Herts CYPT

Herts CYPT Supporting children, young people and their families living in Hertfordshire as part of the Integrated Therapy Service provided by HCT.

The SEND Chat and Play sessions at Hertfordshire's Family Centres are designed to provide a relaxed, supportive environm...
14/11/2025

The SEND Chat and Play sessions at Hertfordshire's Family Centres are designed to provide a relaxed, supportive environment for families of children with emerging or diagnosed SEND needs, offering both play opportunities and access to trusted local information.
Each session is facilitated by the Family Centre Service's experienced SEND Champions, who are on hand to:
- Support families in navigating local SEND services
- Provide information about local groups, upcoming courses, and other resources
- Offer a listening ear for any concerns families may wish to share
Find a SEND Chat and Play session near you:

https://www.hertsfamilycentres.org/events/whats-on-at-family-centres-in-hertfordshire.aspx

Is your child learning to ride a bike and you don't know where to start? Our friends at NHS Lothian have put together th...
13/11/2025

Is your child learning to ride a bike and you don't know where to start? Our friends at NHS Lothian have put together this helpful guide! Here are their top tips:

1. Get the bike ready - check brakes, tyres and saddle height, remove pedals and stabilisers if needed.
2. Get your child ready - wear a helmet and comfy clothes, use pads or gloves if helpful, pick a calm time to practise.
3. Find a safe space - flat, open area with no traffic, avoid grass (too hard to pedal).
4. Keep it fun - short sessions, lots of praise, learn one skill at a time.
5. Lift the bike - child stands beside bike and lifts it upright safely.
6. Walk with the bike - hold handlebars, push forward, practise starting and stopping.
7. Get on and off - hold brakes, swing leg over saddle, sit with feet flat.
8. Scoot and balance - sit on saddle, push with feet, lift both feet to glide, practise balancing and steering.
9. Add pedals - support from behind (not holding bike), let child pedal in open space. Reduce support as confidence grows.
10. Cycle on their own - one foot on ground, one pedal at 2 o’clock, push off, find second pedal, look ahead, practise braking and stopping. gradually raise saddle as skills improve.

https://children.nhslothian.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/4.32-Learning-to-ride-a-bike.pdf

Free Motor Development Workshop from Occupational Therapy!Did you know our Occupational Therapy Department provide free ...
12/11/2025

Free Motor Development Workshop from Occupational Therapy!

Did you know our Occupational Therapy Department provide free training for parents, carers and schools? This session is for parents or carers of children aged between 4-8 years old who would like to understand more about their child’s motor development and how to support this. The session will share information about the typical ages when children develop different motor skills. It will explain how to break down an activity such as pulling on a jumper into simple steps to help your child complete this independently. You will also get advice on activities and simple things you can do at home to support your child’s motor development
You can book onto our courses here:

https://www.hct.nhs.uk/children-and-young-people-occupational-therapy-training

Have you seen our new SPEECH Sounds postcard and webinar? Click on the link below to find out how you can use these 6 e...
11/11/2025

Have you seen our new SPEECH Sounds postcard and webinar? Click on the link below to find out how you can use these 6 easy strategies at home or in your setting to help develop speech sounds in the early years!

https://www.hct.nhs.uk/speech

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Today we pause to remember and honour all those who have served and sacrificed - lest we forget
11/11/2025

Today we pause to remember and honour all those who have served and sacrificed - lest we forget

On Remembrance Sunday, we reflect on the bravery of those who served to protect others - we will remember them
09/11/2025

On Remembrance Sunday, we reflect on the bravery of those who served to protect others - we will remember them

OT Advice Line - A Case StudyParent contacted the OT advice line with concerns regarding their child’s fine motor skills...
07/11/2025

OT Advice Line - A Case Study

Parent contacted the OT advice line with concerns regarding their child’s fine motor skills. During the discussion, it became evident that the child may also benefit from support from the Children’s Sensory Processing Service and the children’s Social Care OT Team to address safety within the home environment. Parent was advised that they can self-refer to both teams via our website.
Advice was given regarding strategies to support the development of fine motor skills at home. Parent was encouraged to practice fine motor activities when the child is well-regulated and calm, as this increases engagement and learning opportunities.
The concept of backward chaining was explained as a teaching approach that helps children learn new tasks by breaking them down into smaller, manageable steps. In backward chaining, the adult completes most of the task initially, allowing the child to complete only the final step. Once the child masters that final step, they are gradually encouraged to complete the second-to-last step, and so on, until they can perform the entire task independently. This method builds confidence and success, as the child always experiences a sense of achievement by finishing the activity.
Examples of using backward chaining for fine motor skills might include:
• Buttoning a shirt – parent fastens all but the last button, child completes the final one.
• Zipping a coat – parent starts the zip, and the child pulls it up to finish.
• Writing their name – parent writes most of the letters, child completes the last letter.
Parent was encouraged to continue providing opportunities for fine motor play (e.g. threading, playdough, construction toys, tweezers/tongs, and drawing activities) and to build these into daily routines.

