Occupational Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy?

The Focus of Occupational Therapy at Leigh Academy Milestone 

Occupational Therapy focuses on enhancing engagement and participation in school, home and community life.

How Occupational Therapy is Delivered at Leigh Academy Milestone

Kent Community Health NHS Trust Occupational Therapy Service address the needs of students with physical disabilities, through assessment and providing equipment to meet their specialist seating requirements. For further information about the KCHFT Children’s Therapies and their referral criteria for Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physiotherapy, please visit their on-line information hub, the POD https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/childrens-therapies-the-pod/

Leigh Academy Milestone employs an OT / Physio Assistant to work alongside KCHFT's OTs and Physios.  Our Assistant can liaise with the OTs and Physios regarding any concerns.  

For any concerns about a student’s wheelchair or wheelchair accessories, it is a parent’s responsibility to raise this by contacting the wheelchair service (Millbrook’s) or their wheelchair supplier (if it was a private purchase) for reviews and/or repair.

Leigh Academy Milestone Commissioned Occupational Therapy 

Occupational Therapy support at Leigh Academy Milestone is delivered by a Consultant Occupational Therapist on a part-time basis.  This includes whole-school and targeted support and training, as well as specialist input, where needed, for individual students.  The consultant Occupational Therapist provides input and support using Universal, Targeted and Specialist approaches.

Referrals are made in writing via internal email and, in the first instance, triaged by the Therapy Lead.   All questions and concerns for the Consultant OT must be directed to the Therapy Lead, Liz Skilton in the first instance.  

Universal Approach.

Staff are provided with regular whole school or whole class training in order to be familiar and confident in delivering school-led programmes such as Clever Fingers (a fine motor skills programme) and SMILE Time (sensory motor integration learning experiences) to support sensory regulation. Guidance on reasonable adjustments and environmental adaptations to support participation and engagement is also provided by the Academy’s consultant Occupational Therapist.

Targeted Approach

A student can be referred to the consultant Occupational Therapist by their class teacher, the school’s Senior Leadership Team or the ASD Lead. The Referrer may request an assessment, or seek advice when concerns have been raised and/or universal approaches are not fully meeting a student’s needs within school.

Specialist Approach

Some students need long or intensive short-term, highly individualised occupational therapy support to improve functional outcomes. They may require direct specialist intervention by the Occupational Therapist, and/or specialist interventions delivered by staff trained by the OT, alongside other targeted and universal school-led OT interventions.

Specialist input may include the provision of highly personalised ‘Sensory Diets’ or Sensory Integration-based therapy to support sensory regulation for those with complex sensory processing difficulties. Training for staff and parents by the OT in specialist interventions may also be needed.

Milestone is not able to meet the needs of children who have very specified Occupational Therapy provision included in their EHCP i.e. if is over and above what is available from our core offer.  Each case is discussed individually with the Local Authority.