Community Equipment Service for Children with Physical Disabilities

The CYP’s Social Care Occupational Therapy service (SCOT) is for Children And Young People (aged 0-18 years) with a condition that has an impact on their day-to-day life related to functional ability and independence at home, for example those who need housing adaptations or special equipment as a result of their condition.
The occupational therapist will assess the child’s or young person needs and may carry out assessments to try out pieces of equipment and then order and provide any necessary equipment. As the child grows and their needs change, this equipment may need to be reviewed, modified and replaced.

The service can provide support with:

accessing showering/bathing/toileting facilities
transferring safely (eg bed to chair, chair to toilet)
postural care in order to enable safe and/or independent feeding/toileting/bathing
access to the appropriate equipment to support their condition (eg profiling bed, shower chair, specialist seating system)
access to the home environment

The service cannot support with:

re-housing (our service does not have any authority in arranging re-housing for families; please contact the Camden re-housing service)
requests for sensory equipment (please email us to request a list of charities who may be willing to fund sensory equipment)
garden adaptations (unless it is related to access)
equipment for safety issues or needs related to behavioural difficulties, for example window locks or stair gates

Equipment orders are processed via 2 routes:
• Equipment for School is processed by the SEN (Special Educational Needs) department - contact your school OT or school SENCO for help with this.
• Equipment for home is processed by the Social Care Occupational Therapist – contact [email protected] for help with this.
A review system is in place as children will grow out of their equipment and their needs may change. When your child no longer requires the equipment it should be returned. Please contact the OT or Physiotherapy service that was involved in providing it, to arrange for the equipment to be collected.

For owner occupied properties-

Contact Sharron Attwood [email protected] / Alison Mansfield [email protected]

Environmental Health Department (Grants office)
Telephone: 020 7974 6907

For Camden Council properties- contact the housing adaptation repairs team [email protected]

For housing association properties - contact the appropriate housing association repairs service

For equipment purchased via a Disabled Facilities Grant and older than 5 years first contact the contact your Occupational Therapist 020 3317 2242.

For young people over 18 years old, specialist equipment or adaptations need to be provided by the Adult Social Care OT team who can be contacted via the duty team on 020 7974 4000.

Referrals for specialist equipment can be made using the SPOR form;

Contact details

Contact Name: Eleftheria Kosmidou
Contact Position: Head of CYP's Therapies - Service manager for CYP Social Care OT - Royal Free London
E-mail: [email protected]

Address

Activity location: -Kentish Town Health Centre2 Bartholomew RoadLondon NW5 2BX-Swiss Cottage School80 Avenue RoadLondonNW8 6HX- The Royal Free HospitalPond StreetLondonNW3 2QG
Address: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Pond Street
London
Postcode: NW3 2QG

Further details

Ward: Cantelowes Ward
Last checked date: 24/03/2016
Record ID: 40024

Local Offer

Local Offer Age Bands: Preparing for Adult Life 14-25
Children under 5
School Age Children & Young People 5-18
SEN Provision Type: Targeted; Specialist

Where is the service located and what areas does it cover?: We are a Camden wide service and supply equipment to the home and Camden’s schools. Therapists are based in MOSAIC at Kentish Town Health Centre, Swiss Cottage School and the Royal Free Hospital. However staff travel to multiple locations throughout Camden including working in the child’s own home. We also work in all Camden maintained schools.
Who does your service provide for?: Our service provides equipment to children who have a physical disability from 0-18 years of age, living in Camden. The service is for children who have a condition that has an impact on their day-to-day life related to functional ability and independence at home. This service does not include provision of wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are provided by the Camden Wheelchair Service. You can contact the Wheelchair Service on 020 3317 5040.
How can a child or young person start using the service?: A referral needs to be made by a professional that knows the child and family such as the child’s nursery or school or a health professional already working with the child. There is a Single Point of Referral (SPOR) that professionals who know your child can refer through. Contact details for SPOR admin here... There may be a waiting time but we aim to see all new referrals within 6 weeks from receipt of the referral. However, if the need is urgent this will be prioritised. Currently no charges are made for the services provided. Queries around equipment at home should be directed to the health Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist or the social care Occupational Therapist. Queries around equipment at school should be directed to the school Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist.
How are decisions made about eligibility for your service?: Referrals are screened and sent to the right Therapy Manager who will give the referral to a therapist. We send a response to the referral to the person making it and provide a copy to the parents. Once the referral is accepted, a therapist will contact the family and explain what will happen next. We provide interpreters where needed. If we are not able to accept a referral we always provide an explanation.
How do you communicate with service users and how are they involved in decision making/planning?: All professionals work with interpreters when needed to ensure that everything about the family’s child’s needs are understood by the family. British Sign Language signers are available. Many of the staff in MOSAIC are trained in other communication methods with children such as Makaton and Picture exchange Communication System. Families can provide direct feedback to professionals they are working with, through questionnaires, as well as using a comments box at the first floor reception in MOSAIC at Kentish Town Health Centre. Equipment will be reviewed on a regular basis and this can include feedback or discussion as to whether the equipment is meeting your child’s needs. In addition, if there are concerns regarding the equipment the therapist can be contacted to arrange a review.
Is your service fully accessible?: Assessment for equipment will frequently take place in the environment where the equipment will be used, in home or school. Occasionally assessment for equipment may occur in a clinic such as MOSAIC at Kentish Town Health Centre or in Swiss Cottage School. These buildings are fully wheelchair accessible. There are disabled changing and toilet facilities and changing facilities.
What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had/or will be they be getting?: All therapists have received specialist training and continue to take up training to assess and support children with disability and their families.
Who should a service user contact if they want to raise a concern or complain about something?: In the first instance or wherever appropriate, concerns and complaints should be discussed with the allocated therapist. Formal complaints can be made to the Head of CYP's Therapies or to the MOSAIC Child Development Team (CDT) Leader if your child is seen by CDT. Eleftheria Kosmidou: Head CYP's Therapies, Lower Ground Floor The Royal Free Hospital Pond Street London NW3 2QG Telephone: 0207 830 2535 Email [email protected]
Who can a parent carer/young person contact for further information?: The allocated therapist should be the first point of contact to discuss anything about the child’s care or equipment. For children under five or the equipment is needed for home, a parent/carer of a child can contact the OT service at MOSAIC: Alison Butterworth [email protected] If the equipment is for school, a parent should ask to speak to the school therapist. If the equipment is at home a parent should ask the Social CareOT or the Physiotherapist involved.

The Local Offer is a free and impartial service provided by Camden Local Authority. Any service or provider mentioned in this Local Offer, does not represent a recommendation or endorsement of the service or quality of the service provided. You are responsible for undertaking your own checks to determine suitability of the service and provider.