Meet Emma
“Emma… well she made me believe in myself, when no-one else did.”
Emma Puttock
Founder & Director • Children’s Occupational Therapist
RCOT BT0102130 • HCPC OT18039
Hi, I’m Emma and I am the super proud owner of Now, Next & Then. I am equally proud of the team and love that we are all so committed to helping children and families in our local area. Alongside running the business, I’m a completely dedicated and motivated Children’s Occupational Therapist. I care very passionately about working with children and young people to help them overcome their daily challenges and I am committed to making a positive difference in all aspects of my role. This extends to supporting families, school staff, other professional colleagues, Local Authorities and working collaboratively with the whole team too. I am committed to making a positive difference in all aspects of my role.
Since I qualified as an Occupational Therapist a long time ago (!) I have had a broad and varied career, and until 2010 this was within the NHS. I initially worked within old age psychiatry (the dementias), then extensively within acute adult in-patient psychiatry, before moving to acute inpatient medical care and then finally (and at last!) in 2000, into the world of paediatrics. I became an independent Occupational Therapist in 2010 and for eleven years co-ran a successful little Children’s Occupational Therapy company. In 2021, I moved on to establish Now, Next & Then, so that I could offer much, much more and endeavour to ‘fill the gap’ that I had observed in help for children and families. I am truly grateful for the vastly differing work experiences I have had as these have given me a truly holistic understanding of children and young people (and their broader family and community). It is this that steers my determination to having a ‘whole child/person’ approach and in turn, forms the basis of all that Now, Next & Then has to offer.
“I don’t think I know anyone else with Emma’s drive, passion and commitment to children and young people. She is without doubt a shining example of what the very best Occupational Therapist can achieve. Emma’s professionalism and expertise is very widely known and admired and I don’t know anyone who works as hard as she does. She has 100% belief in what her team has to offer.”
• Educational Psychologist •
I believe wholeheartedly that every child, adolescent and young adult deserves the best possible foundation in life and everywhere I go I always encourage the highest standard of inclusive practice; this is a consistent commitment. I even have an MSc in Inclusive School Experiences to back up my ethos!
Many of the children we see just need an extra boost of the right sort of help (based on a tonne of professional knowledge and expertise) to enable them to flourish and others benefit from regular or ongoing support. It is my mission to ensure that each child receives the best help possible, and, when they need it. It follows that where obstacles exist in the ‘now’, there is scope for the ‘next’ and of course, ‘then’. I believe that if a parent or school chooses to commission our help then a quality, knowledgeable and caring service should be expected and it is my job to guarantee that this is what is received.
As well as working as one of the Now, Next & Then OTs it is also my responsibility to oversee everyone else in the team. I am confident that everyone is as motivated as I am to provide quality support and I really value each person’s contribution to our shared endeavour. I work in parallel to all that is seen on the surface, to ensure the smooth running and successful progression of the company because I believe nothing should stand still if a service is to continually meet the changing needs of the children, young people and community we exist to support.
In my home world, I am a busy Mum to three fantastic children who have now all flown the nest and this simply means that the parental wings of love just have further to stretch! I’m a dog lover, enjoy walking in the countryside listening to singing birds and rustling trees, love film and cinema, have a passion for interiors and house renovation, enjoy the escapism of audiobooks and love to travel.
“Just a little note to say the biggest thank you for all your time and hard work. You’re a legend in the SEN world, for the best of reasons and we really appreciate all your support.”
• Parent •
“I have no hesitation at all in recommending Emma; be it as a first step into discovering more about a child’s profile or learning style, ongoing provision or an updated assessment. The information she gives us is always timely, useful, professional and understanding.”
• Primary school SENCO •