MEET OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST EXPERT WITNESS, ALYSSA SCOTT
Please meet Alyssa Scott, a highly skilled and experienced neuro-rehabilitation occupational therapist, and the latest member to join our team of expert witnesses.
Alyssa has extensive expertise in treating individuals with traumatic brain, spinal and polytrauma injuries. Having worked internationally, Alyssa brings a global perspective to her practice. Her background includes a deep understanding of UK public and private healthcare systems, particularly within the neurorehabilitation field.
Alyssa works for us as an independent Expert Witness, taking instructions from both Claimant and Defendant representatives for full care reports and occupational therapy reports.
You can learn more about Alyssa in the short article below and find her expert profile on our website.
BORN IN THE USA
Alyssa was born and brought up in a suburb of Chicago, USA, until leaving to study at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay on a softball scholarship. Sport played a massive part in Alyssa’s life growing up, where she had to balance her sporting achievements with being a student, which taught her essential organisational and time management skills.
While at university, Alyssa met her Exeter-born, future husband, who was also on a sports scholarship at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
After graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science, Alyssa returned to the wider Chicago area to attend Elmhurst University from 2016 to 2018, where she completed a Master's in Occupational Therapy. Alyssa also worked as a personal trainer and nanny during her university years, which taught her valuable lessons in juggling an academic workload and working life.
HEADING TO THE UK
After leaving University, Alyssa took a local short-term maternity cover position before moving to London to be with her boyfriend, who had returned to the UK after graduating. In 2019, she decided to move to the UK, obtained her HCPC registration, and headed for a new life over ‘The Pond’.
However, her introduction to living and working in the UK was an ‘interesting’ one to say the least, as she was thrown into the deep end working in an NHS hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic! As Alyssa says, “It was a crazy introduction to working in the UK!”
Working for the NHS did give her a comprehensive understanding of the whole and, at times, complex care journey. It also honed her ability to deliver patient-centred care while effectively navigating the challenges of a high-demand environment.
SETTLING INTO LONDON LIFE
The next few years were a busy time for Alyssa. Apart from setting up home in London and working for the NHS during the pandemic, she got married and took up a position in the Neuro-Rehabilitation Unit at The Cleveland Clinic London in Grosvenor Place, where she stayed for three years.
In this role, Alyssa gained invaluable insight into providing specialised care for individuals recovering from severe neurological injuries. She also collaborated closely with a multidisciplinary team, delivering individualised therapy to patients with traumatic brain, spinal and polytrauma injuries.
Alyssa was also a member of the Manual Handling Training team, providing hospital-wide training on safe moving and handling techniques to ensure the safety of both patients and staff.
Alyssa loved her time at the Cleveland Clinic, working on a day-to-day basis with a caseload of international patients with a range of neurological rehabilitation needs, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, and prolonged MS flare-ups.
Her time at the clinic also gave her an insight into medico-legal work and an opportunity to manage caseloads and develop complex care plans. As Alyssa says,
“It was a great experience for me. I learnt a lot and loved my time at the Cleveland Clinic London. It’s probably one of my favourite jobs.”
A MOVE TO THE WEST COUNTRY
In 2024, Alyssa gave birth to her son and, during her maternity leave, realised that she needed a different work-life balance; one that didn’t involve working in a hospital environment.
A move to Exeter followed, and Alyssa decided to look into private clinic and expert witness work. After seeing our advertisement on the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) website, she decided to apply for the role of expert witness.
After an initial conversation with our Director of Operations, Luci Lloyd, Alyssa knew it was the right fit. As Alyssa says,
“I am a strong communicator, well-organised and caring, traits I knew would stand me in good stead as a JJ&A expert witness. I know they will fully support and help me grow into the role. I also like that they are a family-run business that clearly cares”
IN HER SPARE TIME
Alyssa lives in Exeter, Devon, with her husband and one-year-old son. If she has any spare time, Alyssa still plays softball, travelling to London to regularly play with friends. Exercise and sport are Alyssa’s happy place, so she exercises regularly, runs, attends a local gym, and goes for long walks with family on Exmouth beach and Dartmoor. The whole family enjoys outdoor life.
Her large, close-knit Chicago family is incredibly important to Alyssa, and she tries to return to the US to visit them as often as possible.
Living in the UK took a bit of getting used to at first, with a completely new culture and way of doing things, but as Alyssa says,
“It's now home, and I enjoy showing family and friends around my adopted country when they visit from the US.”
Alyssa values the importance of providing tailored care that empowers individuals to achieve a high quality of life.
Her background includes a deep understanding of the UK public and private healthcare systems, particularly within neurorehabilitation, and her NHS experience has honed her ability to deliver patient-centred care while effectively navigating the challenges of a high-demand environment.
Alyssa works for Jane James & Associates as an independent Expert Witness, taking instructions from both Claimant and Defendant representatives for full care reports and occupational therapy reports.
