Request for assistance from Occupational Therapy for Children and Young People
How to seek information, advice or active support from the Occupational Therapy service for children and young people
Our ‘Request for Assistance’ process aims to:
- give the person who has the concern direct access to Occupational Therapy as early as possible.
- enable us to find out if we are the best people to help you and to signpost you to the right people if we’re not.

What happens when you make a Request for Assistance?
When you make a call to the Occupational Therapy administration team, you will be asked for details about your occupational concern and importantly, what you have tried. You’ll then be contacted, by phone, by an Occupational Therapist, who will start the assessment process which includes collecting information about your child’s occupational profile.
If possible, your previous Occupational Therapist will contact you if it’s less than three months since you were last known to us.
NB: If you are making a request on behalf of a parent, for instance you are a professional working with the child eg doctor, teacher, play worker, social worker, you must seek parental consent to make the request before calling.
What we may offer?
Reassurance
Reassurance that all the support your child needs is in place.
Signposting
Signposting to other services and/or our online resources which we have developed to help you better understand your child’s occupational skills and underlying sensory/motor and wellbeing needs.
Advice
Advice which may include leaflets about specific topics with hints and tips to support your child in everyday settings.
Assessment
Assessment(s) will initially be provided as a telephone call to understand what is impacting occupational progress. We may offer a video appointment or a face to face appointment to complete specific assessment and work together to produce the intervention plan.
Active support
Active support will empower you to remove barriers to current and future occupational development and make occupational change. This can be through training, direct sessions, a programme which we will review and/or prescribing you equipment. Your child is discharged when we have met your goals and given you resources to progress without the need for occupational therapy support.


Also in this section
Please call the Occupational Therapy administration team on 02921 836910 to access the Request for Assistance process.
Contact details
Occupational Therapy for Children and Young People
1st Floor, Woodland House
Maes Y Coed Road
Cardiff
CF14 4HH
Phone: 02921 836 910
If your concern relates to equipment which we have provided your child in the past, please phone the Joint Equipment Service on: 02920 873 673 or 02920 712 555.
If your concern relates to a wheelchair please speak with a health professional who already knows you child if you need a new referral or contact ALAS on: 01443 661799