PLAY LEARN GROW
About Thrive OT Services
Thrive OT Services is an independent occupational therapy service supporting children, young people, and families across Northamptonshire and surrounding areas, including Bedfordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, and Cambridgeshire.
Founded in September 2010, Thrive OT Services was established to complement state‑funded provision by offering accessible, timely, and high‑quality occupational therapy support. Our aim is to reduce barriers to participation and support children and young people to engage in daily life in ways that are meaningful and authentic to them.
Led by Alison and Jennifer, alongside a skilled and experienced team, Thrive OT Services works in partnership with families, schools, and local authorities to deliver child‑centred, neurodiversity‑affirming, evidence‑informed occupational therapy.
Our Vision
We believe that everyone has the right to participate fully in their lives, in ways that honour who they are.
Participation looks different for every child and young person. As occupational therapists, we work to understand individual sensory, emotional, physical, and environmental needs, and to support engagement that feels safe, achievable, and meaningful. Our work focuses on enabling wellbeing, connection, and participation.
Our Approach
At Thrive OT Services, our approach is grounded in respect, collaboration, and curiosity. We:
- Offer timely and flexible occupational therapy input, responsive to individual and contextual need
- Use well‑established and innovative, evidence‑informed approaches aligned with current best practice
- Work alongside children, young people, families, schools, and local authorities as equal partners
- Focus on practical, real‑life strategies that support regulation, participation, and everyday functioning
- Value small steps and meaningful change, recognising that progress is not linear
We recognise that children and young people do well when their environments do well, and we work to support the systems around them.
Our Values: Play · Learn · Grow
Our values underpin everything we do at Thrive OT Services.
Play
Play is a natural and essential occupation of childhood. It is through play that children explore their world, develop relationships, express themselves, and make sense of their experiences. Play supports regulation, communication, physical development, social connection, creativity, and wellbeing.
At Thrive OT Services, we value play as both a meaningful occupation in its own right and a powerful therapeutic tool. We use play‑based, child‑led approaches to build trust, support engagement, and create experiences that feel safe, enjoyable, and affirming. Play allows us to meet children where they are, honour their interests and strengths, and support participation in ways that feel authentic and motivating.
Learn
Learning is most effective when children and young people feel safe, understood, and accepted. We recognise that past experiences, stress, or trauma can affect how individuals engage with learning and everyday activities, and we approach our work with care, compassion, and sensitivity.
At Thrive OT Services, our practice is trauma‑informed and neurodiversity‑affirming. We acknowledge and respect neurological differences and work to understand each child’s unique way of experiencing and interacting with the world. Rather than focusing on perceived deficits, we build on strengths, interests, and capacities.
Learning is a shared process. We support children, families, and professionals to develop understanding of regulation, sensory processing, emotional wellbeing, and participation. Through collaboration and curiosity, we help create environments and strategies that support learning, confidence, and meaningful engagement in everyday life.
Grow
Growth is individual, contextual, and non‑linear. At Thrive OT Services, we recognise that children and young people grow best when they feel safe, supported, and understood, and when expectations are flexible and responsive to their needs.
Our approach to growth is trauma‑informed and neurodiversity‑affirming. We understand that development is shaped by lived experiences, relationships, environments, and regulation. Rather than measuring progress against standardised norms alone, we focus on meaningful growth—what matters most to the child and their family.
Growth may look like increased confidence, self‑advocacy, emotional regulation, independence in daily activities, or deeper participation in play, learning, and relationships. We support children and young people to grow at their own pace, in their own way, while empowering families and systems around them to nurture and sustain that growth over time.
Working Together
We strive to be a valued and trusted partner, offering compassionate, thoughtful, and effective occupational therapy support. We believe the best outcomes are achieved through collaboration, shared understanding, and respectful relationships.
Thrive OT Services works in partnership with children and young people, families, schools, and local authorities, recognising the vital role each plays in supporting participation and wellbeing. By working together, we aim to create supportive environments where children and young people can play, learn, and grow in ways that are meaningful to them, enabling fuller participation in everyday life.
