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Occupational Therapy

Children's Occupational Therapy Service

messy play

Phone

020 8586 6480

Free photo kid doing a occupational therapy session with a psychologist

Naomi Nethersole:

I am a Band 5 Occupational Therapist - new to the team and new to Newham. I came to Newham looking for a new challenge and I am very excited about the opportunity to work with such a diverse and cultured population, while working alongside such a wonderful, highly-skilled team of therapists. I am passionate about providing high quality and personalised care and treatment to children and their families and utilising my skills and knowledge to support the families that need it most.

 

Nikita Bassi

I absolutely love working in Newham as I get to connect and support families from different cultures, backgrounds, and walks of life. My love and passion for being an Occupational Therapist has only grown further through my time working with the wonderful children and families here in Newham.  I started my career in Newham, and as a South Asian woman feel very connected to this borough. I am very passionate about wanting to help create shifts and changes in how occupational therapy meets the needs of children from all different backgrounds and cultures. I hope to be a positive role model to the children I work with, and to empower them to believe in their capabilities and amazing strengths. I'm very lucky to work with families and children whom leave me smiling after every session! 

 
Kathleen Headley

I have worked in Newham for over 18 years. Initially with Newham Health Visiting Service and now with the Children’s Occupational Therapy Team.  I have always worked with children and their families in various settings and I am passionate about supporting children to thrive and develop their skills to their full potential. I understand and respect many of the challenges parents face when they are having to juggle constantly changing priorities, as well as the individual needs of their child/ren. Working in partnership with parents to achieve their child’s goals is something I am equally passionate about. 

I find my job both rewarding and humbling as I have been able to support many children on their Occupational Therapy journey, but I have also learnt so much from the families I have worked with.   

 

Beth Hipwell

As an OT, I spend lots of time playing, exploring and problem solving with children and young people to help them achieve their goals. I love being creative at work and I use toys, imaginative play, crafts and other tools to make therapy fun. As part of my OT role, I also provide specialist services including upper limb splinting clinics and early intervention for babies and infants. Outside of work, I love playing and performing music and sometimes I use songs and instruments in my OT sessions to help children develop their upper limb skills and play skills. 

 

Louis Purpura

I am an Occupational Therapist from the Philippines. I have been working in Newham since May 2021 and made one of the best decisions to move and work in a people – focused Trust.  It is great to work with people coming from different cultural backgrounds and vast professional experiences to deliver our helping hand to the service users.   It is a positive learning opportunity to work with the children, families and community links in this borough as it continuously drives the passion to be brilliantly practical and resourceful in unleashing the optimal potential of our service users.  

 

Bethany Mann

I feel privileged to be working among such a diverse and highly skilled team of therapists. I love working together with people and understanding each individual need which helps me to journey alongside and support children and families to achieve their full potential. Being an OT means I get to build relationships through play and problem solving, celebrating each child’s unique set of characteristics and skills and use these to support with challenges they may have in activities that are important to them. I love the diversity of this borough and I look forward to journeying with and learning something new from every family I meet.

 

Phoebe Bazalgette 

My name is Phoebe and I am one of the Band 6 OTs here at West Ham Lane. I have worked here for two years and have loved every minute of it! This is such a deeply knowledgeable, fun, diverse and caring team of OTs and I am looking forward to many more years here. I enjoy working with and learning from everyone here, as well as from the amazing families we see every day. The parents and carers we encounter are inspirational in the hard work and dedication they devote to their children. It's a privilege to be allowed into their homes and their lives so that together we can enable every child to reach their full potential and support the whole family to live their best lives. 

Journey Through Our Service

Read some of the comments from our Parents....

The OT's who visited made every effort to engage with my son and we’re very compassionate and professional.

Great support advice and help.

Sessions were very useful and have made a great difference to my child.

Really got to know and understand my child’s interests to help make the sessions interesting to him.

The team is always helpful and attentive to my child and my comments.

The staff treated us with respect, we were listened to.

Toilet training very useful help my son a lot. My son was showing his happy and comfortable with the OT's Showing a lot of eye contact. The OT was so engaging and informative, fantastic with my child. 

Newham Specific Information

  • Covid19 Parent Information Leaflet
  • Newham Local Offer Provides information about all services available for children with special educational needs in Newham.
  • Triple P Free parenting programmes, workshops and classes designed to meet the needs of residents in Newham, including a specific workshop (stepping stones) for parents of children with additional needs.
  • Enabled Living Healthcare The service that provides community equipment and wheelchairs for those in Newham.
  • The Newham Ability Camp A multi-sports club run by Paul Archer and specialist coaches, which aims to give children and young adults with disabilities their first steps into sport.
  • Universal Services Leaflet 
  • Tryb4uFly - This website gives you information and insights about travelling by air with a hidden disability and the support available.
Therapies and CDS Referral Form