How a Neonatal Occupational Therapist Can Support You:

Neonatal Occupational Therapists (OT) are part of the team supporting families and infants on the neonatal unit. They combine physical and mental healthcare models to take a holistic approach to working with families. Their focus is supporting neonatal parents to establish their parental role within a highly medical and specialist environment. This includes assessing the infants individual neurobehaviors and helping parents to understand baby behaviour. They also work with neonatal parents to develop strategies to support the baby within the neonatal setting and as the family prepares to transition home.

Neonatal OT can help to:

• Support parents and carers to understand preterm and term baby behaviour
• Complete neurodevelopmental and neuro-behavioural assessments, discuss findings and provide early intervention as appropriate
• Create individual plans to support development and parent/infant co-occupations such as positive touch experiences, nappy changes, bathing, early play and interaction
• Provide strategies to help manage pain and stress and increase positive touch
• Discuss any concerns around future development and refer to community OT

London Neonatal ODN Lead OTs

Work with neonatal units within London to support staff and offer strategic advice regarding neonatal OT regionally. They also link up with network AHPPP leads across England.

They can support Neonatal OTs from foundation to through to expert.

This could include:

• Clinical support
• Education and training
• Clinical governance
• Growing the workforce

Where a unit does not have an Occupational Therapist, the network lead Occupational Therapists can support units to:

• Incorporate OT into your neonatal workforce plan
• Advise on OT staffing recommendations
• Raise the profile and understanding of the neonatal OT role
• Collaboratively develop business cases

The network lead OTs offer strategic advice regarding neonatal OT regionally and nationally and link up with the Neonatal ODN AHPP teams across England.

Resources  

Download our Adobe PDF poster:
Neonatal Occupational Therapy parents (1).png

Watch the Bliss webinar:
MDT Spotlight – Occupational Therapy

Bliss webinar MDT spotlight Occupational Therapy

Parent Leaflets

• EI Smart Resources – Ei SMART
• Brazelton Parents – Brazelton Centre UK
• Sensory Beginnings Resources for nurturing sensory environment | Sensory Beginnings

Staff Resources

• Occupational Therapy in neonatal services and early intervention (RCOT) NEONATAL Final (4).pdf
• Neonatal Guideline Audit Form Occupational therapy in neonatal services and early intervention | RCOT
• Professional development framework for occupational therapists working in neonatal care RCOT_Professional development framework.pdf