Who are the children with disabilities team?
The team is made up of Social Workers, Family Support Workers and Occupational Therapists.
The team aims to:
- Provide a service to enable children to live life to the full within their own families and communities;
- See children as children, regardless of their disabilities;
- Do everything they can to help children reach their full potential and to minimise the effects of their disability.
Who do the Children with Disabilities Team help?
Children with disabilities are defined in The Children Act 1989 as ‘children in need’ and the team have a duty to provide assessments and a range of services for them.
The team works closely with other specialist workers to help and support children who have a disability which affects their daily living, and to help reduce the effect of children’s long term needs on their life. This includes children who have a severe learning disability, autism, a physical disability, a life limiting illness such as cancer and sight difficulties.
Once the team accepts a referral, it will complete an assessment of the needs of the child and his/her family and will identify how it can help you.
The team gives support advice and information on issues relating to children with disabilities. Education, benefits, leisure, respite care and holidays are just some of the things they can help with. The team has a library of information including videos and booklets available to parents and carers.
The team also gives parents and children information and advice about the services available from other agencies.
The team provides a range of services to help children with disabilities plan for their future, and works with others to make sure that their health education and social care needs are met. They also set up packages of care, which includes respite care, occupational therapy, equipment and adaptations, project work, day-care nursery sponsorship and holiday care.
