Children’s occupational therapists work in partnership with children and young people, their families, carers and supporting professionals. The main focus of occupational therapy is to empower and support children and young people to live their lives as independently as possible within the context of their family unit and community.
Children and young people may have difficulties with what are commonly referred to as ‘life skills’. These can arise due to things like environmental barriers, developmental delay, disability, or illness. Children’s occupational therapists explore strengths and work towards reducing the barriers which can impact upon their quality of life. Children’s occupational therapists want children and young people to be able to take part and achieve in the activities that they want and need to do. Life skills include self-care, play, leisure, and education. These activities are known as ‘occupations’ and these can include:
- Self-Care – sleep, washing, brushing teeth, eating and drinking, going to the toilet, getting dressed.
- Play – learning and practicing new play skills and exploring different ways to play in different settings. This may include toys, play equipment, the natural environment, and other people.
- Leisure – joining in with hobbies and activities with family or friends at home and in the wider community.
- Education – there are many skills involved, which may include getting there, getting around, paying attention, joining in with sensory differences, organising self and equipment, positions for learning in class, taking part in PE and being able to take part in activities which need writing, cutting, art and science equipment, IT and more.
About This Service
Gateshead Children’s Occupational Therapy Service helps children and young people aged 0-18 years who are registered with a Gateshead GP participate and manage in their everyday tasks and activities to support development, health and wellbeing by providing specialist interventions.
There is more information in the Children’s Occupational Therapy Service Leaflet.
How To Be Seen By This Service
Your health visitor, school nurse or portage team may be able to give you some preliminary advice around your child’s needs. If your child requires further support, referrals into the specialist Children’s Occupational Therapy Service are accepted from GPs, Social Workers, Health, and Education professionals.
Referrals to the team are triaged and appointments arranged with parents and carers to discuss areas of strength and difficulty.
What To Expect At Your Appointment
The occupational therapist will discuss strategies, programmes, and equipment specific to the child or young person and their supporting adults. Intervention may include a variety of settings such as home, respite, nursery, and school.
Assessment may include one or more of the following depending on need and the type of challenges identified:
- a home visit
- a nursery or school visit
- a clinic appointment
- a group session (with children with similar needs)
Our clinics and groups are held at:
Dunston Health Centre, Dunston Bank, Dunston, Gateshead, NE11 9PY
What you can expect from us: The service will provide creative plans, advice and strategies developed specifically with the individual and their situation in mind.
What we expect from you: In order for the child / young person to get the maximum benefit and the best possible outcomes, it is essential that the plans, advice and strategies provided are followed. The key to success is following the plans beyond the appointment, and into everyday life.
Waiting well
Sometimes you may have to wait longer to be seen by our service than we would like. Where possible, we may direct you to resources and interventions which you can try at home before your appointment. In some cases, this advice can help to maintain your wellbeing, reduce symptoms or provide ideas on things you can safely try yourself to overcome your problems. See our ‘Waiting Well’ leaflet here.
Current Expected Waiting Times
We strive to see everyone who is referred to us in a timely manner. We prioritise our appointments based on clinical need and risk, so some people will wait longer than others.
Waiting times for this service are updated here on a regular basis.
Currently you can expect to wait no longer than 39 weeks for an initial appointment [updated 17/04/2025].
Our Team
- Team Lead – Stephanie
- Occupational Therapists – Paul, Jane, Bethan, Helena, Maya, Jayne
- Occupational Therapy Assistants – Vicky, Hayley
- Administrator – Clare
What People Say About This Service
“Great, helpful people who push you to try your best and help you overcome things.”
“Everyone was brilliant – friendly, patient, caring and helpful. Great with our son.”
“Amazing staff, very supportive.”
“It is not often that we have come across this level of caring and dedication.”
Cancelling an appointment
- If you need to cancel or rearrange a child’s appointment, please call the service as soon as possible on 0191 445 5579 between 8:30am and 4:00pm. Please note, cancelling two appointments in a row can lead to the service following the ‘was not brought’ procedure outlined below. This procedure also applies to and includes cancelled home visits.
- Cancelling unwanted appointments means we may be able to offer an appointment to someone else who is waiting.
Child ‘was not brought’ to their health appointment
- Children often do not have a choice about whether or not they are brought to health care appointments; the decisions are usually made by those caring for them.
- There is evidence to suggest that failure to attend health appointments in the acute and primary care settings can be linked to neglect of some children.
- This service follows the Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust’s Safeguarding Children Policy, which includes a reporting pathway to our safeguarding children team when children are not brought to appointments, on occasion this may also be escalated to Children’s Social Care.
Transition to Adult Services
Gateshead NHS Foundation Trusts services for children and young provide care until a child is around 19 years old (this can vary and sometimes depends upon educational status and whether the young person has a health and care plan). For those who have long-term health needs, and where ongoing support is required, then this will sometimes be provided by adult services.
In healthcare, we use the word “transition” to describe the process of preparing, planning, and moving from children’s to adult services. Transition is a gradual process that gives a young person, and everyone involved in their care, time to get ready to move to adult services and discuss what their healthcare needs as an adult are likely to be. This includes deciding which services are best for you and where you will receive that care.
Transition is about making plans with the young person. Moving away from a team of health professionals that have been known for many years can be scary but hopefully, by getting involved in the transition process, the young person will feel more confident and happier about the move. Transition will vary from service to service but may involve attending a special appointment where health professionals from the current services ‘introduce’ the young person to health professionals from the services they will attend once they are an adult.
Other Local Children’s Services
The Gateshead Local Offer brings together information for children and young people aged 0-25 years with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families.
This includes information about services and support, and advice and guidance on education, health, social care and transport.
This service is an integrated service for families, expectant mothers, children and young people that offers interventions from the pre-natal stage up to the age of 19. Harrogate and District Foundation Trust leads on the delivery of this service, with a focus on working across services and organisational boundaries to improve public health outcomes. The universal reach of the HCP provides an invaluable opportunity from early in a child’s life to identify families that need additional support and children who are at risk of poor outcomes.
About Your Medical Records
This service shares information with GP’s and other health care professionals to ensure that you receive appropriate care. If you do not wish to have your clinical information shared then please inform the clinician at your appointment. Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust is a part of the Great North Care Record. This means we make information we record about you available electronically on the Great North Care Record. Health and care staff from other organisations in the North East and North Cumbria who are involved in your care can then access this information. It helps us make your care better and safer. If you want to find out more about the Great North Care Record, or have any concerns; visit the website www.greatnorthcarerecord.org.uk, email [email protected] or call the helpline on 0344 811 9587 (open Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm).