Children’s Community Physiotherapy

The Children and Young People's Physiotherapy Service is provided by a team of qualified and specialist paediatric physiotherapists, technical instructors of physiotherapy, and administrators.

The Department undertakes physiotherapy assessments, treatments and various interventions for children and young people with neurological conditions and related diagnoses, genetic abnormalities and those with a neurological condition requiring post-operative management.

Essential Information

Location

The Children's Physiotherapy Team hold clinic appointments and group therapy sessions at Kaleidoscope, Lewisham Centre for Children and Young People, in addition to working in a variety of settings across the borough such as:

  • Homes
  • Nurseries
  • Special Needs Schools
  • Mainstream Schools
  • Hydrotherapy facilities
  • Local Gym Centres

Contact

T: 0207 138 1310/1452


Who is the service for?

The team see children and young people between 0-19 years (if still in full time education) who live in Lewisham, are registered with a Lewisham GP or are attending a Lewisham school.


What services are provided?

  • Undertake physiotherapy assessments, treatment and various interventions for children and young people with neurological conditions and related diagnoses, genetic abnormalities and those with a neurological condition requiring post-operative management.
  • Provide physiotherapy intervention in blocks of treatment.
  • Provide training for parents, key-workers, teachers and Learning Support Assistants, to meet the child or young person’s needs enabling them to access school, community and leisure activities.
  • Provide postural management equipment when required.
  • Liaise with other professionals and provide reports according to professional guidelines.
  • Carry out joint risk assessments with occupational therapists for all nursery and school age children.

The services provided by the Physiotherapy Team are summarised in the table below:

Under 5s

 Over 5s

Specialist Clinics & Services

Baby clinic for Erb's Palsy

Review Clinic

Orthotics Clinic for 0 - 19 years

First Steps Clinic

After School Hydrotherapy

Ability, Balance and Coordination (ABC) Clinic and Group

Little Stars Group for children diagnosed with Downs Syndrome

Gym exercise groups for 6 -12 years

Transition support for young adults moving into Adult Services

Baby Swim Group

Physiotherapist's individual caseload

Gym groups at local leisure centres from 12 years plus

Rainbow Multi-disciplinary Group for complex pre-nursery children

 

Seating Clinic Assessments for all ages

Toddler & Rising High Groups

 

 

Physiotherapist's individual caseload

 

 


How can you get a referral?

The team accept completed physiotherapy referrals from all health professionals, including GP’s, health visitors, and school nurses.


What else do you need to know?

  • Please ensure that your child dresses appropriately for physiotherapy sessions, this means wearing clothes that are easy to move in and where possible shorts to enable us to assess them fully
  • Parking at Kaleidoscope is strictly limited to those patients with Blue Badges.  Please note that parking in the surrounding roads are mostly permit holders only, with only a few ‘pay at meter’ spaces.


Key Staff

Carol Etheridge, Team Lead & Clinical Specialist Paediatric