Specialisms
- Profound physical disabilities and complex learning difficulties.
- Severe brain injury, or brain injury in conjunction with profound physical disabilities.
- Spinal cord injury.
- Cerebral Palsy.
- Brachial Plexus Lesions including Erb’s Palsy.
- Congenital, acquired and progressive neurological disorders.
- Complex moving and handling.
- Specialist seating and postural management.
- Associated pressure sores.
- Loss of Services for Fatal Accident Claims.
Clinical Currency Statement
As at December 2024, I am engaged in the role of Paediatric Occupational Therapist for Lisa Alexander Occupational Therapy Ltd for an average of 100 hours per month.
Signed
Specific Injuries Experience
Lisa specialises in working with children and young adults who have sustained catastrophic injuries following accident or negligence. Many of her clients have ongoing legal claims and Lisa provides support to the client, their family and their care team throughout the litigation process and beyond.
Commonly, the children and adults that Lisa supports have complex needs and require a full package of postural management equipment, complex moving and handling assessments and plans, assessment for and training in the use of assistive technology such as eye gaze, powered mobility and environmental controls, and support for upper limb rehabilitation.
Most of Lisa’s clients have profound physical disabilities and/or complex cognitive impairment. Many of her clients have traumatic or acquired brain injury, including Cerebral Palsy. She has supported clients with spinal cord injuries and also has some experience of working with clients who are ventilated.
Employment Profile
As an independent Expert Witness since 2010, a key aspect of Lisa’s role has been writing detailed reports for children and young adults with a range of complex disabilities detailing therapy, equipment and care needs. Lisa has attended Court, both as an Expert Witness and also as a Witness of Fact. She has also participated in numerous meetings of experts and pre-trial case conferences with Counsel. Lisa’s in-depth knowledge of child development also assists her with the completion of Loss of Services reports for Fatal Accident Claims.
Lisa has been in private practice since 2011, specialising in working with children and young people who have complex needs. Lisa completes assessments of complex seating, equipment for 24-hour postural management, personal care and sensory equipment, alongside providing manual handling assessment, creation of personal handling profiles and training for carers. In addition to assessment, Lisa completes sessional work focusing on acquisition of switch skills, access to computers, powered mobility, fine motor skills, handwriting skills and multisensory stimulation.
Lisa has worked with children and adults with complex physical and learning disabilities, gaining extensive knowledge of their needs within health, education and social care, and has had the benefit of gaining experience in the private sector alongside the NHS. She has extensive experience in the assessment of specialist equipment, care needs, computer access and powered mobility potential. Lisa was nominated by one of the paediatricians on the Posture and Mobility Group Board to be the Occupational Therapy Representative on the Department of Health Faculty for modernisation of wheelchair services. Through this she attended meetings of professionals at the Department of Health to discuss the content of the learning events, presented posters at national events, led discussions, and guided all of the south coast wheelchair services through the two year modernisation process.
Lisa has a special interest in postural management including moulded seating; manual handling risk assessment, training and advice; computer access for complex disability and supporting children with complex disabilities in mainstream schools. She qualified as a manual handling advisor in 2000 and since then, alongside her primary role, Lisa has been a lead manual handling facilitator and risk assessor in every post that she has held.
Qualifications and Membership
- BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, University of Southampton (1997).
- Post Graduate Diploma in Moving and Handling, University of Southampton (2000).
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- British Association Occupational Therapists (BAOT).
Career History
Present
Expert Witness
Jacqueline Webb & Co Limited
2011-Present
Independent Occupational Therapist, Clinical Specialist in Paediatric Complex Disability
2012-2014
Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist
Chailey Heritage Clinical Services, Sussex Community NHS Trust
2006-2012
Senior Specialist Occupational Therapist
Chailey Heritage Clinical Services, Sussex Community NHS Trust
2005-2006
Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist, Children and adults with complex needs
Care Management Group, Head Office – Wimbledon
2002-2005
Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist
Brighton Wheelchair and Special Seating Service, South Downs Health NHS Trust
2001-2002
Travelling around the world
2000-2001
Clinical Lead OT (split post – Wheelchair & Special Seating Services/Manual Handling Advisor)
Huntingdonshire Primary Care NHS Trust
1999-2000
Senior 2 OT (split post – Wheelchair & Special Seating Services/Community Paediatrics)
Huntingdonshire Primary Care NHS Trust
1997-1999
Basic Grade Occupational Therapy Rotation
Huntingdonshire Primary Care NHS Trust