Private occupational therapy in the South West of England

Louisa is an Occupational Therapist with over 10 years of clinical experience working in primary and secondary settings. Her expertise is in Functional Rehabilitation, working with adults with physical health needs including orthopaedic and cardiac conditions as well as stroke and other neurological conditions. Louisa is based just outside of Bristol and visits clients across the South West of England and South Wales including Cardiff, Bath, Somerset, and Wiltshire.

Louisa prides herself in working holistically with clients to identify their Occupational Therapy needs, resulting in meaningful, achievable and timed therapeutic goals. She strives to enable her clients to achieve maximum independence, well-being and an improved quality of life.

Louisa is skilled in equipment provision, manual handling, specialist seating, telecare, fatigue management and cognitive rehabilitation. From her time spent working on an acute stroke ward, Louisa has also developed specialist skills in cognitive and perceptual screening, as well as upper limb rehabilitation. She also practises continuing professional development and has excellent communication skills.

Qualifying as an occupational therapist in 1993, Val specialises in housing & equipment and rehabilaition for adults. She is based in Cornwall and will travel across the UK, completing assessments with clients in their own environment. Val is an accredited Best Interests Assessor (BIA), having developed sound knowledge of the legislation to support clients, families and Local Authorities.

Val's experience is in working with adults with a variety of physical and mental health needs, providing equipment and adaptations to homes to promote independence and safe living conditions. This includes completing BIA assessments, where Val requires knowledge of both the Mental Health Act and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards assessments and applications. She also carries out Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) assessments.

To continue her professional development, Val has completed postgraduate training including courses in counselling and therapeutic listening. She also keeps up to date with the current legislation and policies surrounding her work.

Dawn is a highly experienced Occupational Therapist based in Truro, Cornwall. She supports both adult and paediatric clients, covering key areas such as Penzance, St Ives, Falmouth, and Newquay. Dawn provides Functional Rehabilitation for clients with a wide range of conditions and injuries, helping them with daily living skills to promote independence.

Dawn has previously worked in Adult Community Mental Health Team, Inpatient Acute Assessment and Discharge, and Inpatient Palliative Care. She draws on her extensive experience working with adults to support clients with self-care tasks, mental health challenges, and to provide suitable equipment to support safety and mobility in the home.

Working with children, Dawn provides expert assessments and interventions in schools, nurseries, and their home environment. She has experience working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Children's Community Therapy, special needs schools, mainstream schools and the community. Dawn utilises the skills she has acquired in her career so far to deliver specialist interventions and support children to reach their full potential.

Dawn also has a particular interest in sensory processing disorders and in March 2021 completed Module 1 of her Sensory Integration training.

Katie is a highly skilled Occupational Therapist based in Truro and visits clients across Cornwall including Falmouth, Newquay, St Austell, and St Ives. With nearly 2 decades worth of experience, Katie has spent her career gaining expertise within acute and community settings. She primarily works with children and their families with complex needs, often requiring housing adaptations or equipment provisions to promote independent living. She also works in school/nursery environments to deliver Occupational Therapy interventions to maximise development and independence and improve opportunities for social inclusion.

Katie also has experience working with adults within neurology, orthopaedics, rheumatology, and elderly care. She can carry out functional assessments, standardised assessments, and play a key role in hospital discharge planning and community care planning. Katie develops a client centred and holistic programme of intervention in order to provide solutions that ultimately meet the needs of the client and assist them to achieve their goals. Katie is an effective advocate for her clients and strives to work collaboratively with other professionals involved in her client's care.

Katie works in a timely and professional manner and ensures that her clinical practice and knowledge is regularly updated in order to deliver best evidence-based practice.

William is a highly experienced Occupational Therapist based in the South West of England. He specialises in Neurological Rehabilitation with particular expertise in acquired brain injury. He visits clients across Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset.

William supports clients throughout each stage of rehabilitation, from the acute stage of their injury to long-term community rehabilitation. William uses a range of client-centred approaches and techniques to overcome cognitive, physical, and behavioural difficulties associated with the client’s injury. William has extensive experience in training carers, families, and therapy staff on individual rehabilitation programmes and therapeutic approaches. He is confident at working with clients’ varying difficulties and can tailor his approach to maximise their rehabilitation potential.

William is a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists including the Specialist Sections for Independent Practice and Neurological Practice.

