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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Arrangements for Contacts/Referrals to the Occupational Therapy Department
3. Referrals from the Department of Services to Children and Young People to the Occupational Therapy Department
4. Joint Assessments with the Occupational Therapy Department

1. Introduction

1. The Occupational Therapy Department is located within Adult Services; it provides an assessment service for both children and adults in respect of possible equipment and adaptations options to meet needs; 
2. Professionals, families and young people may contact Adult Services Access Point at Jacob’s Well.

2. Arrangements for Contacts/Referrals to the Occupational Therapy Department

1. All contacts received at Jacob’s Well are initially screened by a Customer Service Advisor, who will be able to provide advice in relation to day to day home safety issues which do not require specialist assessment or equipment;
2. The Customer Service Advisor will on receipt of an e-mail, telephone call or letter determine whether this relates to the core business of the Occupational Therapy Department; 
3. The contact will be further screened by a member of the Children and Young People’s Occupational Therapy Team. They will check on ICS to see past involvement and the current status of the case in Children’s Services. It is important to note that the Children and Young People’s Occupational Therapy Team do not use ICS, but use the Adult Services Client database AIS;
4. If the ICS check identifies that the Department of Services to Children and Young People is currently working with a child or young person then the Customer Service Advisor will advise the allocated worker of the contact within a 24 hour period, so that decisions can be made by the allocated worker as to whether it is appropriate for the Occupational Therapy Department to become involved and, if so, what the priority for response should be. The Customer Service Advisor will enter a contact for the Occupational Therapy Department, but not a referral. If, at a later stage, the Occupational Therapy Department plan to undertake work then an involvement should be entered; 
5. If the child or young person is not currently worked with by the Department of Services to Children and Young People then the Customer Service Advisor will enter a contact on AIS The Customer Service Advisor will enter a referral if it is determined that the contact meets the criteria for an assessment from the Occupational Therapy Department. The referral will be then placed on the waiting list; priority will be given to assessments for indoor safety; 
6. On those occasions when a referral is already open to the Occupational Therapy Department and a contact is taken by the Department, the contact will be linked to the existing referral. The Department will become the Key Team and Key Worker, and the Occupational Therapy Department will remain on AIS as an additional involvement.

3. Referrals from the Department of Services to Children and Young People to the Occupational Therapy Department

1. At any stage in the Department's contact/referral/assessment process, the Department of Services to Children and Young People may refer back to the Occupational Therapy Department. It will be necessary on the first occasion for an Occupational Therapy referral form to be completed; it should be clearly identified at the top of the referral form that this is for the attention of the Paediatric Senior Practitioner / Team Manager, Occupational Therapy;
2. When the recommendations of a Departmental assessment identifies that Occupational Therapy input will have a significant effect on the outcome of the assessment then these referrals will be prioritised by the Occupational Therapy Department;
3. Each assessment and Care Plan needs to identify whether there are home safety issues (including equipment) and whether these need to be considered by the Occupational Therapy;
4. It will be the responsibility of the allocated worker from the Department and the Occupational Therapist to update each other in relation to key significant events which will affect the work of colleagues, these needs to include decisions about allocation, completion of the assessment and closure;
5. The Occupational Therapist will retain overall responsibility for individual children until the resources that the service has commissioned are concluded.

4. Joint Assessments with the Occupational Therapy Department

1. It is recognised that the assessment timescales for the Department and the Occupational Therapy Department are significantly different. There is the expectation within the Department that Initial assessments will be completed within 7 working days of the date of the referral and Core Assessments within 35 working days of the completion of the Initial Assessment;
2. It is recognised that there will be some exceptional situations where a joint assessment between the Department and the Occupational Therapy Department is required during the course of the Core Assessment undertaken by the Department; such exceptions will need to be agreed between the Senior Care Manager, the Department of Services to Children and Young People and the Team Manager, Occupational Therapy Department.

End