What is Occupational Therapy and What are the Reasons for a Referral?

In this blog, we will be explaining what occupational therapy is, why you would need to see us and how we work.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy (OT) is a science degree-based, health profession, regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council.

Occupational therapy is a very broad topic but a simplified definition is: 

“Occupational therapists are dual-trained in both mental and physical health, they work with people of any age – with or without a clinical diagnosis, to help them carry out the activities that they need, or want to do, in order to lead purposeful and productive lives”.

What are the reasons for a referral?

There are many different reasons as to why we would work with a client, but some could include:

So as you can see, it is very broad and there is no ‘one’ reason as to why we would work with a client. Occupational therapy focuses on all aspects of a person, so we do not focus on a client’s symptoms – rather, on their function and the impact of internal and external factors on this.

How do we work?

Occupational therapy is carried out either face to face or virtually (KMA are currently offering virtual appointments only, in line with the current guidelines, but have vast experience of offering these over a number of years). We use assessment and intervention methods to understand the client’s specific requirements. 

We will undertake a comprehensive individualised assessment aimed at understanding their current functional capacity, goals and aspirations. We will then formulate realistic and meaningful recommendations focusing on how we can assist in that person’s ongoing recovery and goal attainment. We enable each person to identify barriers to function through a range of therapeutic interventions, accommodations and adjustments. 

At KMA we are a team of Occupational Therapists who specialise in Vocational Rehabilitation, but what does that mean? 

Vocational Rehabilitation is the process of assisting an employee back to work following a period of absence, possibly due to injury, illness or even furlough.  It can also be used to assess an employee’s home working situation and provide instant quick wins to increase productivity and efficiency.

At KMA, we work alongside the employer, HR, and the individual to ensure a transparent and successful return to work.

Why choose KMA?

Here at KMA, we pride ourselves on providing an efficient, client-focused, cost-effective, sustainable and transparent service. From the moment an enquiry is made all the way through to the client being discharged, you are thoroughly looked after by our team. 

But don’t just take our word for it, have a read of some previous client testimonials:

“I felt that my support from KMA was excellent, my needs were catered for and I only have compliments for my Occupational Therapist. The KMA team were very proactive in keeping me informed of the process and the following steps, they understood my medical and emotional needs and with their help, I have been able to accept the ‘now’ me. KMA went above and beyond to make sure I got what I needed.” – Vocational Rehabilitation client 

“Thank you for all of your help and advice getting my employee back to work over the past 18 months, it has been invaluable to me from an employers point of view as I have never had experience of a “Return to Work” program before. It goes without saying it has been a very difficult time for my employee since their life-changing accident but I’m sure we both would have found it even more challenging without your input. Thank you for everything.” – Employer (vocational rehabilitation client) 

“KMA Occupational Therapists are highly professional and very personable. They have been able to accurately identify the root cause of my pain and provide effective and efficient treatment with excellent outcomes.” – Private client 

At KMA, we always offer a non-obligatory phone conversation with one of our expert Occupational Therapists, prior to any referral being made. We can sometimes offer immediate ‘wins’ and if we feel KMA is not the best option for the client we will signpost to relevant medical professionals.