Our skilled occupational therapists span diverse locations in our expanding network

Occupational
Therapy Team

Welcome to Creative OT, your destination for comprehensive occupational therapy services. Our dedicated team provides personalised support for individuals of all ages, helping them unlock their full potential and enhance their functional skills. Specialising in acquired brain injury, including sensory processing changes post-injury, and neurodivergence and sensory processing differences, we can support you in a way that suits your needs. Our services extend across various settings, from homes to schools, clinics, workplaces, and the community, including convenient online sessions (depending on the type of therapy needed).

Our occupational therapy team are a network of highly skilled therapists, with specialisms and experience in all aspects of brain injury and sensory integration. Our team can provide:

  • Comprehensive assessment and report writing, with detailed and specific reasoning and recommendations.

  • Clear goals, rehab plans and outcome measures.

  • Support with physical needs, including all aspects of aids and equipment.

  • Home adaptations to improve accessibility.

  • Cognitive rehabilitation.

  • Upper limb rehabilitation.

  • Vocational rehabilitation.

  • Support with independent living trials.

  • Support with sensory integration, including environmental sensory audits.

  • Manual handling assessment, risk assessments and training.

  • Training and education for a wide range of topics and audiences.

  • Mentoring to Occupational Therapists outside the organisation.

  • Supplying therapists to schools and rehab services.

  • Talk to us if you have a need that is not listed above!

The team cover a wide geographical area across the North West and Midlands and work with adults and children, in schools, homes, workplaces and community settings.

Andrea Matthews

Director, Consultant Occupational Therapist and Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner

  • Andrea has a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Occupational Therapy. She has also completed in-depth postgraduate training in Sensory Integration to achieve Advanced Practitioner of Sensory Integration status.

    Andrea has over 20 years’ experience working in the field of Acquired Brain Injury; her roles have included Rehabilitation Support Worker, Assistant Psychologist, Care Home Management, and Occupational Therapist.

    Andrea founded her Occupational Therapy company in 2014 and supervises the other OTs within the team. She also supervises a number of OTs from other organisations and is a clinical mentor through the Sensory Integration Network, supporting other clinicians during their sensory integration training.

    She works with clients of all ages and is experienced in working with people with acquired brain injuries, sensory processing and integration difficulties, autism, dyspraxia, and trauma histories. She can support clients in the community, their own homes, schools, workplaces.

    Andrea has experience working with case managers and solicitors as part of the litigation process and Expert Witness for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Tribunal.

  • Acquired brain injury, sensory processing and integration difficulties, cognitive rehabilitation, autism, dyspraxia, ADHD, mental health, feeding differences and trauma histories

  • West Midlands, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire.

  • 0330 2235477

    andreamatthews@neurorehabgroup.co.uk / otoffice@neurorehabgroup.com

Lucie McCoy

Occupational Therapist and Sensory Integration Practitioner

  • Lucie qualified in January 2020 having completed the Occupational Therapy Pre-Registration MSc at Leeds Beckett University with Distinction. She is a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

    Lucie provides OT support to a neurological rehabilitation (neuro-rehab) unit in Liverpool, providing holistic occupational therapy for people with acquired brain injury (ABI) and neurological conditions. She also supports clients in the community, working with both adults and children. Lucie supports people in improving their function and engagement in meaningful occupations through a variety of strategies, including upper limb rehabilitation, cognitive rehabilitation, and functional assessments of activities of daily living, to provide client-centred and measurable outcomes.

  • Acquired Brain Injury and Adults.

  • North West.

Hollie Rawson

Occupational Therapist and Sensory Integration Practitioner

  • In 2013 I qualified with an MSc in Occupational Therapy and have gone on to complete post-graduate training to become a Sensory Integration Practitioner. I also have a degree in psychology. Prior to working for

    Creative OT I worked for a private healthcare provider, where over the years I worked up to Head Occupational Therapist working directly with patients and overseeing the provision of OT across three units with people with a range of needs including mental health issues, brain injury, learning disability, neurodiversity and sensory processing differences. My role also included supervision of other occupational therapists and service development and extensive multidisciplinary working. Before qualifying as an occupational therapist I worked in special education, in family support, as a teaching assistant and in a research capacity. I was part of the team that devised the original Engagement Model for special education curriculum and children with complex learning difficulties and disabilities.

