Children’s Occupational Therapy - Hackney Ark

Service details

Coronavirus team update

Children’s Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Teams are following government guidance and working remotely from home.

Hackney Ark is only to be accessed when there is a specific clinical need. 

Contact with the service

The service administrator Sharon can be contacted Monday to Friday on 020 7014 7025

Individual therapists already involved in support for individual children are contactable directly via email or work mobiles found in their e-mail signatures.

Recent contact updates for partners in health services are available as usual via RIO.

Referrals 

Both the Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy teams are still accepting new referrals which are being screened as usual. Referral forms (available in the download section of this page) should be forwarded directly to the relevant team on one of these e-mails:

Both teams continue to complete screening phone or video calls for all patients who would normally be accepted for new referrals, including EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) assessments with a timely turnaround. 

Teams have been supporting existing caseloads on a priority basis according to risk, completing screening calls to identify need and agree appropriate action.

Interventions are being offered via video call where possible and appropriate. 

Home safety assessments

The Children’s Occupational Therapy Service continue to offer home safety assessments for children who meet this criteria. These are by video or phone calls.

Please detail specific risks reported by parents when making the referral.

The Occupational Therapy team's - Equipment information sheet (PDF) includes details of providers who sell equipment for use at home.

Drop in sessions for parents and carers 

Physiotherapy drop-in consultation slots will replace the drop in session for the time being. These will be via phone or video.  

Workshops for parents and carers

The teams are also exploring providing intervention to wider groups of children and families electronically and have recorded our Sensory Workshop for families. This can be offered this as an ‘Electronic Version’.

Further information for parents and carers from Occupational Therapy 

Parents and carers can find useful tips in the Children's Occupatiponal Therapy Independence Skills Blue Class Flyer (PDF) to help support their child or young person's development. 


Who are we? 

The Children's Occupational Therapy (OT) team assess children aged 0 - 18 who are experiencing functional difficulties with everyday tasks due to a physical and or neurological disability.

Difficulties may include:

  • self-care – such as dressing, using cutlery
  • school activities - using scissors, changing for PE classes
  • play activities

The team also assess for the following difficulties:

  • co-ordination difficulty
  • sensory difficulty
  • learning difficulty
  • developmental delay

What do we do? 

The service undertakes assessment and depending on the identified needs of the child, the family are then offered either:

  • advice from professionals within the team
  • a series of treatment sessions and advice to work towards an agreed goal/ outcome

Home safety assessments

For children with physical disabilities the service assesses and makes recommendations about equipment and adaptations in the school and home environment.

The Occupational Therapy team's - Equipment information sheet (PDF) includes details of providers who sell equipment for use at home.


Post diagnostic Autism information and advice sessions 

Information and advice workshops for families of children and young people with autism are run at Hackney Ark, Children and young people's centre for development and disability. During COVID restrictions these have been continuing online. 

Next Steps sessions are for families with a child or young person who has a NEW diagnosis of autism. These family workshops are run at Hackney Ark. You may be referred to this service or one of the other available post diagnostic information groups when you receive a diagnosis for your child or young person. You can contact the service for dates and more information.


Children's Occupational Therapy work with young people 

Therapists from children's occuptational therapy service are included in Hackney's Helath Intergration Team know as HIT Squad. Hit Squad are a team of health therapists who work with children and young people and their chosen leisure or activity provider to make sure they are fully included and can enjoy the opportunity. 

Hackney Ark Therapy Transition ofer supports young people in specific therapy services (and their families) to plan and prepare for moving from children’s therapy services to adult services. 

Parents and carers can find useful tips in the Children's Occupatiponal Therapy Independence Skills Blue Class Flyer (PDF) to help support their child or young person's development. 

SEND Local Offer

Local Offer Age Bands
Early Years and Pregnancy 0-4
Primary 4 -10
Secondary 11-14
Preparing for Adulthood 14-18
SEN Provision Type
  • Targeted
  • Specialist

Who to contact

Contact Position
Clinical Lead Occupational Therapy
Telephone
020 7014 7025 020 7014 7025
E-mail
huh-tr.childrensotreferrals@nhs.net
Website
www.homerton.nhs.uk/.../integrated-childrens-occupational-therapy-service
Scan to visit this website

Where to go

Address
Hackney Ark
Down Park Road
Hackney
London
Postcode

E8 2FP

View E8 2FP on a map
Venue Notes

Buses: 30, 56, 276, 149, 67, 76, 243

Train: Dalston Kingsland, Hackney Downs

Parking: limited parking for patients

Time / Date Details

Time of day
  • Morning
  • Afternoon
Session Information
Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm

Other details

Referral required?

Yes

Referral Details

Families can self-refer to the service.  

Referrals are also accepted from education, health and social care professionals.

Referral Criteria:

The child or young person must be:

  • Aged 0 –18 years
  • Resident in City or Hackney and/ or attending a school in City or Hackney. If children attend an independent school in City and Hackney then they must also live in City and Hackney to access the service. For children who live in City and Hackney but attend school out of borough, school input needs to be provided by the local service in that area.
  • Experiencing functional difficulties with everyday tasks (e.g. in self-care, school activities, play activities) due to a physical/ neurological disability, co-ordination difficulty, sensory difficulty, learning difficulty or developmental delay.

The service does not accept referrals for children having difficulties only with handwriting and scissor skills, instead traded services are offered to schools to provide support for these children.

Children with learning difficulties/delay are offered assessment and advice.


Criteria for Assessment of the Home Environment Service

The child or young person must:

  • Be experiencing permanent physical disability (12 months duration)
  • Be under 18 years old 
  • Live in Hackney. This includes respite/foster carer’s homes in Hackney.
  • The young person’s disability is restricting access to and freedom to move around the property and access essential facilities e.g: To get into and out of the dwelling, To access the living room, bedroom, bathroom including toileting and washing facilities, To access the garden

Referrals may also be made for safety issues to ensure safety of the disabled person and other occupants, where commercially available equipment would not solve the issue.  This work is carried out in conjunction with input from physiotherapy, social care and psychology.

For children resident in the City, the Corporation of London has its own therapists who provide this service. Phone 020 7332 3046 for more information. 

What to do if you have a complaint

Complaints can be made to a clinician or manager in the service or alternatively through the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

The service can be contacted on 020 8510 7315 or homerton1.pals@nhs.net

Costs

  • Free of change for eligible children and young people under 18 years of age

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Disclaimer

Read our disclaimer - important information about Hackney SEND Local Offer and FIS

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