What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Open Arms Support Services Ltd

Home
United Kingdom
Norwich
Open Arms Support Services Ltd

At Open Arms, our occupational therapists specialise in working with children and adults.

31/12/2025

🎄✨ Wrapping up 2025 with gratitude!

From all of us at Open Arms Support Services, a huge thank you to all the families, children, and communities who have trusted us this year — your courage and growth inspire our team every day.

Our OTs are ready and excited to continue supporting you all in 2026. Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season and a happy, prosperous New Year! 💛

29/12/2025

End of year message from our Senior Occupational Therapist, Nikki Findlay

As we come to the end of the year, I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 🎄✨

This year has been a meaningful one, and I’m incredibly grateful to the children, families, and professionals who have trusted Open Arms to support them. Being part of each journey and seeing progress, resilience, and growth has been truly rewarding.

Thank you to our dedicated team and wider community for the care, commitment, and compassion you bring every day. I’m proud of the work we do together and excited for what the new year holds.

Wishing you a peaceful festive season and a bright year ahead 💛

🎄

25/12/2025

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at Open Arms Support Services 🎄🤍

We’re sending our warmest wishes to the families, children, and communities we support, and to everyone celebrating this season. May your days be filled with kindness, comfort, and moments that matter, and may the year ahead bring new beginnings and continued support.

Thank you for being part of our Open Arms family.

23/12/2025

🧸 Play with purpose: Teddy Rescue

This simple occupational therapy activity demonstrates how everyday play can support key developmental skills when designed with intention.

Teddy Rescue helps develop:
• Shoulder stability and strength
• Fine motor control
• Midline crossing
• Visual scanning

Using basic items such as Sellotape or Blu-Tack and small toys, children are encouraged to use one hand to remove objects from underneath a table and place them into a target — turning play into meaningful therapeutic input.

The activity can be graded to support different needs by:
• Increasing the number of items
• Alternating hands
• Adding choice and problem-solving (e.g. rolling a dice to select items)

At Open Arms Support Services, we believe effective therapy doesn’t need to be complex, it needs to be purposeful, playful, and accessible for families.

22/12/2025

Christmas Day can be exciting — but it can also be overwhelming, especially when routines change and environments are unfamiliar. Having familiar regulation tools close by can make a real difference when you’re away from home.

If you’re heading out, consider packing a simple regulation kit:
🧩 A favourite fidget
🎧 Headphones for sensory breaks
🍎 A familiar snack
🧣 A weighted scarf or comforting layer
📱 A visual schedule
🚗 A trusted comfort toy

These small supports help children feel safe, regulated, and better able to cope with the day around them.

Sometimes, it’s the simplest preparations that create the biggest sense of calm.

17/12/2025

The best way to reduce overwhelm? Predictability.

Christmas Day (and other big celebrations) can bring lots of sensory input — noise, new faces, and changes to routine. For children with additional needs, this can quickly feel overwhelming.

Predictability helps create a sense of safety and regulation.

A little preparation can go a long way:
🔹 Use a visual countdown
🔹 Practise small parts of the day (like sitting at the table)
🔹 Share photos of the place and the people
🔹 Build in choice — clothing, activities, quiet time

💡 Parent tip: Plan one calm, familiar moment your child can return to during the day — a quiet room, favourite toy, or short break. Knowing it’s there can make all the difference.

Preparing ahead isn’t taking the magic away.
It’s helping your child feel safe enough to enjoy it.

16/12/2025

🎄 Christmas Opening Hours 🎄

As the year comes to a close, our team will be taking a short festive break to rest, reset, and spend time with loved ones.

📅 We will be closed from:
Monday 22nd December to Monday 5th January 2026

We’ll be back from Tuesday 6th January, refreshed and ready to continue supporting you and your children.

Thank you for trusting us throughout the year. We wish you all a calm, joyful Christmas and a gentle start to the New Year 💛

✨ See you in 2026 ✨

13/12/2025

✨ Play with purpose ✨

This simple pom-pom sorting activity might look like fun (and it is!) — but it’s also quietly supporting some really important developmental skills.

Using tongs to pick up and sort pom-poms helps children to:
💛 Build hand strength needed for writing, cutting, and everyday self-care
💛 Develop visual skills like spotting colours and guiding their hands accurately
💛 Practise coordination by reaching across their body and using both hands together

We can gently adapt activities like this to meet each child where they are — whether that’s following simple instructions, switching hands, or building focus and confidence through play.

At Open Arms Support Services, we believe progress happens best when learning feels safe, achievable, and fun.

11/12/2025

❄️ Some children seek extra movement during winter because it helps their vestibular system stay regulated. When outdoor play becomes limited, their bodies still crave that input to stay calm, focused and connected. ✨

Here are some simple indoor ways to support vestibular-seeking children this season:
✅ Cushion path walks
✅ Safe spinning on a swivel chair
✅ Rolling games on a mat or carpet
✅ Crawling routes between furniture

These small movements support balance, coordination and emotional regulation — even on the coldest days. 💛
Let’s help our little ones stay regulated and confident during the cold season.

06/12/2025

When a child finds it hard to recognise hunger, toilet needs or temperature changes, everyday life can feel confusing and overwhelming.

This is interoception — the internal sensory system that helps us notice what’s happening inside our bodies.

Winter can make these signals even trickier to detect.
Cold weather changes hunger patterns, and layers of clothing can mask temperature discomfort.

Understanding interoception helps us respond with empathy and support, making daily routines feel safer and more predictable for children.

04/12/2025

Understanding these three sensory systems — proprioception, vestibular processing and interoception — can help you make sense of how your child feels and behaves throughout the day.

In winter, bulky clothing, cold weather and reduced outdoor play can affect all three, sometimes leading to changes in movement, regulation or behaviour.

Over the next posts, we’ll break each system down in a simple, parent-friendly way.

Watch this space — and save this for your winter reference.

01/12/2025

Hello December ❄️✨

A new month, a little sparkle in the air, and plenty of cosy moments ahead.

Here’s to warm drinks, twinkly lights, gentle days and tiny joys that make this season feel special.

Let’s make it a lovely one! 💙

Address

1a Silver Road
Norwich
NR34TX

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441603767498

Website

https://www.openarmsupport.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Open Arms Support Services Ltd posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Open Arms Support Services Ltd:

Shortcuts

Address
Telephone
Opening Hours
Alerts
Contact The Practice
Claim ownership or report listing

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Norwich?