  • Acquired brain injury, sensory processing, neurodivergence, learning disability and mental health.

  • South Birmingham

Becky Smith

Occupational Therapist and Sensory Integration Practitioner

  • Becky qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2009 with an MSc in Health Through Occupation from the University of Brighton.  She is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is a member of the British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT).  She has a BSc in Psychology which was gained in 2004.

    Becky has specialised in neurological rehabilitation and to broaden her knowledge in her specialist area has completed a post-graduate certificate in neurological rehabilitation at Coventry University. Becky is currently in the process of completing her Sensory Integration training to become a Practitioner of Sensory Integration.

    She is highly skilled and carries a diverse case load, specialising in neurological rehabilitation, and works with clients who have a traumatic brain injury and other neurological conditions including stroke and cerebral palsy. Becky has worked within mental health settings, as well as adults and children with learning difficulties. She has also completed seating assessments and equipment assessments, communicating closely with companies to establish the best outcome for the client.

  • Acquired Brain Injury, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Sensory Processing and Integration difficulties, Adults and Children.

  • West Midlands, Worcestershire, North Midlands and Herefordshire.

Sheryl Powers

Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner

  • Sheryl qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2011 with a first class degree in Occupational Therapy Bsc (Hons) from Coventry University. As well as adult and paediatric experience, together with her previous management of NHS services.

    Sheryl has experience of working in neurological rehabilitation, trauma, and orthopaedics. She has experience in assessing and treating individuals with a range of deficits including fine and gross motor skills, community living skills, activities of daily living, sensory processing and executive functioning skills.

  • Acquired Brain Injury, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Sensory Processing, neurodivergence, sensory processing specialisms, Integration difficulties,. Sheryl works with both adults and children.

  • East Midlands, North Midlands and Buckinghamshire.

Hannah Gent

Associate Occupational Therapist and Sensory Integration Practitioner

  • Hannah qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2010, gaining a BSc (Hons) degree in Occupational Therapy from Sheffield Hallam University. She is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). She has 9 years post graduate experience working in the NHS, as well as experience working within the private sector as a community based Occupational Therapist.

    She has worked with children and young adults within neurorehabilitation services and has worked with adults within trauma and orthopaedics, oncology services and general medicine, including people with brain injuries and neurological conditions.

  • Children and young people, acquired brain injury, neurodivergence and sensory processing difficulties.

  • North Midlands, East Midlands and Sheffield.

Ian Connell

Associate Occupational
Therapist

  • Ian qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1995 with a BSC (Hons) from Derby University. Since then he has worked across a wide range of clinical areas, building and developing his clinical skills and knowledge.

    He has worked mainly with adults age 16 and above; with experience in NEURO FIRST mental health, older persons care, orthopaedics, neurological rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, rheumatology, hands, and pain management. He has applied his skills within inpatient, outpatient and community settings.

    Ian has also worked with companies to provide work-based assessments for people who drive as part of their role.

  • Acquired Brain Injury, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Vocational Rehabilitation, Adults.

  • West Midlands, Wales, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire.

Lily Newburn

Occupational
Therapist

  • I qualified in May 2023 having completed the BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy degree at Worcester University. During my studies, I experienced a wide range of placements both within the NHS and private healthcare sector, including stroke, neuropsychiatry, dementia, and community paediatrics. Before qualifying as an OT, I worked in a therapeutic role alongside my studies to enhance my experience within this clinical area. Since, I have had experience of working with clients in their home, at school and in the community. In September of this year, I begin additional post-graduate training to work towards my Sensory Integration qualification.

  • N/A

  • Worcestershire

Chrisanna Gibbs

Associate Occupational
Therapist

  • I qualified as an Occupational Therapist from St. Martin’s College, University of Lancaster in 1997. Since qualifying, I have had the opportunity to work across health, education, social care and within the private sector. The larger part of my employment has been working in the field of paediatrics. I worked for eleven years as a paediatric occupational therapist in a local authority, which gave me the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge in the major adaptation process, to include the disabled facilities grant, reading architectural plans, sourcing a range of bespoke and standard equipment. I have experience and am skilled in seating and posture management, assessing and providing supportive static seats to children in their own home and in school. I have experience of working with long term complex health conditions and in a variety of settings including schools, clinics, residential settings and people’s homes. I have worked as an Associate Brain Injury Case Manager since 2017 and have gained experience of supporting families through the litigation process and post settlement. I have an excellent understanding of the processes and involvement of professionals on both sides of litigation.

