Frequently asked Questions
About Occupational Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy (OT) is a health profession that focuses on helping individuals achieve independence in their daily lives. Occupational therapists work with people of all ages who may be experiencing physical, developmental, social, or emotional challenges. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable individuals to participate in their activities of daily living (ADLs) to the best of their abilities.

Overall, occupational therapy plays a crucial role in helping individuals lead meaningful and fulfilling lives by enabling them to engage in the activities that are important to them. The field continues to evolve, incorporating new research and techniques to better meet the diverse needs of the individuals it serves.

How can Occupational Therapy help?

Occupational Therapy aims to maximise a person's independence, enhance their ability to perform daily activities and improve overall well-being.

Functional Independence: Promoting independence in activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing, bathing, grooming, and eating. The goal is to help individuals regain the skills necessary for self-care.

Cognitive Rehabilitation: Addressing cognitive deficits such as memory, attention, problem-solving, and executive functioning. This helps individuals improve their ability to manage daily tasks and make decisions.

Motor Skills: Enhancing fine and gross motor skills to improve coordination, strength, and range of motion. This may involve exercises, adaptive equipment, or assistive devices.

Adaptive Techniques: Teaching and implementing adaptive techniques and strategies to compensate for impairments. This might involve modifying the environment or using assistive devices to make activities more manageable.

Community Integration: Facilitating the transition from rehabilitation to community living by addressing social skills, community mobility, and engagement in leisure activities. The goal is to help people participate actively in their communities.

Psychosocial Well-being: Addressing emotional and psychological well-being by providing support and coping strategies. This includes managing stress, anxiety, depression, and addressing the impact of a neurological condition on mental health.

Work and Productivity: Assisting people in returning to work or finding meaningful vocational activities. This may involve vocational training, workplace modifications, and support in the job-seeking process.

Family and Caregiver Education: Educating and supporting family members and caregivers to better understand a person's Condition, provide assistance, and create a supportive environment.

Safety Awareness: Enhancing awareness and safety to prevent accidents and injuries. This is particularly important for individuals with impaired sensory or motor functions.

Quality of Life Improvement: Focusing on overall improvement in a person's quality of life by addressing physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of functioning.

What does an Occupational Therapist do?

Occupational Therapy uses a collaborative and client-centred approach, tailoring interventions and treatments to the specific needs and preferences of the individual undergoing neurorehabilitation. The goal of occupational therapy in neurorehabilitation is to maximise an individual's independence, improve their quality of life, and enhance their overall well-being by addressing the unique challenges posed by neurological conditions. Interventions are tailored to the specific needs and goals of each individual, recognizing the importance of a person-centred approach in rehabilitation.

Assessment:

• Conducting thorough assessments to understand the client's physical, cognitive, sensory, and emotional capabilities and limitations.

• Evaluating the impact of the neurological condition on daily activities and identifying specific areas of difficulty.

Goal Setting:

• Collaborating with the individual and their family to set realistic and meaningful rehabilitation goals based on their abilities and personal priorities.

Treatment Planning:

• Developing customised treatment plans that address the unique challenges posed by the neurological condition.

• Designing interventions to improve motor skills, coordination, balance, cognitive function, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Adaptive Strategies:

• Teaching and implementing adaptive strategies and techniques to compensate for impairments or limitations.

• Providing training in the use of assistive devices or adaptive equipment to enhance independence.

Cognitive Rehabilitation:

• Addressing cognitive impairments through activities and exercises that promote memory, attention, problem-solving, and executive function.

Functional Training:

• Engaging clients in purposeful and meaningful activities to improve their ability to perform daily tasks and participate in their chosen roles and activities.

Sensory Integration:

• Addressing sensory issues and utilising sensory integration techniques to improve processing and response to sensory stimuli.

Psychosocial Support:

• Providing emotional support and counselling to help clients cope with the psychological and emotional challenges associated with neurological conditions.

Collaboration:

• Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, including physiotherapists, speech therapists, physicians, and others, to ensure a comprehensive and holistic approach to rehabilitation.