Specialising in Neurological Rehabilitation, Jenni is an expert OT who has been delivering comprehensive assessments and therapy for over 15 years. Jenni is located in Devon, visiting clients across the county including Torquay, Exeter, and Plymouth. She specialises in brain injury, stroke, and post-concussion syndrome.

Jenni works holistically, addressing a client’s physical and cognitive needs. She focuses on developing fine motor skills and upper limb rehabilitation to support a client regain the ability to complete activities of daily living and manage fatigue. Jenni is also passionate about cognitive rehabilitation, having completed several Braintree courses, covering specific needs relating to attention, memory, visual and information processing. This extends to helping client’s with anxiety and social integration, supporting a return to work or leisure activities. Jenni also recommends suitable equipment provisions and specialist seating based on the client’s current and potential future needs.

Jenni is a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section in Independent Practice. She keeps up to date with new developments in neurological rehabilitation through her continual learning and engagement with other professionals.

Sarah is a specialist in neurological conditions, working for adults with needs relating to Huntington’s disease, brain injury, dementia, and stroke rehabilitation. Sarah is located in Tavistock, near Plymouth, covering a client base across Devon and Cornwall. She strives to ensure clients regain independence, providing assistance to safely and confidently move around the home, carry out household activities such as cooking and cleaning, and personal care and dressing.

Sarah can evaluate activities of daily living (ADL), as well as cognitive and mental capacity. She is especially interested in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, choosing to undertake a post-graduate module while studying. Sarah also has expertise in Seating & Postural Management, Moving & Handling, and behaviour management.

Sarah offers a holistic approach to occupational therapy, supporting clients and their families from assessment through to treatment. Sarah can adapt well when required to serve a client’s individual needs, including liaising with other professionals and working as part of a multidisciplinary team. In particular, Sarah has extensive experience working alongside physiotherapists to provide adapted seating and aid in moving and handling therapy.

Sarah is committed to her continued professional development, regularly attending conferences and undertaking additional training. Sarah has leadership experience mentoring OT students from her local university, which she thoroughly enjoys and uses to enhance her own learning.

With over 15 years of experience, Amy is a specialist Occupational Therapist based in Devon. She visits clients across the South-West of England including Taunton, Exeter, Yeovil, and Weymouth. Amy has expertise in a wide range of complex disabilities and conditions including orthopaedics, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and motor neurone disease. She also has specific skills in the functional assessment and treatment of individuals with neurological presentations including stroke, brain injury, and long-term conditions.

Amy has worked extensively within acute and community rehabilitation settings and in recent years has expanded her practice to include private work. She provides holistic assessments of an individual’s functional limitations and is passionate about enabling them to regain their full potential and independence.

After gaining vital experience in moving and handling throughout her career, Amy qualified as a Manual Handling Trainer in 2018 and is skilled at skilled at completing complex risk assessments, identifying equipment needs and delivering practical and theoretical training to staff teams. She also has an interest in seating and postural management and is skilled at completing seating assessments.

Providing expert Occupational Therapy to her clients, Katrina specialises in Housing & Equipment, Seating & Postural Management, and Moving & Handling for adult clients. Katrina is based in Dorset, visiting clients in Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester, Shaftesbury, and Weymouth.

Katrina has gained extensive experience working for Dorset County Council. Working as part of the adult and community team, she assesses clients for housing issues and equipment needs. She carries out Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) assessments, working closely with other health staff, care agencies, and local authorities.

Katrina also works independently, treating clients in their own environment. She makes recommendations for minor and major housing adaptations, as well as providing equipment and specialist seating. She implements moving and handling care plans where appropriate, ensuring her client is moving safely and as independently as possible around the home.

To maintain her professional development and make sure her clinical knowledge is up to date, Katrina will attend conferences and exhibitions, as well as being a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ Specialist Section in Independent Practice.

Katie is a highly experienced Occupational Therapist and is located in Dorset, visiting clients across the county as well as Devon, Somerset & Wiltshire. Her expertise has developed over her varied and dynamic 30-plus year career, with particular focus in Housing & Equipment, Seating & Postural Management, and Moving & Handling. She supports clients with a wide range of physical and neurological conditions including stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.

