Sefton Community Physiotherapy Service Information for Referrers

Sefton Community

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Sefton Community Physiotherapy Service Information for Referrers PIAG 219 (350kB pdf)

About the Physiotherapy Service

We are a team of specially trained children’s community physiotherapists and assistants who are based across two sites in Sefton. We work with children in a variety of settings including clinic, home, nursery, mainstream and special schools.

We support children and young people with movement or medical problems who are having difficulties with everyday activities that impact on their daily life.

First of all we assess to see if physiotherapy is the best way of helping the child. Once a child or young person is accepted for treatment, we work together with parents / carers and with other healthcare and education professionals who are involved in the life of the child or young person. This is because we recognise that these people play an important role in children’s lives.

Who can you refer?

• Children in Sefton aged 0-18 (19 in Special School) years with movement and developmental problems can be made by anybody including parents / carers.
• Children living in North Sefton aged 0-16 years with musculoskeletal problems –referrals should be from a medical professional e.g. GP.

(South Sefton referrals should be made to Alder Hey Physiotherapy Department by a medical professional)

• Children in Sefton with Neurodisability and associated respiratory problems can be referred by a health care professional

If the child or young person is experiencing pain and fatigue due to flexible joints, useful information and advice can be found by searching APCP Parent Information Leaflets ‘Symptomatic Hypermobility’. This advice is often sufficient, and a physiotherapy assessment not required. https://apcp.csp.org.uk/system/files/symptomatic_hypermobility_-_2012.pdfReferrer If we accept a referral, we will aim to offer an appointment for assessment with a physiotherapist within 18 weeks

If a child is referred for reasons other than those listed above, the referral may not be accepted.

How can Physiotherapists help?

Children are not just small adults. They grow very quickly, and their bodies are always changing. We are a team of specially trained physiotherapists and assistants who work with children.
We assess children for many reasons, including concerns about:

• Developmental progress and the way that they move
• Muscles, joints or bones
• Posture and positioning
• Certain long term conditions needing therapy
• Patterns and quality of movement
• Joint range of movement, muscle tone and muscle strength
• Co-ordination & balance skills
• Gait
• Functional difficulties
• Levels of pain or fatigue and frequency of trips and falls
• Conditions affecting breathing

We will help children and young people by assessing what they can do and things that they find difficult. We use play and everyday activities to help them to do the things that they want to do and become as independent as possible. The aim of physiotherapy is to allow the child or young person to develop their full abilities in terms of posture, balance, muscle flexibility, strength and participation in the practical activities of daily life.

What to expect?

Following the appointment, we will look at the results and decide if further action is required.

These actions may include:

• Advice and strategies or programmes to be carried out at home and/or school / nursery. Family and school/nursery will be expected to follow physiotherapy advice / programmes where provided. This is a really important part of treatment if you want physiotherapy to help with any problems

• Referral / report to referrer and/or other professionals for example GP, Occupational Therapy, Community Paediatrician, etc.
• Signposting to other services / charities
• Further assessment / investigation of need
• Treatment / intervention by a physiotherapist or physiotherapy assistant
• Provision of equipment
• Provision of specialist footwear or splints
• Discharge

North Sefton

Children’s Physiotherapy Service
Hoghton Street Clinic
52 Hoghton Street
Southport
PR9 0PN
Tel: 01704 395 895
(Areas covered – L37, PR8, PR9)

South Sefton

Children’s Physiotherapy Service
2nd Floor, Sefton Carers Centre
27-37 South Road
Waterloo
L22 5PE
Tel: 0151 252 5729
(Areas covered – L20, L21, L22, L23, L30, L31, L38, Sefton parts of L10)

How to contact us:

Email us at [email protected]. Or visit our website for more information at:

https://alderhey.nhs.uk/services/community-services

Dependent upon where you live, you can contact the Physiotherapy Service in your area. 

This leaflet only gives general information. You must always discuss the individual treatment of your child with the appropriate member of staff. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for information about your child’s treatment.

This information can be made available in other languages and formats if requested.

PIAG: 219