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University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

Referral Criteria for Professionals

Criteria for support

Schools and other professionals can make a request for support to Childrens Therapy Services, the criteria for support is as follows:

  • School aged children and young people, that have a Poole, Bournemouth, or East Dorset GP.
  • Children that are having difficulties with everyday tasks (for example dressing, eating, toileting, handwriting, washing, grooming, playing/leisure etc). These difficulties should be more than expected for their cognitive level.

Exclusion criteria:

  • Children who present with a primary mental health, emotional or behavioural difficulty
  • Sensory assessments for children who do not have a diagnosis of/or who are not undergoing a multi-agency assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder

What support is available?

After making a request for support it will be triaged by a therapist and allocated to one of three tiers of support. These are as follows:

  • Tier 1- signposting for example to our website leaflets, the learn 2 move programme, online resources or other agencies
  • Tier 2- phone call advice or referral onto specific programmes such as the sensory parenting course
  • Tier 3- face to face input with an Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist

How to make a request for support?

Please first watch the information video at the bottom of this page, this will talk you through the process of making a request.

You can then make a request for support by completing the form below and emailing this to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We have also completed an example form for you to refer to.

If you have any questions regarding this request please contact us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you work for UHD please do not complete a request for support. You can refer a child using our Children's Therapy Referral form on EPR

For all other general queries please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information on our service please visit our Children's Occupational Therapy page

For more information on our service please visit our Children's Physiotherapy page

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