Introduction

The main service which provides physiotherapy support to help children and young people in Somerset with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities achieve their potential, is the Children and Young People’s Therapy Service which is part of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

Physiotherapy Service

Parents or practitioners may identify concerns in the development of a child or young person’s physical skills. The Physiotherapy Service in Children and Young People’s Therapy Service (CYPTS) provides advice, assessment and therapy to address these difficulties. You can find information on the NHS Children and Young People’s Therapy Service.

You can look up information in our ‘Fact Files for Early Years or for School-age’ which includes a range of advice sheets. You can also find forms and explanations as to how to refer the child or young person to this service.

Schools can use the Let’s Get Moving Programme to help engage children in appropriate movement activities regularly. This can provide outcome measures (use of SMART goals and progress tables) to monitor baseline ability and development of skills.

If you need further advice, phone our advice line on 0303 033 3002 – open 9am to 12pm Monday to Thursday (not available on Bank Holidays)

You can find a flowchart with more detailed information here

If a child or young person has an injury for which they need physiotherapy and they are aged over 8 years, it may be more appropriate for them to access support from the Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Teams which operate in localities across the county. A doctor’s referral is needed for this service.

There are also physiotherapists who work in Yeovil District Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital who may see children and young people when they are in a ward or attending specialist clinics.

A normal variant clinic is run through orthopaedics in these settings for children presenting in-toeing, out-toeing, tip toe walking for example.