Royal College of Occupational Therapists

OT Week: Empowering Parents and Enabling Change Through The CO-OP Approach!After attending a Cognitive Orientation to Oc...
06/11/2025

OT Week: Empowering Parents and Enabling Change Through The CO-OP Approach!

After attending a Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance (CO-OP) group run by Hertfordshire Community Trust’s Children and Young People’s Occupational Therapy team, a parent gave feedback about how they had applied the strategies to enable their child to become more independent. The parent usually peeled the child’s orange for their packed lunchbox to reduce any difficulties at lunchtime. Following a CO-OP session, they trialled packing a whole orange, and were proud to report that the child had risen to the challenge of peeling it themselves at school, enabling independent skills for life.

The CO-OP group is offered as an early intervention for children that encompasses both OT and parent / carer support in a group setting, promoting independence in functional tasks, delivering the right support at the right time for their developmental progress.

Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Watford OT Team: Right Time Right Support - A Case StudyAs Paediatric Occupational Therapists we work with children and ...
05/11/2025

Watford OT Team: Right Time Right Support - A Case Study

As Paediatric Occupational Therapists we work with children and young people to support their ability to participate in the activities they want, need, or have to do – which we call occupations. We were referred by a local hospital to see a child ahead of scheduled surgery to provide equipment as they were struggling to engage with daily occupations. The hospital had advised without Occupational Therapy support this surgery would be delayed. We completed a home visit and assessed their needs and environment, where we needed to consider the current functional needs of the child (how they are currently performing the occupation), as well as anticipating any potential changes after surgery. We provided them with equipment to allow them to complete these activities comfortably and independently and engage in their occupations.

The right Occupational Therapy intervention was provided at the right time for this child and their family, and by working with them we were able to improve their strength and confidence, and allow them to practice using equipment prior to surgery, reducing their anxiety as well as their parents. This has been shown to improve surgical outcomes and has supported a smooth discharge home.

Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Supporting children to move, play and thrive starts with the right support at the right time! Our Children and Young Peo...
04/11/2025

Supporting children to move, play and thrive starts with the right support at the right time! Our Children and Young People’s Therapies (CYPT) Service is hosting a Motor Skills Workshop for parents and carers of children aged 4–8 years.
This practical and engaging session will explore:
• How and when children typically develop different motor skills.
• Fun, everyday ideas to support fine and gross motor development
• How to “grade” activities to build your child’s confidence and independence

Join us:
• Monday 24 November 2025 11:00–12:00 or Thursday 4 December 2025 10:00–11:00
• Online via Microsoft Teams
• Sign up: https://www.hct.nhs.uk/children-and-young-people-occupational-therapy-training

Royal College of Occupational Therapists

03/11/2025

CO-OP Group – Developing Skills for Life

Our recent CO-OP group had a fun and hands-on session making fruit salads! The children practised their bimanual skills such as peeling, chopping, and mixing — all while learning to plan, do, and check their work using the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach.
The CO-OP approach helps children develop problem-solving strategies that can be applied to any task they find challenging — both now and in the future. By introducing these strategies early, we support children to build independence, confidence, and flexibility in their everyday activities — reflecting the importance of early intervention in long-term skill development.

Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Occupational Therapy Week (OT Week) is our national awareness-raising campaign dedicated to celebrating the life-changin...
03/11/2025

Occupational Therapy Week (OT Week) is our national awareness-raising campaign dedicated to celebrating the life-changing power of occupational therapy!

This OT Week focusses on 'Right Support, Right Time: Unlocking the Power of OT'

We’ll be showcasing the life-changing impact of occupational therapy through real stories and practical examples put together by our very own Children's Occupational Therapists and Therapy Assistant Practitioners. Together, we’ll raise public and political awareness, influence change and show how occupational therapy helps build a healthier, more sustainable future.

Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Address

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, Howard Court
Welwyn Garden City
AL71BW

Telephone

+441923470680

Website

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