MEET PAEDIATRIC NEURO-PHYSIOTHERAPY EXPERT WITNESS, PETRA SPLAIN
Please meet Petra Splain, the latest member to join our Quantum team of experts. Petra is a highly skilled chartered physiotherapist with over 14 years of NHS and private-sector clinical experience. Over the past 12 years, she has specialised in treating children with neurological and physical disabilities working in specialist schools, hospitals and, more recently a children’s hospice. She currently produces expert Neuro-physiotherapy reports for use in litigation for Jane James & Associates on behalf of both Claimant and Defendant firms. You can learn more about Petra in the short article below.
EARLY LIFE
Petra was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire but now lives with her family in Berkshire. From childhood, Petra loved to dance so after leaving school, she became a professional dancer and Pilates teacher working for five years on cruise ships. Her dancing life took her around the world with China and Japan being her favourite destinations.
On returning to the UK, Petra started a family, and at the age of 31 decided to retrain as a physiotherapist at Southampton University graduating in 2007.
A CAREER IN PHYSIOTHERAPY
After qualifying, Petra went to work in an NHS hospital setting for adult-based elderly care undertaking the expected clinical rotations. However, she knew she wanted to work with children so she left the NHS to join the specialist school, Treloars.
While she enjoyed the work, it was a sheltered environment and not what NHS paediatric departments offer so she left to work for Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust in the community and specialist schools for children aged 0-16. Her caseloads covered both mainstream schools and nurseries, treating children with neurological, musculoskeletal and respiratory issues at home in the community.
The role was more about supporting the family as a whole, and she loved the direct interaction with the children and their families - looking at each child based on their symptoms - not their diagnosis - as every child is different and has differing needs.
SETTING OUT ON HER OWN
Despite enjoying the work within Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, Petra found the role highly restrictive so she decided to leave and set up her own private practice which she has run since 2015.
Petra works independently specialising in the treatment of children with neurological and physical disabilities working in specialist schools, hospitals and more recently a children’s hospice where she works alongside a wider team including teachers, NHS nurses, consultants, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists to provide the child with the best possible solutions and outcomes.
However, working on her own can be lonely, at times, without direct peer support or someone to bounce ideas off that's why Petra always seeks an additional ‘employed’ role to run alongside her solo work.
Petra now spends three days a week working on her own caseloads and two days a week at a children's hospice in Maidenhead providing specialist physiotherapy, and hydrotherapy and helping signpost parents to any additional help and support they may need.
She loves this role and having a supportive, inclusive team on hand. As a qualified trainer, Petra provides the hospice team with training in hydrotherapy, manual handling techniques and the correct use of equipment.
THE BRIDGE TO EXPERT WITNESS WORK
Working in the hospice, Petra provides a bridge between the children and the parents, and what each needs. She is a facilitator: writing referrals, attending appointments and signposting parents to other forms of help and support. Petra has always looked at the child first and what THEY need and as Petra says,
“The way I work - working out what the child needs, signposting and writing letters, making referrals, writing highly detailed EHCP plans and quantitative reports - feeds directly into expert witness work. These are all great experiences for a role as a JJ&A Expert Witness.”
BECOMING A JJ&A EXPERT WITNESS
Petra had thought about becoming an expert witness for quite a while as she wanted to adapt and enhance her existing role. She trained with the CSP in Medico-Legal work and was approached by several expert witness companies before deciding to work with JJ&A. As Petra says,
"JJ&A is an excellent fit for me as they are a family-run business with similar values and offer lots of support. They are also smaller and I genuinely feel part of a nurturing and supportive team."
IN HER SPARE TIME
Petra loves West End musicals, going to the gym and walking her dog. She also likes a challenge, having completed an Everest base camp trek for charity.
The whole family are sporty. One of her daughters was part of the Great Britain gymnastics squad, her son is a pole vaulter and her other daughter is heavily into street dance.
It's safe to say, that a lot of Petra's time is spent ferrying her children to various sporting training sessions and events - which is something she (luckily) loves doing.
Petra works for JJ&A producing expert Neuro-physiotherapy reports for use in litigation for Jane James & Associates on behalf of both Claimant and Defendant firms. You can find Petra’s full expert profile on our website.
Petra has undertaken specialist training in hydrotherapy for children with and without neuro disabilities. She regularly runs sessions with the children on her caseload - witnessing first-hand how well this therapeutic intervention can benefit children with musculoskeletal issues and increased/decreased tone and sensory issues.
