HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING

How to hire an occupational therapist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

'Occupational therapist' is protected across the UK. Here is the HCPC check, the vetting check for work with children, and what to ask.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an occupational therapist in five steps

  1. Search the HCPC RegisterChoose 'occupational therapist' and enter the surname. The title is protected in all four nations.
  2. Say what you needDaily tasks that are hard, a diagnosis, school or work concerns, or home adaptations.
  3. Ask for the vetting check if it is for a childDBS in England and Wales, PVG in Scotland, AccessNI in Northern Ireland.
  4. Agree the report up frontWhether one is needed — for school, an assessment or the council — and what it costs.
  5. Practise between sessionsThe home programme is where the skills are built.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

HCPC Register

'Occupational therapist' is a protected title under the Health Professions Order 2001, so only an occupational therapist on the HCPC Register may use it, in any UK nation. Claiming the title, or implying it, without being registered is a criminal offence (Article 39).

On the HCPC Register pick 'Occupational therapist', type the surname or registration number, and confirm the entry is current before the first appointment. hcpc-uk.org →

Criminal record check for work with children

An occupational therapist who treats children often enough is in regulated activity with children: in England and Wales that means an enhanced DBS check with the children's barred list, in Scotland PVG scheme membership, in Northern Ireland an enhanced AccessNI check. A parent cannot apply for the check; the practitioner holds their own.

Ask to see the certificate or PVG proof and read the date it was issued. gov.uk →

Professional indemnity

Holding an indemnity arrangement is a condition of HCPC registration, so a registered occupational therapist should be covered if a treatment goes wrong. It may come through an employer, a professional body or a policy of their own.

Ask the occupational therapist how their indemnity is arranged — a clear one-line answer is what you want.

Trader status and your cancellation rights

An occupational therapist in private practice is a trader, so the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to the service. If you book an assessment and therapy block online, by phone or at home, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you 14 days to cancel; if you asked for treatment to start inside those 14 days, you pay only for what you used.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile and keep the booking confirmation.

VAT

Occupational therapy is exempt from VAT only when the therapist is on the HCPC Register and the service is aimed at your health; work whose main purpose is something else, or therapy from someone unregistered, is standard-rated at 20%. A practice whose VAT taxable turnover goes over £90,000 must be VAT-registered and must show VAT as a separate line where it applies.

Check the occupational therapist on the HCPC Register, and ask whether any report or item will carry VAT. gov.uk →

“Are you an HCPC-registered occupational therapist, and what is your number?”

A good answer: A number that shows their name under 'occupational therapist' on the HCPC Register.

“Do you specialise in children, adults, mental health or neurology?”

A good answer: A clear area of work — occupational therapy covers very different specialisms.

“Where will the occupational therapy assessment take place?”

A good answer: At home, school, work or a clinic, depending on what the problem is — and any mileage charge.

“What will the report include, and who is it for?”

A good answer: Findings, recommendations and the price, agreed before the occupational therapist writes it.

“Do you recommend equipment, and do you sell it?”

A good answer: Recommendations made on need; any supplier link declared.

“What will I or my child do between sessions?”

A good answer: A home programme with clear steps and a way to record progress.

“If you work with my child, which criminal record check do you hold?”

A good answer: An enhanced DBS, PVG membership or AccessNI certificate, shown with its date.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends home and school visits — the HCPC-registered occupational therapist you booked, or an employed or subcontracted colleague
  • Assessment, session and report fees, separately
  • Mileage or travel for home and school visits
  • Equipment or adaptations priced separately, with no obligation to buy through the therapist
  • The VAT number, and any VAT line explained — therapy for your health is exempt
  • The number of sessions expected and the review point
  • Cancellation terms for booked sessions

Walk away if

  • Not on the HCPC Register as an occupational therapist
  • No criminal record check to show for work with your child
  • A report fee that appears only after the work is done
  • Pushes equipment from a supplier they will not name
  • No goals or measures agreed at the start
  • Will not liaise with school, GP or council when you ask
LOW
£55
TYPICAL
£75
HIGH
£95

What an occupational therapist costs: £55–£95 per session

Occupational therapists charge per session, with assessments and written reports priced separately and travel added for visits. Occupational Therapist price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Occupational therapists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Referral and historyWhat is hard day to day, any diagnosis, and reports from other professionals.
  2. AssessmentObservation and tests at home, school, work or clinic, depending on the goal.
  3. Goals and planSpecific goals agreed with you, and how progress will be measured.
  4. Therapy sessionsActivities to build skills, strategies and any equipment or adaptations.
  5. Report and reviewA written report if agreed, and a review against the goals.

HCPC
The regulator that protects the title 'occupational therapist'.
Functional assessment
A look at how someone manages everyday tasks.
Sensory processing
How a person responds to sound, touch and movement — a common focus with children.
Adaptation
A change to the home, such as rails or a ramp.
Home programme
Activities to practise between sessions.
Enhanced check with barred list
The criminal record check for regulated work with children.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the reportThe occupational therapist's report and recommendations — schools, councils and other professionals will ask for them.
Check the goalsCompare what your child or you can do now with the goals agreed at the start.
Ask about a follow-upWhen a review would help, and what would prompt one sooner.
Review the bookingTell the next family or client how the occupational therapist did. Something to fix first? The make-it-right step gives them the chance before your review goes live.

STEP 1Go back to the occupational therapist firstExplain, in writing, what was wrong and what you would accept. If the therapy was not delivered with the reasonable care and skill that section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 demands of an occupational therapist in business, section 54 gives you a repeat at no cost or money off.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate a booked occupational therapist below four stars and you are asked whether to send it to them first; we follow it through. Then you review.
STEP 3A concern about an occupational therapist's practiceThe HCPC takes concerns about registered occupational therapists from members of the public, and investigates anyone using a protected title such as 'occupational therapist' without being on the Register.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is still owedIf the occupational therapist will not refund or put it right, a small claim needs no solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an occupational therapist: questions people ask

Yes. 'Occupational therapist' is a protected title in every UK nation; only HCPC registrants may use it.

For regular work with children, ask for an enhanced DBS check with the children's barred list in England and Wales, PVG membership in Scotland or an enhanced AccessNI check in Northern Ireland.

No. You can book directly; bring any reports from school, the GP or other therapists.

£55 to £95 a session, typically around £75. Assessments, reports and mileage are usually charged on top. Our occupational therapist price guide explains the range; searching your town above shows occupational therapists who cover it.

Not on care for your health from a registered occupational therapist — it is exempt under VAT Notice 701/57.

Raise it in writing; an occupational therapist in practice owes reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Concerns about practice can go to the HCPC.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in health & wellbeing

How to hire: PhysiotherapistHow to hire: Speech & Language TherapistHow to hire: DietitianHow to hire: Podiatrist / ChiropodistHow to hire: CounsellorHow to hire: PsychotherapistHow to hire: OsteopathHow to hire: ChiropractorAll 701 hiring guides →

Occupational therapists near you

Occupational therapists in LondonOccupational therapists in ManchesterOccupational therapists in BirminghamOccupational therapists in GlasgowOccupational therapists in BelfastAll occupational therapists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HCPC — professions and protected titles
  2. HCPC — check the Register
  3. HCPC — misuse of title
  4. gov.uk (DBS) — regulated activity with children
  5. mygov.scot — who needs PVG scheme membership (personal employers)
  6. nidirect — AccessNI checks for the self-employed and personal employees
  7. gov.uk — Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  9. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  10. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started in the cancellation period
  11. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — consumer's rights for services
  12. Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57) — 2.1 Meaning of a health professional; 2.3 Exempt medical services
  13. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  14. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register