  • Children and young people, acquired brain injury and housing adaptions.

  • Cheshire

Rachel Miles

Associate Occupational
Therapist

  • Rachel qualified as an Occupational Therapist (OT) with an Bsc in Occupational Therapy from the Coventry University in 2008. She is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT). Rachel is a member of the RCOT Specialist sections for Neurological Practice (SSNP) and Independent Practice (SSIP). She also has a Dip HE in Design; Audio Visual Communication which was gained in 1998 from the Staffordshire University.

    Rachel has18 Years’ experience working in Occupational Therapy. She is Passionate about Occupational Therapy, Promoting the Profession, Rehabilitation and Special Educational Needs. Rachel has experience in 10 different areas of clinical practice.

    To date Rachel has had had opportunities to develop an OT service within the Private Sector, and work with Interdisciplinary teams to develop new service Pathways and Competency frameworks within the NHS. Rachel specialises in Neurological rehabilitation and has Specialist knowledge and experience in Brain Injury, Poly-trauma, Specialist Seating and Spasticity Management.

    Rachel has worked as the Lead OT in Hyper-Acute Level 1A Specialised Rehabilitation Service within a Major Trauma Centre. This role encompassed working within interdisciplinary team to provide comprehensive treatment and support for Specialised Rehabilitation service funded by NHS England.

  • Rachel has Specialist skills in Neurological Splinting of Upper Limb and Neurological Soft Casting of Upper & Lower Limbs and has assessment skills including Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness (PDoC) and Post Traumatic Amnesia (PTA). Rachel has designed & developed in collaboration with colleagues, a Traumatic Brain Injury Cognitive Communication Pathway and Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness Pathway.

  • Staffordhsire

Hayley Russell

Associate Occupational
Therapist

  • I qualified in 2006 having completed the BSc Hons programme at Southampton University with distinction. Since then I have worked across various inpatient and community settings gaining a wealth of experience in assessment and treatment of complex injuries. Having worked across acute hospitals, inpatient rehab settings, the community and in the private sector I have lots of experience in providing rehabilitation that is focused on clients achieving their goals and regaining skills that allow them to go back to their lives. I have gained excellent report writing skills, have experience in leading clinical teams as well as service development and enjoy working with a multi-disciplinary team.

  • Adult neuro rehab

  • West Midlands

Balvir Kaur

Associate Occupational
Therapist

  • I am a qualified Occupational Therapist since 2005, with diverse experience across various clinical settings. This includes acute care, elderly care, respiratory/cardiology units, social services, and neurological rehabilitation. My expertise spans from trauma cases to neurological conditions like strokes and spinal cord injuries. I excel in assessment, discharge planning, rehabilitation, and aiding individuals in regaining independence through daily activities and community integration.

  • Adult neuro rehab

  • Midlands

Marie Taylor

Associate Occupational Therapist and Sensory Integration Practitioner

  • I qualified with an BSc in Occupational Therapy in 1998.  Although I have worked with adults, my main experience is with children. I worked as an NHS Advanced Occupational Therapist (band 7) in Warwickshire’s Integrated Disability Team for children for 23 years and was responsible for managing a diverse caseload of children 0 – 19years with a variety of difficulties. I now work as an independent associate Occupational Therapist for a number of companies as well as for myself.  I started working for Neuro rehab group in December 2023.

    I maintain a high level of professional development and clinical supervision.  I am a trained Bobath Therapist and have experience of working with children with complex neurological needs and equipment needs. I have completed my training in Ayres Sensory Integration.

  • Children and young people, acquired brain injury, neurodivergence and sensory processing difficulties.

  • Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire

Chelsea Abbott

Associate Occupational
Therapist

  • I am a highly skilled Occupational Therapist, qualifying in 2009. I have worked in various clinical settings; in-patient settings include (but are not limited to) A+E, trauma and orthopaedics, vascular, stroke unit, palliative care, chronic respiratory unit, medical high dependency ward and ICU. Whilst in the community I’ve worked in clients' homes, care homes, schools, clinics and day centres. My last NHS role was Clinical Lead OT for Environmental Controls for an assistive technology specialist hub, including both environmental control and augmentative and alternative communication for the West Midlands. I was responsible for the clinical leadership, coordination and delivery of an effective, evidence-based OT service, including day-to-day supervision, setting objectives and priorities, monitoring/reviewing performance, absence management, recruitment and conducting appraisals. I work with a highly organised approach; using my specialist clinical knowledge and experience to complete informed complex assessments and maintain a positive mindset, which helps navigate client complexities and achieve individualised goal-focused rehabilitation plans.

  • Adult neuro rehab and environmental controls.

  • Midlands

Kate Knox

Associate Occupational
Therapist

  • Kate graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2009 after completing her Pre-registration Occupational Therapy Masters Degree. Prior to this, she had completed her under graduate degree in Psychology and Drama in Liverpool and graduated in 2004. As part of her studies, her interest in neurological rehabilitation continued and led her to carry out research exploring the use of meaningful occupation in acute settings. She is HCPC registered and has RCOT membership.

    Kate has completed a number of clinical roles, starting at Salford Royal Foundation Trust as a rotational band 5 Occupational therapist and then a senior Band 6 Therapist. During this time, many of her rotations were in neurological settings, including the Acute Neurological Assessment unit, Hyper acute and Acute Neuro and Rehabilitation and Acute Stroke and Stroke Rehabilitation. Complementing this experience, Kate has worked as a clinical case manager, as well as an independent OT for a number of years.

    Kate is experienced in assessment through functional activity and is knowledgeable in introducing strategies to support individuals following neurological diagnosis, in particular cognition and cognitive rehabilitation. This helps her to support her clients to improve their quality of life.

  • Kate has undertaken further training to support her practice, including Brain Tree Training with Dr Kit Malia in 2018 in Cognitive Rehabilitation and in 2021 with Dr Barbara A Wilson in Disorders of executive functioning.

    In January 2021 Kate completed training to become a Life Coach which has complimented her clinical experience, specialising in activity analysis and problem solving and  has helped her to understand more about how to support individuals overcome the barriers they may face in participating in a life which feels truly meaningful.

  • Within an hours travel of North Manchester

Joanna Hunt

Associate Occupational
Therapist

  • – Over 10 years’ experience working therapeutically with children and young people, including in special schools, clients’ homes, the community, workplaces, clinics, and hospitals to support clients to achieve their social participation goals

    – Post-graduate training in Assessment of Motor Processing Skills (AMPS – a standardised assessment that can be applied to a variety of ages and disabilities and is used widely across the world and is robustly evidence-based)

    – Qualified in the use of Both Hands Assessment (BoHA) and Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) along with completing Advanced Bimanual Therapy training with Brian Hoare

    – Carried out a pilot service with The Children’s Trust that delivered bespoke tailored outpatient packages for young people and their families suffering from Functional Neurological Disorders

    – Developed the Spooniekids intervention for fatigue management in collaboration with children, young people and families, and presented this at multiple national and international conferences

    – Passion and drive to promote inclusion and enhance participation, extending to her free time; Joanna works as a volunteer at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice in Sheffield supporting collaborative, creative and fun group activities.

  • Children and young people, acquired brain injury, fatigue management, upper limb assessment and rehab.

  • Yorkshire

Linzi Sturman

  • Qualified ‘Parent and Carer Peer Support in Children and Young People’s Mental Health’ level 3. I work in a ‘lived experience’ role. This means that I have extensive personal experience in supporting a child or young person with Autism, Anxiety, various eating disorders and mental health challenges. This means that I have the empathy and knowledge that is needed, in order to truly support families in their times of need. I have worked for Creative OT for almost 10 years, working in an admin role prior to my current role. I hold CSTF Safeguarding level 3. My role is to support parents and caregivers emotionally and practically, being present at difficult family times and assisting with form filling/understanding terminology and researching external support services. I can help with navigating the NHS mental health services and attending appointments if necessary. I am also able to attend MDTs, CPAs and any other meetings in order to advocate for families from their point of view.

  • Supporting parents and carers of children with additional needs.

  • N/A

Parent/Carer Peer
Support Worker