01246 277 271
Our children's physiotherapy team works with children with neurodevelopmental, neurological and other motor difficulties from birth until they leave school.
We aim to provide children we see with a high quality assessment, advice and treatment to help them manage their difficulties. We endeavour to help children and young people reach their potential through fun and child centred activities.
We see children aged 0 to 18 years. In certain circumstances we will continue to see children until they are 19 years old.
Conditions treated:
We work in partnership with the child, family and all other professionals from health, education and social care settings to maximise a child’s physical abilities and independence.
We endeavour to help the family and the wider team of carers understand the child’s physical difficulties and how to enable them to achieve their best.
We assess the child’s abilities and analyse how they move. From this assessment we will formulate an individual management plan.
This will typically involve teaching parents and carers specific activities to practice with their child and how best to manage their physical needs throughout their daily routine.
This may also include the provision of specialist equipment to support standing and walking.
We work closely with our Occupational Therapy colleagues particularly if the child has postural needs, a movement disorder or Developmental coordination difficulties.
We see children in the location that is most appropriate to their needs; this could be in their home, a clinic, nursery or school.
Our team is based at the following sites:
Children's Specialist Services @ The Den, Chesterfield Royal Hospital
Tel: 01246 514554
New referrals will be triaged and allocated to a physiotherapist who will see the child in the most appropriate location.
Referrals will be managed in the following way: -
Initial contact and assessment
Creation of a management plan where play positions and activities are advised
Joint working with parents, teaching and nursery staff to ensure that these activities are carried out on a regular basis as advised by the physiotherapist
Liaison with education, parents and carers and other members of the health team
Any information about your child and yourselves is treated in confidence.
It is good practice to discuss the clinical details of your child with other appropriate health professionals. This co-ordinates our care to enable us to offer the best service to you and your child. With your permission, information will be shared with other agencies, i.e. Education.
All health professionals have a duty of care to share information with other agencies if they feel a child is at risk or is suffering harm.
Our children's physiotherapy team works closely with a range of specialists including:
We are a team of highly specialised physiotherapists.
Our staff are registered with the Health & Care Professions Council and have Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks.
All staff are members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and many are members of its professional network the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists.
Kathy Mackey
Team Leader
Children’s Physiotherapist: Community
Samantha Giles
Cathy Smith
Children’s Physiotherapist: Special schools
Sarah Trezise-Hardinge
Children’s Physiotherapist Community
Heather Harrison
Children’sPhysiotherapist: Community
Area covered: High Peak
Melanie Gawthorpe
Sharon English
Children’s Physiotherapist: Outpatients and DCD
Sue Macdonald
Rachel Webb Children’s Physiotherapist: Community
Sally Penny
Children’s Physiotherapist: Special Schools and Outpatients Liz Mellor
Children’s Physiotherapy Assistant
Information for GP’s and other healthcare professionals who refer patients to our children’s physiotherapy team.
PLEASE NOTE, all referrals for children with musculoskeletal or rheumatology based problems should be made to the Children's MSK Physiotherapy department in Suite 5.
Children residing in North Derbyshire and registered with a North Derbyshire GP as defined by the borough of Bolsover, Chesterfield, High Peak and North Dales and North East Derbyshire.
0-18 years and to 19 years if the child is still in full time education to the end of that school year.
Assessment and intervention will be provided to children with conditions including but not limited to:-
Referrals will be accepted in writing on our Physiotherapy referral form.
Documentation which forms part of the Common Assessment framework or CAF pre-assessment will be accepted as a referral.
Referrals are accepted from:
All referrals should be made on our Referral for Physiotherapy Form (form attached), and posted to our team at:
Children’s Physiotherapy 1st Floor The Den Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Calow Chesterfield Derbyshire S44 5BL
Download Referral for Physiotherapy Form
If more information is required this is sought from the referrer and/or the parents.
The family will then be contacted to make a convenient appointment.
Children appropriate for the Developmental Coordination service are sent questionnaires for the parents and school staff to complete. When these are returned an appointment will be offered for the child to attend an assessment clinic. This clinic is provided jointly with the Children’s Occupational Therapy service.
If the initial appointment is not attended the referrer is informed and another appointment will be offered.
If the child fails to attend a second time they will be discharged back to the referrer to decide if the child is at risk.
What referral information does our children’s physiotherapy service need?
Referrals should include the following information:-
Children will be offered an initial appointment within 7 weeks of receipt of referral or sooner if assessed as high priority.
Children's Physiotherapy Department 1st Floor, The Den Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Calow Chesterfield Derbyshire S44 5BL
Telephone: 01246 514554 Fax: 01246 512630
