Stephanie James

As a Case Manager, Stephanie supports clients who have suffered from catastrophic injuries, most often adults and children with traumatic and acquired brain injuries and Cerebral Palsy.  Stephanie is skilled in managing her clients’ challenging cognitive and behavioural needs, and also regularly supports clients with associated mental health issues, learning needs, and visual impairments.

Stephanie is confident in the co-ordination of directly employed and agency care and has been heavily involved in the rehabilitation process and the adaptation of properties.

She has spent a significant period of time in OT and manual handling focused roles at the Walton Centre, a specialist neuro rehab centre in Liverpool, where her focus was on those who have suffered a wide range of neurological impairments.  She has considerable skills in the management of varying levels of traumatic brain injury, long-term disabilities, stroke, cognitive and behavioural impairment and Cerebral Palsy.  She also has experience in supporting clients who have spinal injuries in addition to a brain injury.

Stephanie has also completed work for two private OT companies, supporting clients with neurological deficits living in their own homes.  This has included treating a range of conditions from spinal injuries to long standing and newly acquired brain injuries.  Treatments range from physical rehabilitation to cognitive techniques and clients have been referred either by the NHS or from private case managers.  Stephanie continues to use her OT skills within her case management role.

Immediately prior to moving into independent practice, Stephanie was Team Lead for the Early Supported Discharge Community Stroke Team at the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.  Stephanie had responsibility for co-managing a multi-disciplinary team.  Her role included liaison with a number of different specialists in the stroke unit to ensure that the discharges were appropriate and timely.  This also including writing reports and providing evidence of the effectiveness of the team.

Stephanie has also held a role as a clinical specialist OT at a private neuro-rehabilitation hospital.  This included clinical work alongside the responsibilities for leading the OT team and rehab assistants to ensure the smooth running of the team.  Part of this role was to act as a key worker for the clients and their families and to ensure that regular case conferences were held with an accurate report provided of the client’s progress.

Previous to this, Stephanie worked at the Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust for a number of years, more recently as a co-ordinator of manual handling and formerly as a Band 7 Neurological OT Specialist.  Stephanie had the responsibility for leading and developing the Trust’s moving and handling framework, to ensure effective safe and modern techniques were practiced across all services.  Stephanie worked alongside another Band 7 and shared both the management and clinical leads for the inpatient team.  She managed all the day to day running of team as well as the clinical development.  Stephanie held a complex clinical caseload and provided practical teachings to enable the staff to deliver a specialist service.

In her early career Stephanie honed her neuro skills on the rehabilitation and acute wards at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.  Stephanie was on a neuro specific rotation and worked through the acute neuro wards, neuro rehabilitation unit, stroke wards and the early supportive discharge team for stroke.  She also worked for a year in the integrated discharge team; which included working in accident and emergency and completing assessments for rehabilitation.  One of the teams that Stephanie worked within also had a short period of assisting the paediatric team with assessments and treating paediatric spinal admissions.

Stephanie has worked as a Care Expert Witness with Jacqueline Webb & Co since 2019, completing comprehensive reports for the Court.  She has experience in attending case conferences and participating in expert meetings, and she completed the Bond Solon Courtroom Skills Familiarisation in 2021.  She also attended the Bond Solon Expert Witness Conference in 2022.

2024-Present
Case Manager and Occupational Therapist
A Chance For Life

2016-2024
Clinical Case Manager
Independent Living Solutions Limited

2020-2021
Occupational Therapist (Covid Support)
Acute Inpatient Ward/ Specialist Community Team
The Walton Centre, Liverpool

2018-2021
Independent Occupational Therapist
Reach Personal Injury and OT Practice

2017
Band 7 Lead Occupational Therapist
NHS Salford Royal – Community Stroke Team

2016-2017
Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist
Priory High Bank Neuro Rehab Unit

2010-2016
Senior Band 7 Occupational Therapist and Manual Handling Co-ordinator
Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust

2011-2014
Bank Occupational Therapist
BMI Alexandra Hospital

2009-2010
Band 7 Advanced Practitioner Occupational Therapist
Nottingham University Hospital Trust

2005-2009
Band 6 Occupational Therapist
Nottingham University Hospital Trust

2003-2005
Basic Grade Occupational Therapist
Nottingham University Hospital Trust