Contact details
- Appointments:
- 0344 257 3952
- Monday to Friday 12.30pm to 2.30pm:
- 01702 372252
- Address:
Lighthouse Child Development Centre Snakes Lane
Eastwood
Southend-on-Sea
SS2 6XT- Opening hours:
- Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm
Summary
Children’s physiotherapy is the treatment and care of babies, children and young people from birth to 18 years. Children’s physiotherapists bring their specialist skills and additional expert knowledge and experience of child development, child conditions and childhood disabilities.

We provide children’s physiotherapy in Southend-on-Sea, Castlepoint, and Rochford (South East Essex) and work in close partnership with:
- Parents and carers
- Other physiotherapists
- Occupational therapy
- Speech and language therapy
- Health visitors
- Paediatricians
- Orthopaedics
- Orthotics
- Local education authorities
- Early years team
Service Information
We are specialist services which provide assessments and treatments for all children that are referred and present with difficulties in the following areas:
- Congenital disorders
- Movement and coordination disorders
- Developmental delay
- Neuromuscular conditions
- Neurological disorders
- Rheumatology
- Musculoskeletal/orthopaedic
- Oncology
- Transition into adult services.
We are based at the Lighthouse Child Development Centre but will provide support at the most appropriate venue for the child. This may include:
- Lighthouse Child Development Centre
- Home visits
- Nursery visits
- School visits
- Input within Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools, colleges and days centres
We provide three main areas of service, which are divided as follows:
Pre-school Service
This is for all children under the age of 5 with a range of children’s clinical conditions. This includes neurodevelopmental, neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, genetic, and other conditions affecting children’s development.
Functional Improvement
This is for children who have acute or long-standing musculoskeletal problems and chronic fatigue syndrome. Our service provides physiotherapy and occupational therapy for children from 5 to 16 years who need therapy for acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions and coordination difficulties.
Community
This is for children with long term difficulties aged 4 to 18 years, including neurological and developmental disorders, progressive conditions and learning difficulties, within a community setting. This includes children in mainstream aged 4 to 18 years and children and young people in special educational needs school aged 3 to 19 years.
Charities
There are charities who can support families.
Support lines
Parent carers and professionals can call the support lines with Children’s Physiotherapy specific questions. Calls will be answered by a qualified therapist.
Physiotherapy telephone: 01702 372252
Open Monday to Friday 12.30pm to 2.30pm
Physiotherapy drop in clinics for children aged 0-5 years
Please come and see us if you need advice on how to help your child to learn to move or if you are worried about the way they move or walk.
We will offer quick screening and immediate advice.
No referral needed.
You can also ring us on our advice line: 01702 372252 available Monday to Friday, between 12.30pm to 2.30pm.
Referral Information
The following professionals can refer children to our service using this referral form.
- Healthcare professionals (GPs, Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Health Visitors, Nurses, Educational psychologist)
- Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCo) / Teachers
- Early Support Workers.
Related links
- Children’s Physiotherapy referral form
- The Lighthouse Child Development Centre
- Awake time ideas
- Baby walker advice
- Cerebral Palsy UK
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Charity
- Ei SMART Supporting Early intervention leaflet
- Flat feet
- Hamlin Trust Charity
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
- Kooth online mental wellbeing community
- Knee apophysitis or Osgood Schlatters disease
- Little heroes
- National Autistic Society
- Promoting lying to sitting
- Symptomatic Hypermobility
- Scope Disability Charity
- Young minds
Local support
- Southend SEND Local Offer
- Therapies Offer to EY Providers – Southend
- Therapies Offer to Southend Schools
Information leaflets
Available sports and activities for children with disabilities