Education:

• Educating clients, families, and caregivers about the condition, the rehabilitation process, and strategies for maintaining progress.

Home and Community Integration:

• Facilitating the transition of individuals back into their home and community environments by addressing environmental modifications and community participation.

What Qualifications, Experience and Skills should I check for in an Occupational Therapist?

It's important for individuals seeking Occupational Therapy to enquire about a therapist's Qualifications, Training, Experience and Specialism to ensure that they receive services from a well-trained and competent professional who, crucially, has specialised in treating the individual(s) specific Condition(s) and Difficulties. 

All of our Occupational Therapists meet or exceed the following minimum academic, clinical and regulatory standards and it is our policy to provide full and detailed CV's with our proposal and costs in response to any enquiry.

Education

• An Occupational Therapist must have a Bachelor's Degree (BSc) or PostGraduate Qualification Certificate in Occupational Therapy (for example a PGCert or MSc).

• All our OT CV's cite their educational qualifications, grade and corresponding academic institution and are downloadable from our Team pages.

Certification

• An Occupational Therapist must be licensed to practice in the UK through the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

• All our OT CV's link to the HCPC Registration page (citing their registration direct with the HCPC website) available from our Team pages.

Clinical Experience and Specialised Training

• Clinical experience is a vital component of an occupational therapist's education and practice and we assert that clients should only be treated by an OT who has experience in the OT Specialism pertinent to the client's specific Condition(s) and Difficulties.

• All our OT CV's cite their Clinical Experience and Specialisms and are downloadable from our Team pages. This ensures we are able to provide the very best advice and treatment for a person's specific needs. 

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential for Occupational Therapists.; they need to effectively communicate with clients, families, and other healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care.

• All our OT CV's have a "Bio" page (Biography) to give you a sense of who they are, their strengths, their passion and specific interests and broader experience working with clients and other professionals. Our OT CV's are downloadable from our Team pages.

How Do I Know What Kind of Occupational Therapy Specialist I Need?

You may not necessarily know what OT Specialism best meets your specific needs. Rest assured we do. When you Contact Us to discuss your needs, our Enquiries team follow a clinically designed process to identify and clarify your specific Requirements, Diagnoses/Conditions and Difficulties so that we can establish the appropriate OT Specialism and individual OT. We always provide a no-obligation proposal which includes costings together with one or more OT CV's for your decision.

Check out our pages dedicated to helping you understand how Conditions/Diagnoses and Occupational Difficulties factor in determining the OT Specialism best suited to your needs.

Who Can Access Occupational Therapy Through The OT Centre?

As a Private Occupational Therapy Company we provide services to private individuals (both Adults and Children), Businesses and Organisations including the Medico-Legal sector, the Education sector, Councils, Housing Associations, Charities, Primary & Secondary Care.

Do I Come To The OT Centre For Assessment Or Treatment?

Occupational Therapy focuses on helping people in their daily lives which means it's important that an OT visits you in your own environment to better understand the challenges we can help with, whether that be at home, at school, at college or at work.

How Do I Find Out More About Your OT Practitioners?

Our Team Page provides links to detailed Bio's for each of our practitioners, including full downloadable CV's.

What Areas in the UK Do You Cover?

We provide services across the UK. Use our Contact page to get in touch and find out if and how we can help. You're under no obligation at any point.

Why Should I Choose The OT Centre?

We focus on Quality not Quantity, putting clients before profit. If you've had a less than satisfactory experience with another provider, you definitely need to talk to us. Use our Contact page to get in touch and find out if and how we can help.

Don't take our word for it, find out what our Clients, Customer and our own Occupational Therapists say about us.

How Much Will Occupational Therapy Cost?

Find out how much it will cost by selecting a specific "Service" from our Website Menu.

I'm an OT, How Can I Join The Team?

If you are an OT Practitioner who is passionate about the profession and you recognise the values we espouse then we would love to talk to you. 

Our Jobs Page tells you more about:

• our ethos and values

• what it's like working with us

• ways to get in touch