Home Adaptations
We are able to assess and procure small items of equipment for the home. This is usually done as part of our assessment of a child's functional skills and may be prescribed to assist with these skills. For example: stair rails, small bath aids, seating for dining or play.
Your therapist will order and set up the small home adaptations. Please note this includes small housing items such as those mentioned above and not items such as cutlery, scissors, pencil grips, etc... which you are expected to purchase yourself.
Equipment is supplied through Medequip and remains the property and responsibility of Medequip. Should you require repairs or collection, please contact them on 01785 273950
Families are able to self-refer for larger home adaptations. These are completed by the Social Care Occupational Therapy Service. If you require this service, please see contact details below for your area:
Stoke on Trent City
Social Care Occupational Therapy Team: 01782 236950
Staffordshire County and Moorlands
Staffordshire Social Care Occupational Therapy Team First Response:
Lines are open Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm and Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm
Staffordshire County Council - First Response
Equipment in Schools
Mainstream schools can refer into Children's Occupational Therapy Team, see our How to Refer page.
All schools are expected to purchase any small aids required (e.g. slope boards).
Please see the Seating and Small Aids sections on this page to view the equipment we commonly recommend to schools.
We are able to advise schools on which piece of equipment will suit a child in their school, this includes children with a range of physical difficulties and conditions.
The equipment we advise on covers:
changing and toileting
school and classroom access
seating within class, dining, etc...
writing aids and adaptations
Whilst we will recommend the most suitable piece of equipment for the child's needs, it is the schools responsibility to purchase and maintain the equipment once in-situ and set up by the Occupational Therapist. Schools then contact the Occupational Therapist if a review or re-assessment of the equipment is required in the future.
Funding Equipment in School
For Staffordshire County Schools:
Please note that Staffordshire County and Moorlands schools are required to fund the first £350 of each piece of equipment, if you buy it outright it is then the school's property.
Larger or more expensive pieces of equipment can be ordered through Medequip by the Occupational Therapist. Schools are required to pay the first £350, but the additional cost is then covered through Medequip. The school do not then own the equipment, it is issued to the specific child and should be returned after it is no longer required or suitable.
For Stoke-on-Trent Schools:
Stoke-on-Trent City schools must purchase each piece of equipment out of their budget.
Academies will need to seek the advice of their Multi-Academy Trust for service level agreement.
Special Schools must purchase each piece of equipment out of their budget and it then belongs to them.
Nurseries must purchase each piece of equipment out of their budget and it then belongs to them.
Seating
In this section you can find information regarding the two seats commonly recommended to give children with mild postural needs support whilst sitting for tasks, such as schoolwork, hand play or dining.
Breezi Chair
The Breezi chair is height and depth adjustable and provides a footplate giving postural stability at the dining table. It also comes in a smaller size (the Teezi Breezi) and a larger size (the Maxi Breezi).
Further information and accessories available for the Breezi range of chairs can be found on the BES Healthcare.
Heathfield Chair
The Heathfield Chair is suitable for children from the age of 2 to young adults who require minimal postural support when seated and fits well into nursery, school and home environments. It is adjustable and comes with a wide range of accessories.
Safety note: The Heathfield must have skis fitted if it is a Size 1 or Size 2 chair used with a tray.
Further information on accessories, user guides, and videos for the Heathfield chair can be found on the Smirthwaite - Heathfield Chair.
Small Aids
In this section you can find our most commonly recommended small aids. You may wish to have a look and see if you think anything is suitable for your child.
All items are available from a variety of shops and an internet search will help you find the items you wish to purchase.
Self Care
Here you will find a selection of aids that we often use from early years to teens, to assist with the development of everyday tasks. An internet search will give the best supplier and price for any items you are interested in.
Mealtimes are an important aspect of family life. Children begin to develop self-feeding skills from birth. Self-feeding is a very complex task and it is common for children to have difficulty using cutlery to feed themselves. It usually takes until a child is 7 years old before they can successfully use cutlery to feed themselves without being too messy. There are a variety of tools that can be used to support children with mealtimes if they continue to find these skills challenging. Many of these are readily available and are not seen as specialist equipment.
- Plates with rims to stop food being pushed off the side.
- Placemats or non-slip matting, such as Dycem matting, can help to keep plates from moving.
- Adapted cutlery allows the child to position their fingers correctly for effective knife and fork use. There is a wide variety of cutlery available, from Doddl cutlery for tiny children to junior caring cutlery or Kura cutlery for older ones.
Some children require a step in order to access the toilet safely. An adjustable height bath step may meet the child's needs. An adjustable height bath step can also be used to provide support and stability for a child whose feet don't touch the floor when sitting on a classroom or dining chair.
Prep boards can be useful as your child grows and would like more independence in the kitchen. These are useful if your child is limited in the use of one hand or struggles with strength.
Pre-writing and Writing
Here are a range of aids we often recommend to assist with nursery or school work, mark making, and writing tasks.
Egg shaped crayons and chunky crayons encourage a child to develop the right grip for mark making and pre-writing.
The slope-board or writing-slope encourages proper posture and alignment whilst sitting at a desk or table. Suitable for left and right handed users, there are several models on the market. With any model, the child places their work on top of it to write on, and can also use it to position reading materials or an electronic device.
Pencil grips come in a range of shapes and sizes and can be useful to help in positioning a child's fingers correctly on the pencil.
Loop and Easi-Grip scissors are recommended for children who have a weak grip and poor hand control. The continuous loop handle allows the scissors to automatically open when pressure is released. Mini easi-grip are recommended for Primary School ages.
Long Loop scissors would be recommended for children with a weak grip and poor hand control. They can also be used for children who have a tremor. The longer loop allows the middle, ring and little finger to be used to open or close the scissors, with the index finger being used to control on the outside.
Table-mounted scissors are self-opening, with the spring automatically opening the scissors ready for the next cut. 
These would be recommended for children with weak grasp, poor hand control and a tremor. These scissors can also be used one-handed and it would be recommended that the stronger hand manipulates the position of the paper whilst the weaker hand operates the scissors.
Spring-loaded scissors would be recommended for children with a weak grip and poor hand control. They automatically re-open after each cut.
Please see our early years and scissor advice on the Resources for Parents or Resources for Schools pages for advice on how to develop scissor skills.
Useful Websites
Here is a list of websites where you can view and purchase the items we have mentioned. However, an internet search will give you the best price and supplier, as these are subject to change.
Spring-loaded scissors would be recommended for children with a weak grip and poor hand control. They automatically re-open after each cut.
Please see our early years and scissor advice on the Resources for Parents or Resources for Schools pages for advice on how to develop scissor skills.
Useful Websites
Here is a list of websites where you can view and purchase the items we have mentioned. However, an internet search will give you the best price and supplier, as these are subject to change.