Katie is passionate about approaching a patient’s care holistically, considering the person, their environment and occupation. Her goal is to enable occupational participation through housing solutions and adaptations, adaptive equipment, mobility and specialist seating. Where required, Katie can support clients with DFGs and mobility/blue badge assessments. She is also an advanced practitioner in complex moving and handling.

Katie uses her creativity and ingenuity to inspire original solutions and recommendations to suit the individual situation and personal needs, as well as considering the broader needs of those supporting the individual. She believes in promoting functional independence and safe living conditions to enable people to live their lives their way.

Ellie is based in Gloucestershire, visiting clients in Wales and the South West of England. Her areas of expertise focus on Housing & Equipment, as well as Seating & Postural Management for both adults and children. She offers expert care and therapy to clients with a range of injuries and conditions, working collaboratively with families and carers.

Ellie has developed a broad clinical knowledge base, working with clients with complex neurological needs and physical disabilities. She has experience in specifying and prescribing specialist equipment and seating, as well as assessing and recommending home adaptations to benefit the client and encourage independence. She liaises closely with the wider support network of her clients, including families, carers, and other professionals. She can also support with Disabled Facilitates Grants and various mobility assessments, including for Blue Badge applicants.

Ellie is committed to keeping up to date of new developments, policy reforms, and writes and delivers training to other practitioners.

With over 25 years’ experience, Rachel has gained a broad clinical knowledge in both inpatient and community settings. For most of her career, Rachel has worked at a senior level in the field of complex disability, neurological impairment, and the management of long-term conditions. Rachel is based just outside of Gloucester, visiting clients across the South West of England and South Wales.

Rachel strives to deliver client centred and goal focused therapy. She has worked extensively with clients with progressive neurological conditions, brain injury, and stroke. She supports clients with specialist equipment needs, community access, vocational rehabilitation, and upper limb rehabilitation. She also has a particular specialism in postural management and tissue viability, completing a Post-Graduate Masters Certificate in 2007. Rachel also has extensive experience of working with adults who experience psychological ill health due to the long-term consequences of their illness or the impact of disability.

Rachel has had work published in the International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation and works in the medico legal field as a care and occupational therapy expert. She is also a professional member of the Neurological Practice Specialist Section at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

Sarah is an expert Occupational Therapist specialising in Housing & Equipment interventions and working with clients with a range of needs. She has over 10 years of clinical experience working in a wide range of settings. Sarah works with adults and older adults who have a variety of physical, learning, and sensory needs. She is based in Somerset and visits clients across the South West of England.

Sarah has specific expertise in long term and complex degenerative conditions affecting adults and older adults. She is especially skilled in providing advice and guidance in compensatory techniques, equipment provision, moving and handling, postural management, and minor to major home adaptations including Disabled Facilities Grants.

Sarah is committed to maintaining her clients’ independence at home and is practised in identifying areas of functional difficulty within the home environment.

Cath is an expert Paediatric Occupational Therapist and has over 20 years’ experience working with children with a variety of needs. She specialises in working with children who have complex medical needs and disabilities, including those with neurological and life limiting conditions. Through joint working and expert assessment, she aims to support independence and participation whilst enabling families to provide dignified and excellent continuing care for their child. Cath is based in Somerset, covering a client base across the South-West.

Incorporating a professional OT role with hands-on 1:1 care at the Children's hospice, Cath gained an insight into the effectiveness of equipment and adaptations. She understands how the demands of caring for a child with complex needs affects the whole family, which has significantly shaped her practice.

Cath has developed highly effective communication and clinical skills, working with families to understand their needs and wishes, conducting thorough assessments, regular reviews of interventions and through robust report writing. She is also committed to professional development and learning.

Amie is an expert Occupational Therapist who specialises in Neurological Rehabilitation. Located in Somerset, Amie visits clients across the county including Bath and Bristol.

Throughout her her career, Amie has worked in a variety of settings including acute neurology, slow stream inpatient, and intensive community stroke/brain injury rehabilitation. This has enabled Amie to develop a great understanding of the long-term effects of disability on the client and their family. Amie has experience working with clients with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, stroke, and brain injury. She has particular expertise in postural management, having completed postgraduate training in the field. Amie is passionate about maximising an individual’s independence and quality of life.

Amie is a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and their Specialist Section for Independent Practice.

