Meet the team
At North Star Rehab we are immensely proud of our team of highly skilled, experienced specialist occupational therapy and specialist rehabilitation assistants.
Naveen Prabhakaran
Specialist Neurological Occupational Therapist
Jill Kings MSc PGC (HEP) DipCOT SROT
Specialist Occupational Therapist
Hello, please meet Jill our Clinical Director and Consultant Neurological Occupational Therapist
Jill is the founder of North Star Rehab and has worked within neurological rehabilitation for over 35 years.
After qualifying as an Occupational Therapist in 1990 Jill headed to London and quickly specialised in the field of neurological rehabilitation.
She has worked in several regional rehabilitation centres including the world-renowned National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square London.
Jill has an unrivalled depth and breadth of neurological rehabilitation skills having worked across several sectors over her career.
Jill worked in the NHS for over 18 years, has been a senior lecturer and recently led an award-winning community neurological rehabilitation team.
She has a Masters of Science Degree in Neurological Rehabilitation, a teaching qualification and has undertaken primary research, contributing to numerous publications, clinical guidelines, and book chapters to promote evidence-based practice within Occupational Therapy and neurological rehabilitation. Jill also undertakes Part 35 compliant Expert Witness Occupational Therapy assessment and reports.
Key areas of expertise
- Brain injury rehabilitation
- Cognitive rehabilitation
- Physical skills and intensive task training
- Upper limb rehabilitation
- Movement disorders
- Catastrophic and complex disability management
- Occupational Therapy Expert Witness assessments and reports
John Pope MSc, BSc (hons) SROT
Specialist Neurological Occupational Therapist
Hello, please meet John our Clinical Director and Specialist Neurological Occupational Therapist
John is an award-winning specialist neurological occupational therapist with over 14 years experience in the field of complex, community-based rehabilitation.
John began his career in the field of neuro-rehabilitation, supporting people who have experienced life changing injury or illness in their own homes and in the community.
His passion is enabling people with complex disabilities to achieve their full potential across their lifespan, by promoting independence and quality of life.
John brings unique and highly specialist rehabilitation skills and has worked with people with brain injuries and learning difficulties throughout his career, across both the public and private sectors. John has a deep understanding of occupational therapy for people who lack capacity, including advanced skill in evidence-based techniques to support people with behaviours that challenge.
John has current knowledge of care and support provision, has been a Care Quality Commission (CQC) Registered Manager and continues to act as a specialist advisor to the CQC. He has completed his Masters of Science Degree in Advanced Practice for Intellectual Disabilities and won the 2020 Great British Care Award (North East).
Key areas of expertise
- Brain injury rehabilitation
- Adults with intellectual disabilities
- Cognitive rehabilitation
- Life skills training including self-management and self-awareness
- Complex behavioural rehabilitation
- Evidenced-based strategies to support any behaviours of concern
- Behavioural support and de-escalation training for care or support teams
- Educational support
Naveen Prabhakaran BScOT SROT
Specialist Neurological Occupational Therapist
Hello, please meet Naveen Specialist Neurological Occupational Therapist
Naveen is a highly specialist neurological occupational therapist with over 20 years experience in acquired brain injury and functional, physical, cognitive, and vocational rehabilitation.
He has worked across the full continuum of care, from acute hospital settings to community-based rehabilitation and has advanced skills in community-based rehabilitation and leadership.
Beginning his career in India, Naveen worked in both mental health and multi-specialty hospital settings before relocating to the UK in 2004. For the past 17 years Naveen has worked in a community-based NHS acquired brain injury service. In this role, he works within an interdisciplinary team, delivering bespoke occupational therapy assessments and rehabilitation interventions tailored to patients with complex brain injuries.
Naveen is committed to lifelong learning and professional development, having completed several skills-based specialists post-graduate certificates and leadership training.
Key areas of expertise
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Brain injury rehabilitation
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Cognitive and physical rehabilitation
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Telehealth solutions
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Catastrophic and complex disability management
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Vocational rehabilitation
Izzy Kings
Specialist Rehabilitation Assistant
Hello, please met Izzy our Specialist Rehabilitation Assistant
Izzy is an occupational therapy student who is entering her 3rd year of the BSc (hons) Occupational Therapy degree at Northumbria University.
