How social care occupational therapy helps your child

About the social care occupational therapy process

Social care occupational therapy will visit you at home to start the assessment. We will talk with you about your child or young person’s needs. We observe your child or young person at home, then consider options to increase their independence with daily life.

This may include:

• advice about the layout of furniture to give better access
• suggestions for equipment or home adaptations
• providing information on charities or support groups

We will also consider other family members’ needs and safety in their recommendations.

Social care occupational therapy may talk with other professionals working with your child or young person. We will also talk with and refer to other services with your consent.

We may also recommend or provide:

• loans of specialist or standard equipment to assist daily activities, such as specialist beds, toileting equipment, shower seats, and bathing seats
• a moving and handling assessment, including provision of suitable equipment such as a hoist and slings
• a moving and handling plan addressing the specific needs of the child or young person.
• minor adaptations such as grab rails, door widening, ramps and safety measures in and around your home.
• major adaptations such as stairlifts, through-floor lifts, accessible bathrooms, altering existing rooms or providing new rooms such as an accessible bedroom

Social care occupational therapy can provide support to access funding through our disabled facilities grant. We can support with rehousing if your home is not suitable for adaptation.

We can also advise respite placements on equipment and manual handling needs to support their respite.

Further information and advice to support your child at home

Disabled Facilities Grants

Find out more about the government's Disabled Facilities Grants.

Find out more about the council's Disabled Facilities Grants.

Adaptations for council properties

Find more information on how to adapt your council home.

Amaze Sussex

Amaze Sussex provides information, advice, and support to families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those awaiting diagnosis.

Living Made Easy

Living Made Easy provides advice and information about daily living equipment for parents or carers of disabled children, as well as health professionals looking for ideas.

Fire service home safety visits

We recommend the free home safety visits from the fire service.