Sue has been an Occupational Therapist for over 20 years, supporting many clients to regain function and maintain their independence at home. She works collaboratively with clients with a range of physical disabilities and needs, specialising in delivering expert Housing & Equipment assessments and recommendations. Sue is located in Somerset and visits clients across Somerton, Glastonbury, Yeovil, and Sparkford.

Before undertaking work as a private practitioner, Sue spent a large part of her career in an acute hospital environment primarily supporting older inpatients with multiple co-morbidities to regain function in order to return home. This involved functional and cognitive assessment, risk assessment, equipment provision, manual handling, carer support and assessing for ongoing care and therapy. More recently, Sue has specialised in rehabilitation and assessing for minor and major adaptations.

It is important to Sue to ensure that the clients and their carers are at the heart of this process and are given the opportunity to make informed choices about how their needs are met. She is passionate about supporting people to find solutions to challenges to remain safely in their homes, managing long-term conditions and optimising their quality of life.

Katie is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist located in Tewkesbury. She visits clients across Gloucestershire and Herefordshire including Gloucester, Hereford, Cheltenham, Worcester, Stroud, and Evesham. Katie supports children with conditions such as autistic spectrum disorders, physical disabilities, Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy, global developmental delay, and learning difficulties.

Katie began her career supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism in the community. She then went on to apply her skills and passion in Paediatrics, which she now specialises in. Katie has enhanced her therapeutic skills through the completion of additional training including AMPS training and Sensory Integration Module 1. Katie considers a child’s sensory needs as part of holistic assessments, working collaboratively with parents, schools, and other professionals to identify and address a child’s individual goals.

She supports children to develop fine and gross motor skills, enabling them to complete activities of daily living such as dressing, feeding, and washing. Katie is also experienced in assessing for and recommending suitable home adaptations and specialist equipment.

Hannah is a Specialist Occupational Therapist based in Bristol. She visits clients in Wales and the South West of England, supporting them with Neurological Rehabilitation. Throughout her career, Hannah has developed expertise in brain injury and neurological conditions supporting clients with cognitive rehabilitation, domestic tasks, social skills, and return to work plans.

She has worked in various rehabilitation settings, first taking up a role in acute medicine, rotating to older persons rehabilitation and then stroke before specialising in serious injury patients, in particular traumatic brain injury. Hannah has established a strong understanding of what is required to provide optimum outcomes that meet the needs of complex brain injuries, both for the impact this has had on the individual’s life as well as those closest to them.

She completes complex OT assessments of patient skills, cognition, occupational needs and need for specialist assistive devices and/or building adaptations. She also gives consideration to a patient’s views and wishes, medical history, and prognosis. She ensures the accuracy and timeliness of clinical notes/contract reporting activities by communicating and working with the wider team.

Over the years, Hannah has developed her competencies through practical experience, personal research, expert supervision, and attendance on specialist training courses. This has helped her to develop a high-level of clinical reasoning necessary when assessing and treating patients with highly complex needs and when providing expert opinion to other professionals, clients, and family members.

Lisa is an expert Occupational Therapist who has nearly 2 decades of experience working with both adult and paediatric clients. She’s based in Bristol and visits clients across the South West including Bath, Newport, and Cardiff. Lisa specialises in Housing & Equipment, Seating & Postural Management, and Moving & Handling.

Lisa initially specialised in Paediatrics within primary health care before moving into social care services as a Senior Practitioner to develop both paediatric and adult care services. Lisa has continued to work within social care, focusing on adults with physical disabilities and assisting with housing, adaptations, equipment, seating, and manual handling needs. She has developed her expertise on a wide range of disabilities and conditions including stroke, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, amputations, and visual impairments.

Lisa is passionate about correct moving and handling techniques and is a qualified manual handling trainer. She continues to ensure she is delivering evidence-based interventions, regularly attending specialist conferences and contributing to various OT focus groups.

Emma is a highly skilled Occupational Therapist who specialises in Hand Therapy and Functional Rehabilitation. She is currently based in Cornwall and visits clients across the county including Plymouth, Exeter, and Torquay. Having worked in inpatient, outpatient, and community rehabilitation for over 10 years, Emma is experienced in supporting clients with a wide range of needs. This includes a variety of hand injuries and conditions such as fractures, ligament sprains/tears, carpel tunnel syndrome, Dupuytren's disease, trigger finger, and chronic regional pain syndrome.

