Referrals can be made by health, education and social care professionals. This includes teachers, SENCOS, School Nurse, Physiotherapists, GP, Social Workers, Family Support Workers, Portage, Paediatricians, Nursery Staff (this list is not exhaustive).
You may have been signposted to more appropriate service and will need to make a referral to their teams. You may also have been asked to provide further information. This information may include; your child’s learning levels (so we can establish if skills are in line with their learning), impact on functional activities, what has been tried already, other services already involved. This information can be recorded on an existing or new referral form and then returned to our department. This will then be re-screened by a senior member of the Occupational Therapy team. You do not need to call us to discuss this. You will receive a further letter to advise if this information has now been accepted.
Our parent workshops are our first level intervention. Research recommends for strategies to be implemented little and often throughout the day and therefore as parents/carers you are best placed to complete this. Implementing general strategies can really benefit a lot of the children who we have referrals for, and by implementing these into your daily routine can really help for your child to become more independent and therefore, can resolve the difficulties your child was experiencing.
By attending the parent workshop, you will be provided with strategies to implement which will provide similar sensory feedback to a weighted blanket and may resolve the need for one. Weighted blankets are becoming more available on the market, however, we are not able to provide specific advise on which you should purchase for your child.
There are contraindications that you should be aware of. Your child must be able to remove the blanket independently. There are also particular health conditions where weighted blankets are not recommended including (but not exhaustive of); cardiac problems, respiratory problems, skin problems, hypotonia, epilepsy and circulatory problems.
If determined appropriate from the information we receive, and evidence of other strategies being implemented, an Occupational Therapist will provide an extensive assessment of if a weighted blanket is deemed safe and clinically indicated for your child. Please note; our service does not provide weighted vests or other weighted equipment.
Please see the Royal College of Occupational Therapists Safe Use of Weighted blankets Briefing on the link below.
Our service are not able to support with major adaptations or housing and therefore a referral will need to be made to our colleagues in the Social Services Occupational Therapy team (Coventry City Council)
Please contact your named therapist or call the Occupational Therapy department on 024 76 961455 and your child’s case will be allocated for a review.
You can return equipment to our Integrated Community Equipment Stores. You can contact them directly to arrange a collection/return equipment on 024 76 785353.
Please contact the Occupational Therapy team on 024 76 961455 to discuss your child’s individual case. We will also need to be made aware if you are moving out of area/changing school so we can update our records and refer to the relevant local services.