• BABICM advanced member  

• CMSUK member  
• Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT)

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Case Manager and Expert Witness with lots of experience. Since graduating, Kay has worked in a mix of acute and community-based roles; she has developed a sound clinical knowledge of the impact severe injuries and complex healthcare needs have on the  individual  and  the  ability  to  perform  activities  of  daily  living,  leisure,  and  work activities. She has worked with clients with a variety of neurological conditions, physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, challenging behaviour, and life-limiting/palliative care needs. She has significant experience working with nonverbal clients and those using AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication).

Kay has worked with children and adults with exceptional health needs, including those requiring long-term home-based ventilation, high-level spinal cord injuries, acquired brain injury and life-limiting conditions. At Thornbury Community Services, Kay was a Case Manager and Occupational Therapy  Clinical  Specialist  and  held  responsibility  for  moving  and  handling the positional needs of clients with autonomic instability and complex airway management. She was responsible for completing support needs assessments, care and support plans (with clinical leads) and ensuring therapy guidelines were achievable and embedded into the client’s care. Kay has managed clients with significant post-brain injury and intellectual disability-related challenging behaviour and worked with the multi- disciplinary team (MDT) to ensure that behavioural triggers, sensory diets and cues were  identified to reduce the occurrence of challenging behaviour.

Throughout her  career,  Kay  has  managed  complex  cases  through  assessment,  goal  setting, rehabilitation,  housing  adaptations/needs,  equipment  needs,  ongoing  support  in  the community, discharge planning and care provision. Having worked in community care provision she understands the common pitfalls and can work closely with care agencies and directly recruited workers to ensure care needs are met whilst fostering and attaining maximum independence. She has a 24-hour approach to rehabilitation and works with her clients, their families, the wider MDT and care providers to ensure that every opportunity  maximises rehabilitation potential. She understands the importance of fatigue management and the significant physiological impact illness and injury has on all family members. She has a good understanding of Continuing Health Care (DSTs), social care processes and education, health and care planning (EHCP). Kay builds strong links with and works alongside community teams, social workers and care agencies to recommend levels of support and equipment. She  ensures her clients have access to the right resources to enable their access work, school and their communities.

Kay  has  experience  in  teaching  and  assessment  of  care-based  qualifications,  she  gained  her Careerforce (NZ skills for care) trainer and assessor national certification and was solely responsible for the in-house training programme mapped to national standards. In addition to her OT career, Kay 20 years’ experience working with children and adults with complex needs. She has provided respite support, run holiday programmes, participated in special needs guiding groups and camps, provided SEN teaching support, provided complex HCA support (spinal cord injury, neurological conditions and brain injury), and live-in nanny and care services, for a child with challenging behavioural needs and gentleman with motor neuron disease respectively.

Kay continually reflects and evaluates her practice, she is committed to CPD and undertakes regular, relevant CPD activity. Kay is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), she is an advanced member of the British Association of Brain Injury Case Managers (BABICM) and a member of CMSUK.

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