Emma is particularly passionate about working with those who require upper limb rehabilitation in order maintain independence in activities of daily living. Having spent several years working in stroke rehabilitation, Emma is also well equipped to assess and treat both physical and cognitive impairments as well as addressing psychological concerns. In relation to Hand Therapy, Emma can organise bespoke thermoplastic splints when required and advises on the management of swelling, stiffness, sensory changes, and pain.

Emma actively seeks opportunities to continue the professional development of her specialist skills, ensuring she remains up to date with current, evidence-based practice.

Based in Devon, Elana is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist with over 10 years of experience. She visits children and their families in the West and South West of England across a variety of settings including homes, schools, and colleges. Elana assesses and treats children with a wide range of conditions such as autism, learning difficulties, ADHD, and other mental health conditions. She supports children with clinical needs surrounding Sensory Integration, gross and fine motor skills, balance and coordination, and handwriting.

Elana is able to utilise her wealth of experience across community and education settings to help children achieve their occupational goals. Her main area of expertise is in Sensory Integration, having completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Sensory Integration Level 1,2 & 3 and currently completing research for a PhD in Sensory Processing and Occupational Therapy. Elana works collaboratively with parents, carers, and school staff to ensure they are able to utilise therapy techniques into a child or young person's daily life.

Elana gained invaluable experience from a senior role with a secure mental health service. She was responsible for managing a team and providing assessments and intervention of complex cases. This position included delivering comprehensive assessments and report writing, the coordination of services and multi-disciplinary working, which often included working with social workers and psychologists to achieve the best outcomes for service users.

Based in Plymouth, Alan is an experienced Occupational Therapist who has worked in a variety of public and private settings for over 15 years. Alan provides assessments, rehabilitation, and equipment recommendations for clients with a wide range of conditions and injuries including trauma and polytrauma, amputations, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease and many others. He visits clients throughout Devon and Cornwall including Torquay, Exeter, Bodmin, and Tavistock.

Utilising his expertise in Seating & Postural Management, he completes highly specialist and complex seating and posture assessments and recommends wheelchairs, seating systems, postural support systems, and specialist moulded seating. Alan will evaluate a client’s needs and provide recommendations that are individualised to their current and likely future needs.

Alan supports clients through individualised treatment plans designed to improve function and independence. He provides recommendations on equipment and adaptations that can support everyday life, from toileting and bathing aids, to pressure cushions and specialist seating. He also has expertise in 24-hour postural management.

Sarah is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist based in Swindon, she visits clients across the South-West, including Bristol, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. With over 10 years of experience working in a variety of settings, Sarah has acquired a breadth of knowledge and skill. She is particularly focused on Functional Rehabilitation and Seating & Postural Management for children with conditions such as autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, global developmental delay, sensory difficulties, and many more.

Sarah works with children at home or in a school environment, assessing their needs relating to fine and gross motor skills, their ability to act independently and carry out activities of daily living, and sensory challenges. Sarah is used to working in a multi-disciplinary team, coordinating efforts with various professionals to ensure the child is fully support in all areas.

Sarah can offer handwriting assessments and treatment, focusing on the fine motor skills of using a pen or pencil. Sarah has also undertaken training in Makaton, a type of sign language that incorporates speech. This has proven particularly beneficial to children of all ages and with a variety of needs.

Sarah is a professional member of The Royal College of Occupational Therapists and regularly undertakes additional qualifications to enhance her skillset.

With over 10 years’ experience, Elisabeth is a highly skilled Occupational Therapist who now specialises in Housing & Equipment, Seating & Postural Management, and Rehabilitation. She currently resides in Royal Wootton Bassett and visits clients across Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset including Swindon, Bath, and Chippenham.

Elisabeth supports clients with a variety of physical conditions and disabilities, amputations, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. She also has particular expertise in neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and Huntington’s disease.

Drawing on her vast experience in adult rehabilitation, she can deliver expert and holistic interventions with the aim of increasing a client’s independence at home and maximise their potential. Elisabeth is skilled in falls prevention, reducing and tailoring packages of care, recommending standard and specialist equipment, and managing sensory needs.

Elisabeth keeps up to date with the latest evidence-based practice and ongoing training and supervision needs to continually improve as an Occupational Therapist. She recently completed a Train the Trainer workshop and is an accredited wheelchair prescriber.