Our children's physiotherapy teams work with children with neurodevelopmental and orthopaedic motor difficulties from birth until they leave school.
We provide specialist assessment, advice and intervention with a neuro developmental approach to assist children with their physical function with regard to positioning, movement and balance, to enable them to achieve their optimum physical function/potential.
Our children's physiotherapy service caters for children from birth until they leave school that have a wide range of disabilities, disorders and delays including those with:
- Physical disability
- Profound and complex learning disabilities
- Motor coordination difficulties
The team commonly will see children with a range of functional motor difficulties which may be as a result of neurological impairment, orthopaedic/musculoskeletal issues, genetic disorders, idiopathic conditions and specialist mobility issues.
Children will receive intervention in relation to positioning, functional ability, equipment, aids and splints.
Typically, for very young children, the skills of sitting, rolling and crawling need to be mastered, and for older children more complex activities such as throwing catching, running and sport skills are addressed.
The team offers a joint orthotic service and a dynamic lycra garment clinic.
For children attending special schools therapists are allocated to each school to enhance school liaison and working.
Children are seen within individual or group settings, for one off assessment and advice or on-going treatment dependent on their needs.
All children will receive an individual assessment with advice and a treatment programme as required. This assessment can be made in their home, health clinic, nursery or school. In some cases we can also provide assessments for equipment to support a child's educational involvement and achievement.
Our children's physiotherapy team works closely with a range of specialists including:
- Child health specialists
- Child Development Service (CDS)
- Local authority educational and social services
- Health visitors
- School nurses
- Occupational therapists
- Speech and language therapists
- Paediatricians
- Podiatrists
- Orthoptists
- Mainstream and special schools/ nursery staff
- Educational psychology
- Early year's services
Our team of physiotherapists in Brent assess and care for children who have:
- long term conditions, physical disabilities and developmental problems (for children and young people who are between 0 and 18 years old, or up to 19 for children in special schools)
- musculoskeletal and orthopaedic conditions (for children and young people who are between 0 and 16 years old).
Our team have specialist skills as well as expert knowledge of child development and childhood disabilities.
Our team can help children who need physiotherapy support in several ways, such as:
- an exercise or physical/postural management program
- individual or group sessions with a physiotherapist or a physiotherapy assistant
- specialist equipment (such as orthotics, mobility aids, or postural management equipment)
- a review of your child's physiotherapy needs and program after an agreed period of time
- training parents, carers, or school staff to carry out exercise or physical/postural management programs, so that they can be performed as part of your child's daily routine when this is appropriate
- working with parents, teachers, learning support assistants, nurses and medical staff
- referring to other services that might help your child (such as a wheelchair service, podiatry, other therapy services like Occupational Therapy or Speech and Language Therapy).
Who we see:
Our team look after children who have one or more of a number of conditions:
- neuromuscular disorders, such as muscular dystrophy
- acute injuries, such as fractures or sports injuries
- neurological conditions, such as cerebral palsy, or a head injury
- respiratory conditions which are associated with existing long term disability
- rheumatological conditions, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- congenital disorders, such as spina bifida or limb deficiencies
- orthopaedic conditions, such as talipes, torticollis, plagiocephaly, or gait abnormalities
- congenital syndromes and metabolic diseases
- developmental delay
- balance and co-ordination difficulties
- conditions where mobility and function are affected
Location and contact information
- Telephone: 020 8102 3456
- Email address: clcht.brentspa@nhs.net
- Location: Chalkhill Primary Care Centre, 113 Chalk Hill Road, Wembley HA9 9FX
Referral information:
We accept referrals for children and young people who have a Brent GP.
Routine referrals will come through to the Brent SPA. The SPA will be available from 08:00 to 17:00. Outside of the SPA opening times, please use the SPA number and your call will be routed directly to the clinical teams that operate out of these hours. to contact the SPA, telephone 020 8102 3456 or email clcht.brentspa@nhs.net.
Inclusions
Referrals can be made for children with the following presentations, for whom there is a concern regarding motor skills and development or physical ability:
- Neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida and head injuries
- Neuro muscular conditions such as muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy and neuropathy
- Developmental delay (general and specific) including syndromes
- Motor co-ordination difficulties
- Non-acute musculoskeletal issues such as foot posture, gait problems, juvenile chronic arthritis, Charcot Marie Tooth Disorder
- Specialist orthopaedic conditions such as Talipes and Erb's Palsy
Exclusions
Our children's physiotherapy service does not see children with the following conditions:
- Acute respiratory conditions
- Acute orthopaedic conditions e.g. bone fracture
- Acute musculoskeletal conditions e.g. osgood shattlers, sprained ankle, acute back pain etc,
- Referrals for MSK based issues should be made directly to the MSK physiotherapy service.
Children are discharged from the children's and young person’s physiotherapy service when:
- There is no further indication for treatment
- Further intervention will not affect change
- Functional goals are met
- No further progress of skills
- Non-compliance (with notifications sent)
- When problems have resolve
- Advice has been given and there is no further indication for intervention
- Advice needs to be followed without the need for ongoing follow up
- It is felt that there is no further improvement
- Young people move from children's services into adult services
- Child moves out of borough
Oak Lane Clinic
- Address: Oak Lane, East Finchley, London, N2 8LT
- Phone: 020 8349 7000
- Opening times: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
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