Izzy is open minded, client centred and creative in her approach to supporting qualified occupational therapists in delivering bespoke treatment programmes, under the direction of the qualified occupational therapy team.
Izzy is a bright and flexible specialist rehabilitation assistant with lived experience of loved ones with dementia and progressive neurological conditions, including end of life care.
During her occupational therapy training placements, Izzy has supported adults with profound and complex learning difficulties in the community, including forensic learning difficulties. She has also completed a placement in a community based rapid response multi-disciplinary team and understands the role other team members play.
She is confident when working alongside clients with a range of physical and cognitive difficulties and has contemporary knowledge of assessing and overseeing provision of home-based equipment.
Key areas of expertise
- Physical skills activation and training
- Life and community living skills training
- Health and wellbeing support
- Knowledge of contemporary home-based equipment.
Rachel Curran
Operations Administrator
Hello, please meet Rachel our Operations Administrator
Rachel’s role is to make the wheels on the North Star Rehab bus keep turning, including all things invoicing, billing and credit control.
She also fixes all Jill’s tech drama and is our Qunotes superuser and systems guru. She also supports the onboarding of new team members and can be contacted on
admin@northstarrehab.co.uk
Rob Wilson CIPHE
Managing Director, Wilson Heat Ltd
Contact Rob via our team or email direct
Hello, please meet Rob, a Plumbing and Heating Engineer and Managing Director of Wilson Heat Ltd
North Star Rehab are proud to be working in an exclusive partnership with Wilson Heat Ltd to add bespoke household support to our portfolio of services.
Rob has been a plumbing and heating engineer for over 25 years’ and runs Wilson Heat Ltd with his son Callum. Rob has lived experience of supporting individuals with complex personality disorders and learning difficulties.
He has worked with Case Managers and Professional Deputies in the past to troubleshoot challenging and complex household situations. He is also married to Jill and hence, has a far greater understanding of the world of brain injury and medicolegal due process than the average plumber!
Please note: North Star Rehab do not have any responsibility or vicarious liability for Wilson Heat Ltd which is a separate legal entity. Company Registered in England and Wales 05861327. Gas Safe Registered Number 204823. Member of the Chartered Institute of and Heating Engineers.
Key areas of expertise
Team Wilson Heat Ltd can:
- Plan and undertaken major kitchen and bathroom adaptations
- Work with other trades and architects for major adaptations and bespoke new builds
- Work under therapy direction to provide modifications to premises such as ramped access, hand rails, stairs rails etc
- Plan and undertake bespoke Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) scheduled to ensure upkeep of privately owned premises
- Offer in hours call-out support, subject to a pre-agreed schedule
Hello, please meet Libby the Rehab Dog
Libby is a cute and occasionally mischievous cockapoo who lives with Jill and Rob.
Available for walks and runs in the park, Libby is known to appreciate lots of stroking and hot dog sausage treats.
Key areas of expertise
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Being cute
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Seeing Harry the cat off when he jumps on the dining table
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Ball chasing and barking at the Tesco delivery man
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Pulling on the lead to test your balance!
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Running alongside you when you’re on your bike or out running
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Occasional rabbit chasing
Our professional regulator and affiliations
With age, comes experience and we have over a century of skills and expertise across the team at North Star Rehab… this means you are being guided by safe, skilled hands.
All our qualified therapists are regulated and registered with the Health and Care Professional Council. We are also affiliated with relevant professional bodies. and our team undergo regular safeguarding, mandatory and profession specific training.
Copies of our public liability and professional indemnity insurance are available on request. Please ask if you require any more information about how we govern our services.
North Star Rehab is a trading name of North Star Therapy Services Ltd a Company Registered in England and Wales 13506055
Registered address: Suite G4, Amber Court, William Armstrong Drive, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4 7YA
Wilson Heat Ltd
Want to join our team?
We are always looking for shining stars to join our team. So if you have a passion for client centred, high-quality rehabilitation please get in touch.