Children's Services
Paediatric Physiotherapy Service
Paediatric physiotherapy (PT) is the treatment, by physical means, of conditions seen in children, which affect or compromise normal childhood development.
About our service
Paediatric physiotherapy (PT) is the treatment, by physical means, of conditions seen in children, which affect or compromise normal childhood development. The paediatric community physiotherapy service provides specialist assessment and a range of interventions to enable children with physical difficulties to reach their full potential by maximising function and independence and promoting normal movement; aiming to prevent or limit contractures and deformity, and thereby improving quality of life.
We teach families and carers about the condition the child presents with and the programme of activities required to either maintain or to develop skills. Partnership with parents and education staff is essential. We also work in close partnership with other professionals from Health, Education and Social Care.
Who is it for?
Paediatric physiotherapy is a community-based service which will accept referrals for all children aged 0-18 years of age, who are still in full-time school education.
The service is provided to children and young people registered with any Birmingham GP.
Children and young people who do not have Birmingham GP may also receive the service if they are in full-time education in Birmingham and/or it is otherwise convenient to them
The service provides assessment and treatment for babies and children with delay in gross motor skills which may be affecting their normal childhood development. For babies, children or young people with abnormal muscle tone and/or patterns of movement and children and young people with musculoskeletal conditions causing pain or loss of function, we will offer advice and recommendations for specialist equipment or orthotics which will assist in achieving either postural control / management or mobility.
Who provides it?
The service is provided by chartered physiotherapist who are specialists in treating children with arrange of medical conditions. A number of our staff have had postgraduate training to develop their skills this may include training at a centre of excellence for children with spasticity called the Bobath centre, and other physiotherapy techniques.
We also employ the only Consultant Physiotherapist in spasticity management in the NHS who leads national courses on the treatment and management of Cerebral Palsy and supports and trains our staff.
Community Physiotherapy services are delivered Monday to Friday primarily between the hours of 8.30am to 4.30pm. Some out of hours appointments will be accommodated to meet the needs of the individual child and family.
Other resources
Parent leaflets from the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists (APCP): https://apcp.csp.org.uk/parent-leaflets
Flat feet leaflet: https://apcp.csp.org.uk/documents/parent-leaflet-flat-feet-young-children-updated-2019
In-toeing gait leaflet https://apcp.csp.org.uk/documents/parent-leaflet-intoeing-gait-updated-2019
Locations
Appointments are provided at locations across the city of Birmingham from a large number of bases to try to enable convenient access for the whole population.
Physiotherapy services are delivered in:
- Health Centres;
- Special schools / mainstream schools
- Child Development Centres;
- The child’s home, mainstream school or early years setting
- Children’s Centres.
An in-reach service is also provided to the neo-natal unit at City Hospital and to the low birth weight follow-up clinic, in order to improve the early identification of developmental difficulties in this group of children.