Occupational Therapy, Sensory Impairment and Selbro

This service can help anyone struggling with daily living tasks due to disability, age, or health. Our Sensory Impairment Team carries out specialist assessments for people with sight and/or hearing loss.

For children with disabilities, support is usually provided by NHS Orkney's Paediatric Occupational Therapists, based at the Peedie Sea Centre at Glaitness School. We work together with them when major home adaptations are needed.

We offer information, advice, and support to help you stay as independent as possible. We can look at your whole daily routine with you and help find ways to overcome difficulties caused by age, health, or disability, whether that's managing personal care, coping with household tasks, or finding fulfilling ways to spend your time, depending on what matters most to you.

If you have additional support needs, our Community Occupational Therapists and Rehabilitation Officer can also assess you for Self Directed Support and help connect you with other services. You're entitled to a copy of your assessment, including in alternative formats if needed, just ask.

Information, Advice, Equipment, and Adaptations

Many people can live independently without extra equipment or adaptations. This might mean learning energy conservation techniques to manage fatigue, joint protection methods to maintain movement and avoid strain, or new skills to cope with sight or hearing loss.

Where equipment would help, a range is available on long-term loan. Many everyday domestic and personal care items can also be bought from local shops or through the Orkney Disability Forum, and some are on display at the Selbro Resource Centre so you can try them out. We can also advise on equipment we don't supply ourselves.

Under the Direct Payments Act 1996, we can arrange a direct payment so you can buy specialist equipment yourself, once you've been assessed as needing it, rather than us supplying it directly. We need to be confident the equipment is necessary and that you can manage the payment appropriately; any payment not used as intended must be repaid.

If your assessment shows you need a home adaptation, an occupational therapist can advise, support, and recommend appropriate changes. They'll work with you and your housing provider, whether that's Orkney Islands Council Housing, Orkney Housing Association, or Orkney Care and Repair for private properties, to help you remain independent at home. How the adaptation is arranged and funded depends on whether it's minor or major, and who owns the property.

• Minor adaptations: small, inexpensive, and quick to complete, such as grab rails, external handrails, or banisters. See the "frequently asked questions" section for more on the Minor Adaptations Direct scheme.
• Major adaptations: these may involve structural changes to the building, and could require planning permission or a building warrant, such as installing a shower or ramp. These can only be recommended if you meet the current criteria for assistance.