Occupational therapy

An Occupational Therapist (OT) and OT support workers help people of all ages overcome challenges completing everyday tasks or activities. These are what we call ‘occupations’. 

 Occupational therapists see beyond a person’s diagnosis and limitations. They look at relationships between the activities you do every day – your “occupations” – alongside the challenges you face and your environment. 

Support to regain independence can help open up new opportunities and increase your sense of wellbeing. 

We may be able to help if you are

• over 18
• have a long-term health condition resulting in disability and;
• need help with practical tasks

We can support you with things like: 

• entering and leaving your home 
• washing, bathing and using the toilet 
• Getting in and out of bed 
• using living and sleeping areas 
• using food preparation and cooking areas 
• reducing risks in your home related to your long-term health condition 

We always start with an occupational therapy assessment. We will talk about your needs in a similar way to the care assessment, with a particular focus on how you manage daily living tasks. 

We will usually ask you to show us how you are managing. 

The assessment will also consider those who provide support, such as formal carers and relatives.  

Depending on your needs, the types of support we could provide are

• advise on different ways to manage activities
• loan or recommend assistive technology devices 
• loan essential equipment
• help with minor adaptations to your home
• recommend major adaptations to your home
• housing advice 
• advice if you are providing physical assistance for someone you are caring for
• referral and signposting to other agencies

How to make a referral for an assessment

To make a referral, please call Care Connect. You can do this for yourself, or behalf of a friend or relative, but you should ask their consent first where possible.  

A call advisor will take your details and may signpost you to an alternative service if this is a better match for your needs. 

If not, they will pass your details onto our experienced team of occupational therapy staff that work in the Single Point of Access who can provide advice and an assessment by telephone or video call. 

Clinic-based assessment

If we are unable to resolve the issue by phone, we will offer you a clinic-based assessments at the Equipment and Demonstration Centre. We might ask you to bring photos or videos of your home environment and could ask you to bring measurements of your furniture. We will explain this during the initial call.  

The clinic assessments allow you to trial equipment, technology and adaptation solutions before we co-produce a plan with you, so it is a quicker way to get your needs met. 

Home visits

If a clinic-based assessment is not suitable, we will pass your details to one of our two locality teams where we will see you in your own home environment.  

Cost for this service

There is no charge for the initial assessment, but you will need a financial assessment for some services and may have to pay all or part of the cost. 

If you do not want to wait and would be willing to pay for your own assessment and any recommended equipment or adaptations, you can seek the advice of an independent Occupational Therapist.