Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapists focus on function and participation: what a person can actually do at home, at work and in the community, and what care, equipment or adaptation closes the gap. Physiotherapists focus on movement itself – strength, range, gait and rehabilitation of the body. They frequently work together, and in a substantial claim both are often instructed.

An occupational therapist does not determine mental capacity, which is a matter for a psychologist or psychiatrist. What the occupational therapist provides is the functional evidence the capacity assessment rests on: how the person manages money, medication, self-care and risk in practice, observed rather than reported.

We have experts covering the entire lifespan. Our paediatric occupational therapists specialise in sensory processing, motor skills and SEND tribunals. Our adult occupational therapists specialise in neuro-rehabilitation, spinal injury, amputation and complex care packages.

Yes. A costed schedule of care and equipment is one of the most common reasons to instruct an occupational therapist. The report sets out the care regime by hours and skill mix, the aids and equipment with replacement cycles, and any adaptation or alternative accommodation required, in a form that feeds directly into the schedule of loss.

Remote assessment works well for interview, history and record review. It does not work for the part of the assessment that matters most: seeing the person move around their own home, attempt transfers, and use their kitchen and bathroom. For care, equipment and adaptation evidence we recommend an in-person home visit.

Because accommodation is often the largest single head of loss in a serious injury claim. Where the current home cannot be made safe or accessible, the occupational therapist sets out what adaptation would be required, what it would cost, and whether adaptation or alternative accommodation is the reasonable option. Omitting it understates the claim.