Mrs Grace Hemson

Grace Hemson is a Highly Specialised Occupational Therapist, Lead Occupational Therapist at Egerton Rothesay School and expert witness, with over seven years’ clinical experience across NHS, school, clinic and community settings. Her principal areas of expertise include paediatric and adult mental health, sensory integration, sensory-based trauma-informed practice and the assessment and support of individuals with complex developmental, sensory, physical and mental health needs.

Grace works with children, young people and adults, with particular experience supporting children with autism, ADHD, developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and physical disabilities, as well as adults with severe and enduring mental illness. Her practice involves assessing functional ability, developmental and sensory needs, mental health, participation and independence, alongside rehabilitation and support requirements.

She works extensively within multidisciplinary and multi-agency environments, collaborating with professionals across CAMHS, Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy, Social Care, education and Nursing. Grace also has significant clinical leadership experience, including team supervision, service development, staff training and mentoring junior clinicians. 

Grace Hemson has undertaken medico-legal work since 2026 and accepts instructions in clinical negligence and personal injury matters on behalf of claimants, defendants and as a Single Joint Expert. She provides independent occupational therapy opinion across screening, breach of duty and causation, condition and prognosis, care and equipment, and immediate needs assessments.

Her medico-legal expertise includes the assessment of functional ability, developmental and sensory needs, mental health, participation, independence, rehabilitation and support requirements, including the impact of an individual’s condition on everyday functioning. She also brings experience of EHCP and SEND assessments, tribunal report writing and statutory pathway management, involving the analysis of complex clinical and functional information and the formulation of clear professional opinions and recommendations. 

Grace’s current clinical practice centres on the assessment and management of complex developmental, sensory, physical and mental health needs, with a particular focus on how these affect functional ability, participation and independence in everyday life. She has specialist expertise in sensory integration and sensory-based, trauma-informed approaches, applying detailed clinical reasoning to understand individual sensory and functional presentations.

Within paediatric practice, she has particular experience assessing and supporting children with autism, ADHD, developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and physical disabilities. Her work includes evaluating developmental and sensory needs and determining appropriate therapeutic interventions and support. She also works with adults with severe and enduring mental illness, considering the impact of mental health difficulties on function and daily participation.

Her practice is multidisciplinary, integrating occupational therapy assessment with input from CAMHS, Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy, Social Care, Nursing and education professionals to support individuals with complex and overlapping needs.