster carer for a child placed in Sheffield from another authority. The placing authority will complete any assessments required.
  • The item requested is something all children normally have (e.g. a standard bed)
  • The request is instead of age appropriate, parental supervision (e.g. fencing, window locks, stairgates)
  • The child has short term needs that are expected to improve
  • Behaviour, sleep, continence or therapy intervention
  • The request is for a sensory room or additional space due to overcrowding
  • The child is very young and future needs are unclear


1. Phone call – We begin with a short telephone assessment. If we are not the right service to meet your childs needs, we will signpost you to the correct service.
2. Multi-agency discussion- we will work with other professionals involved in your childs care to help us identify the most appropriate course of action that promotes the continued development of skills and is the least restrictive option. 
3. Advice – We may provide advice on simple solutions or strategies to help resolve your identified needs. 
4. Face to face assessment – If needed, we visit you to better understand your child’s needs. This could be in your home, childs school or other settings.
5. Recommendations – We discuss the best options to support your child at home.

How to make a referral

Referrals must be made by a professional involved with your child.

Call: 0114 273 4709

Online referral available on the Sheffield City Council website under “Adapting your home.”

Definitions

Permanent disability: Lifelong with little chance of improvement.
Substantial disability: Significantly affects essential daily living tasks.
Long-term disability: Lasts over 12 months (Equality Act 2010).

We follow best practice guidance from ‘Foundations’, the National appointed body for best practice in safe and effective home adaptations. 
Further general advice about home adaptations can be found on the Foundations website: 

Foundations: AdaptMyHome.

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In this section

  1. How to access Council education and social care services
  2. Family Intervention Service
  3. One to One support from Sheffield Family Hubs
  4. 0-5 SEND Support Service
  5. Educational Psychology Service (EPS)
  6. Autism Social Communication Education and Training Service (ASCETS)
  7. Rowan and Mossbrook outreach
  8. Inclusion and Attendance Team
  9. Independent Travel Training (ages 10-19)
  10. SEND Statutory Assessment and Review Service - SENDSARS
  11. Sheffield SEND Information and Advice Service (SSENDIAS)
  12. Crossroads Care Charity - Sheffield Carers Service
  13. Lifelong learning skills and communities (LLSC) Progression Team
  14. Exclusions Team
  15. Becton Hospital School
  16. Becton Medical Outreach
  17. d/Deaf Support Service
  18. Vision Support Service
  19. Parenting support
  20. SNIPS – Special needs inclusion play care service / Early Help Team
  21. Children with Disabilities Team
  22. Preparation for Adulthood (PfA) Team
  23. Sheffield Safeguarding Hub
  24. SEND Careers Advice - Community Youth Services Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Team
  25. Children’s Occupational Therapy (OT) Service - information for Families