The OT Service is led by Kate, Adam, Samantha and Lucy who are highly respected occupational therapists in their respective fields and continue to hold clinical caseloads to maintain an in-depth knowledge in their area of practice.
Directors
Kate Sheehan
Director & Occupational Therapist
Kate qualified from Derby School of Occupational Therapy in 1987.
Kate is a well-respected occupational therapist, with over 30 years of experience. She is the former chairperson and treasurer of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists specialist section – Housing (COTSS – H) and represented the Royal College of Occupational Therapists in Europe. Kate chaired the genHOME research project working on the evidence base for housing modifications.
Kate has worked in partnership with Bristol University on the publication of ‘Minor adaptations without delay’, funded by the Housing Corporation and Royal College of Occupational Therapists, co-authored the new 2018 edition of the Wheelchair Housing Design Guide and wrote two chapters of the “Essential Guide for Newly Qualified Occupational Therapists’.
She has presented her work on inclusive design and housing standards at the World Federation of Occupational Therapists in Sydney, Australia, COTEC in Milan and at the RCOTSS-H conference. She has also developed and taught on the first accessible housing course in Croatia and Bosnia.
Kate is a member of the British Association of Occupational Therapists and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists Specialist sections – Independent Practice and Housing as well as being registered with the Health Care Professionals Council. She maintains a high level of professional development and feels the key to providing her clients with an excellent service is maintaining close networks within the commercial, housing and occupational therapy fields.
In her spare time Kate supports the local primary school in maintaining their wild gardens and is a campaigner for excellent education for all.
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Adam Ferry
Graduating in 2007 with an Occupational Therapy BSc, Adam worked in the NHS until he left in 2018 to work full-time in the private sector as a director of The OT Service, although there was a two – year period when these roles overlapped.
Whist in the NHS Adam worked in a range of clinical areas but predominantly emergency care, then neurological rehabilitation as a senior therapist. In the final 3 years of NHS employment Adam managed acute and rehabilitation services across four sites.
Over recent years Adam has continued to develop a clinical reputation within neurological rehabilitation and falls, holding a complex caseload supporting case managers and their clients. However, it is within commercial consultancy that Adam has developed his national and international profile, being responsible for development of The OT Show CPD programme as well as expert consultancy for high profile companies such as AKW, Closomat, Invacare, Mangar International and Abacus Healthcare.
Adam is a member of the British Association of Occupational Therapists and the College of Occupational Therapists Specialist sections – Independent Practice and Older People as well as being registered with the Health Care Professionals Council (OT52788)
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Samantha Shann
Director
Samantha qualified in 1992 as an occupational therapist and gained her masters in 2011. She also holds a post-graduate teaching qualification in academic practice. Samantha is a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and a member of RCOT’s specialist sections – Older Persons and Mental Health as well as being registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council.
Samantha’s clinical speciality centres on those with mental health concerns, while her wider role with The OT Service involves supervision and mentoring as well as consultancy to businesses focusing on training and occupational therapy expertise.
Samantha is the president of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT). She is committed to promoting and advocating for the profession by supporting the development of professional standards and new educational programmes.
Until 2016 Samantha held the position of senior lecturer at Northumbria University overseeing aspects of the BSc (Hons) and MSc (pre-registration) occupational therapy programmes, with a particular interest in supporting students and graduates in developing new services. Samantha remains a regular guest lecturer at various national and international universities.
Through her work with the WFOT Samantha represents the occupational therapy profession at high-level World Health Organisation (WHO) meetings and contributes to specific WHO projects for example the GATE (Global Assistive Technology) initiative, Rehabilitation 2030 and Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP). Samantha is also a founding board member for the International Society for Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP).
Samantha is a sought after speaker at national and international conferences sharing her expertise on promoting professional identity and establishing occupational therapy services.
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Lucy Leonard
Occupational Therapist
Qualified to master’s level, Lucy graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 1999 and worked in acute mental health as well as rehabilitation for people with enduring mental health problems. She then went on to work in a community setting where she developed extensive skills in equipment and adaptations for adults with complex, long-term and neurological conditions.
In recent years, Lucy has worked as a specialist occupational therapist and having owned her own business providing expert occupational therapy she is now a director at The OT Service. Lucy has also worked as a consultant occupational therapist for several UK-based companies to advise on their new products as well as working with the Disabled Living Foundation Charity to develop their website.
Lucy has delivered lectures on integrated working and has spoken to academics at Sheffield Hallam on integration to support their new ‘integrated curriculum’ and was subsequently invited as the key-note speaker at the Inter-professional Education Conference. Lucy has appeared on BBC’s ‘Breakfast’ television to discuss innovative practice and has been interviewed on Radio 4’s ‘World at One’ regarding integrated working. She is an external examiner and guest lecturer at Sheffield Hallam and Salford Universities and also assesses undergraduate medical students at The University of Liverpool.
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Office Team
Our clients, partners and associates are fully supported by a skilled team of office staff, Brian, Lisa and Jill, ensuring a high-quality service in line with OT Service values.
