Service Occupational Therapy Service

Service overview

Our service is also know as OT (Occupational Therapy).

Occupational therapy provides rehabilitation and support with stabilisation to help you recover and live life to the best of your ability at home, at work, and everywhere else. Occupational Therapy is a science based profession that provides evidence based input to enable participation in things that you need, want or are expected to do. 

Within Berkshire healthcare our Occupational Therapists work across a wide range of clinical settlings as part of wider multi-disciplinary teams. Each service will provide unique clinical care catered to the needs of the patients that it serves.

Occupational Therapists work with adults and children of all ages who have a wide range of conditions.

Accessing our service

Occupational Therapist's work closely with a wide range of health and social care professionals to support your wellness journey to replace We work closely with many other services within Berkshire Healthcare.

Your care professional may recommend occupational therapy (OT) support as part of your treatment. If you would like to know more, please ask them directly. If you feel you need support from an OT, please speak to your GP or other healthcare professionals involved in your care.

Preparing for an assessment

An occupational therapy assessment is the first step in understanding your individual needs and goals.

We assess your strengths and difficulties taking into consideration how physical, cognitive, sensory, emotional, and environmental factors affect your ability to manage in everyday life. This may include areas of self-care, work, education, leisure, or social participation.

An Assessment by an Occupational Therapist may include the following:

  • carrying out clinical observations of you carrying out everyday tasks
  • completing questionnaires
  • speaking with you about your day to day life
  • reviewing healthcare records and liaising with those who know you.

This enables your occupational therapist to work collaboratively with you to identify appropriate interventions and set realistic goals that can be tailored to your individual needs. 

You can learn more by visiting the RCOT (Royal College of Occupational Therapists) website. 

Returning Equipment

You may have been given some equipment by a health or social care Occupational Therapist. When you no longer need that equipment you can return it to our Berkshire Community equipment service, it may have an NRS or Millbrook sticker on the equipment with a barcode.

To return any equipment please contact:

Berkshire Community Equipment Service

Contact number: 0118 228 8701

Contact us and FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Will an Occupational Therapist provide me with some equipment?

Some of our Occupational Therapists may be able to provide you with equipment to enable you to carry out day to day tasks more easily following an assessment. However not all of our Occupational Therapists will provide equipment as part of their service so please discuss this with your clinician.

One of the BHFT Occupational Therapists gave me some equipment but now my needs have changed, will they come back to reassess me if I call them?

If you need a reassessment for equipment please contact your local authority Occupational Therapy service. If you have other needs that require assessment please discuss with your GP who can refer you to an appropriate service.

We can also help you with

Is there any information for friends, family and carers?

If you’re a family member/carer or you look after someone, there’s practical, financial, and emotional support available to you from a range of local communities and national organisations.  

How do I request an interpreter?

We can provide language translation and interpretation support whenever you visit or contact us.

Tell our staff which language you prefer to use, and we will make sure the right communication support is in place for your assessment and treatment. Please let us know as early as possible so we can ensure the appropriate translation or interpreting support is available.

We offer a range of professional services to ensure everyone can understand and be understood:

  • telephone interpreting
  • video remote interpreting (VRI)
  • face‑to‑face interpreting
  • written translation
  • British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting
How can I get information in an accessible format?

Anyone with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss has the right to receive information in a format that meets their needs. Under the Accessible Information Standard (AIS)—a legal requirement for all health and adult social care providers—we must ensure that people who use our services, including carers and families, can understand the information we provide and communicate effectively with us.

We can offer information in a range of accessible formats, including:

  • British Sign Language (BSL)
  • large print
  • braille
  • audio
  • easy Read
  • email
  • text message
  • face‑to‑face support with a carer or advocate present

If you need information in any of these formats, please tell a member of our team and we will make sure your communication needs are met.

Are service dogs allowed to my appointment?

Yes. You are welcome to bring your registered service animal, such as a guide dog, hearing dog, medical alert dog, or other trained assistance dog to your appointment.

These animals are recognised as essential support and are permitted in most areas of our services.

To help us prepare, please let the team know before your appointment if you will be attending with a service animal. This allows us to make sure the environment is safe and comfortable for you, your animal, and other patients.

Please note that service animals may not be able to enter certain restricted clinical areas for safety or infection‑control reasons, but we will always work with you to find an appropriate alternative.

Treating our team with respect.

Respect is important.

We will be polite and kind and we expect that you treat our staff in the same way.

Abuse, hate and discrimination against our staff is unacceptable.

We will take strong action against anyone who is verbally, racially, physically, or sexually abusive to them.

This includes contacting the police to prosecute, and stopping future access to our healthcare services.

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