Physical Needs Team

Some children with physical difficulties require specialist equipment in order to support them to access their everyday activiites. Many of the children we see for this have been referred to us by the Specialist Assessment Service

We work closely with colleagues in the Specialist Inclusion Support Service physical impairment team to support young people with physical disabilities in mainstream schools, recommending adaptations and adjustments to ensure young people are able to safely access their school environments.

As part of our role, we might also recommend specialist seating for school and/or home to make it easier for the young person to participate in their everyday activities, such as to write and draw, play, interact with friends and eat or drink. Note that we do not have funding to provide specialist seating, but will provide a letter to schools/social services explaining the cost and benefits of the chair for the individual. Once equipment has been provided, the occupational therapist will ensure this is set up for the young person and will provide training/support to ensure it is used safely.

Following the provision of specialist seating, a seating pack/information will be sent to school and home which contains information and important phone numbers such as the Physical Needs Occupational Therapist and the seating representative for a  child’s chair, as well as information on how the chair functions and minor adjustments you can make yourself as well as when to seek help.

Our service is not able to provide equipment and/or adaptations for home use other than that described above. This is instead offered by the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s Occupational Therapy service.

Our service is also not able to provide wheelchairs. This is instead offered by the Community Equipment and Wheelchair service, who can be contacted on 0121 329 0900 or jointequipmentservice@solihull.gov.uk

Our Process:
  1. Referrals are made on a standard referral form which includes parents and teacher questionnaires. Incomplete referral forms will be returned.
  2. Referrals are reviewed by an Occupational Therapist. A letter is sent to parents & the referrer to inform them whether or not the referral has been accepted and the likely waiting time for an appointment.
  3. Parents/carers are contacted by letter or telephone to invite them to book in for an assessment, initially by telephone.
  4. An Occupational Therapist will carry out an individualised, holistic assessment to determine the child’s need and patterns of daily living.
  5. Intervention may include: assessing for and recommending equipment aids, technology, and environmental modifications to increase accessibility and align with the child’s needs.

Page Last Reviewed: 31/08/2022

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