Brian Trotter
Practice Manager
Brian has a wide variety of experiences to draw on in his role as Practice Manager. He graduated in 1997 from The University of Brighton with a Ba (Hons) in Physical and Business Education. He spent some time in London fitness instructing and sports coaching before re-locating to the North East, setting up his own business with the help of the Prince’s Trust.
As personal and professional circumstances changed Brian moved into an 14 year healthcare career, firstly with the ambulance service and latterly in an NHS Acute Occupational Therapy service as a Technical Instructor. He is now our full-time Practice Manager and brings a committed and creative approach to the service we provide.
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Lisa Herron
Clinical Co-ordinator
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Jill Straker
Administrator
Jill began working for The OT Service in 2020 following 30 years of work in statutory services. She brings a wealth of experience from a variety of administrative and secretarial roles, many in the NHS and thus has a huge understanding of the healthcare sector and the importance of effective administration.
Jill has helped The OT Service go from strength to strength and she is the first port of call for referrals, associate queries and general enquiries.
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Associates
Gemma Hobson
Occupational Therapy
Gemma graduated from the University of Teesside and has 20 years of clinical experience starting in the NHS, where she has since developed her clinical and managerial skills. Gemma has also practised independently within the private sector for the past five years.
Gemma is a highly skilled therapist, specialising in neuro-rehabilitation, working with clients experiencing acquired brain injuries, strokes, and other neurological problems including cerebral palsy. Gemma has also worked with clients who have experienced complex medical diagnoses including polytrauma and psychological problems resulting from road traffic or industrial accidents for example. Gemma also has experience of delivering assessments for clients with hand injuries and providing bespoke treatment programmes. Work-site, vocational assessments and functional rehabilitation are also areas of expertise.
Gemma has experience of working with all ages within a variety of settings including the hospital environment, rehabilitation units, clinics, schools, and the community. During her time working with paediatric clients she acquired skills in postural care management both at home and in the school environment, bathing and showering equipment, hoisting and slings including bespoke designs, and specialist seating.
Gemma is also trained in the fields of fatigue management, neurological hand therapy and splinting, postural management for people with complex disabilities, motivational interviewing, vestibular rehabilitation, and vocational rehabilitation. She is passionate about developing her own learning for the benefit of her clinical practise and being able to offer her clients a well-rounded skill set.
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Louise Kimber
Occupational Therapist
Louise qualified from St Loye’s School of Occupational Therapy (Exeter) in 1996. She is also a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, Housing Specialist Section.
Initially working in the NHS, for the past 23 years Louise has worked within both the public and private sectors in London, the South East and the South West of England. Over the years she has gained extensive experience with grant and private funded major adaptations, requiring close liaison with home improvement agencies, surveyors, architects, and housing associations. More recently she has held positions within a local authority specialist housing team and a disabled children’s team assessing for major adaptations, alongside standard and bespoke equipment.
Louise’s assessments focus on a wide variety of factors that can impact on occupational performance and she is committed to enabling people to regain independence in their lives and maximise their potential. Louise continually strives to carry out holistic needs-led assessments, whilst developing trust to bring about positive change. She maintains a high level of professional development through regular training, peer supervision and attendance at study days, conferences, and seminars.
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Alison Noakes
Occupational Therapist
Alison qualified from Coventry University and is highly skilled and experienced within the specialism of palliative care and progressive neurological conditions. She has had 11 years experience working in healthcare settings, case management and the private occupational therapy sector. This has developed her strong skills in moving and handling, housing adaptations and seating assessments.
She is passionate about improving the quality of life for people with life limiting conditions, combining sensory-motor, perceptual-motor, functional and cognitive approaches in order to meet the individual needs of each person she meets.
She has extensive knowledge of assistive technology, supporting adults and children to make the best use of their environment, particularly with access to computers and mobile phones. Alison actively develops her clinical skills through regular postgraduate training, ensuring that her clients receive the best possible treatment.
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Shirleyanne Kippax
Occupational Therapist
Shirleyanne graduated from Northumbria University in 2014 with a 1st class honours degree.
She has primarily specialised in care of the elderly work, managing complex caseloads in both acute and rehabilitation settings. This has involved supporting people with a range of complex and long-term healthcare needs and through developing an extensive knowledge over a range of clinical areas. These can be listed as stroke and other neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, along with trauma and elective orthopaedics, dementia and palliative care.
Currently working within a rehabilitation setting alongside her OT Service work, Shirleyanne is highly skilled in the areas of functional assessment, goal setting and therapy planning as well as developing care plans for those with longer term functional needs.
Shirleyanne boasts vast experience in completing environmental assessments in relation to falls management and prevention, equipment provision and home adaptations. She also has a great understanding of complex moving and handling allowing her to complete high quality assessments and handling plans.
Shirleyanne maintains her professional registration through reflective practice, regular supervision and attending training courses to ensure her continued professional development. As with all our associates she is a member of the British Association of Occupational Therapists and registered with HCPC.
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Testimonials
Hear what our team has to say about us.