Local Authority - Children's Occupational Therapy Service

We provide a service to children who are resident within the borough of Rochdale including Middleton and Heywood. We provide information, advice and access to specialist equipment and recommend ways to adapt the home and or short break setting and school for disabled children.

We also use strategies and activities to develop skills directly with the child and to promote independence and safe management by the parents/carers.

This can include:

• Moving and handling
• All activities of daily living
• Provision of safety adaptations
• Access to basic facilities such as, the bedroom, bathroom and toilet

Occupational therapists work with children from 0 to 18 years currently, with a range of needs from children with severe physical and or learning disabilities to those with complex health care difficulties, including children with sensory difficulties.

Our aim is to enable each child to achieve just how much they can do for themselves and to enable parents/carers to manage them safely within their home, short break or educational setting.

We operate an open referral system, so accept referrals from professionals such as schools, physiotherapists and allied health care professionals, nurses, consultants and parents.

We also liaise with the NHS OT service, which is generally involved with pre-school children at home and then in the education setting when they reach school age. We accept transfers of care from this service when children commence school to consider their home needs.