Providing services to children with complex needs and disabilities, and their families

Information about our service

Children withDisabilities Team

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Children with Disabilities TeamThe Children with Disabilities Team (CWDT) provides specialist help for children and young people up to the age of 18 years with a disability who are substantially and adversely affected in their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities by physical or mental impairments.

We work with children from birth to 18 years and our team of specialist workers includes:

• Social Workers

• a Health Development Worker who is also a qualifi ed nurse

• an Occupational Therapist

• a Respite Care Coordinator

• Social Care Workers

• a Shared Care Social Worker.

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What do we do?

The team offers information, advice, support and practical help to families with children who have a permanent and substantial disability or long-term illness that impacts on their everyday living.

We offer advice on how to access services available for children and young people who have disabilities, such as:

• One-to-one support at home

• Help to enable a child to attend an after school club or play scheme and residential breaks – families are also able to purchase their own help through the Direct Payments

• We carry out ‘Children in Need’ assessments

• We help identify resources

• We make sure children are safe

• We work with children and young people who are Looked After

• We work with the Occupational Therapy Service

• We will seek to provide help in an emergency if needed

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How do we help?

We will assess the needs of you and your child to establish which services you may be eligible for. We will do this by talking to you and your child.

We may, with your permission, also liaise closely with other professionals such as teachers, health visitors and doctors.

We work in partnership with parents and this includes an assessment of their needs as a carer. We have close links with voluntary agencies involved with disability, such as Full of Life.

Before the young person turns 18, we make sure that we have set up plans to ensure a smooth transition to adult services for young people who need ongoing services. We work with the education service, transition workers in the adult service teams, and Connexions workers to help the young person and the family prepare for this.

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Referrals

Referrals can be made directly by the family or professionals involved with the family.

Referrals from families can me made by phone or email.

Referrals by professionals are made by phone or by completing a Common Assessment Framework Assessment.

Eligibility criteria

Services are available to Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) residents who have a child aged 0 to 18 with a disability who is substantially affected in their everyday living by one or more of the following:

• Global developmental delay

• Physical impairment

• A profound sensory impairment

• A signifi cantly disabling chronic ill health condition

• Severe communication or language disorder

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder with communication disorder and developmental delay

• Learning disability

• A serious life limiting or terminal illness

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Not Meeting CWDT Criteria

The following conditions would not normally lead to a child being considered as disabled, but rather as having additional needs:

• High functioning Autism and Aspergers

• Emotional and behavioural diffi culties that are not due to one of the areas listed above (this includes ADHD)

• Mental health conditions

• Dyslexia, Dyspraxia (learning diffi culties as opposed to learning disabilities)

• Speech and language delays

What happens next?

A Social Worker, Social Care Worker or Occupational Therapist will contact the family and arrange a time to make an initial assessment.

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The Assessment

A package of support is determined following an assessment.

Packages of support must focus on individual need and the particular circumstances of each family. The Assessment of Need is assessed on the basis of two components: the level of disability and any social and parenting issues identifi ed through a Social Work, Social Care Worker or Key Worker assessment.

The number of hours short breaks allocated to a child and their family and the type of service offered will be explored during the assessment and depends on:

• the level of the child’s disability

• the impact of the child’s disability in being able to care for themselves and keep safe

• the impact of the child’s disability on family life

• the ability/skills of the parents.

• any additional problems the parents might face - housing, fi nance, domestic violence, physical or mental health problems, and substance misuse

• the wishes of the child and their family.

A carer’s assessment should also be completed if requested and can be helpful in establishing the additional caring demands as a result of the child’s condition.

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Range Child disability issueSocial and

parenting issues

High Mobility Totally dependent Looked After Child

High Self care Totally dependentChild subject of a Supervision Order

High CommunicationUnable to

understand or communicate

Child subject of a Child Protection

Plan

High BehaviourConstant

signifi cant risk to self and others

Substance misusing parents/carer

High CognitiveConstant danger to self and others

Family violence

High Sleep patternNeeds attention throughout the

night

Parent/carer has signifi cant health/mental health or

disability problems

High MedicalNeeds

medication by trained person

Complex family issues

Medium MobilityDependent for some transfers

Medium Self careDependent for major aspects

of care

More than one disabled child in

the family

Medium CommunicationCommunication often diffi cult to

understand

Parent has signifi cant diffi culty managing

physical care

Medium Behaviour

Signifi cant risk to self and others

two or more times per week

Parent has signifi cant diffi culty managing behaviour

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Medium Cognitive

Structured prompting/

supervision to make appropriate

choices and stay safe

Major housing and environment factors

Medium Sleep patternNeeds attention

three times + per night

High levels of family stress

Medium MedicalRequires

medication by parent or carer

Relationship diffi culties

Low MobilitySome assistance

requiredSocially isolated

family

Low Self careSome assistance

requiredTwo or more

children under fi ve

Low CommunicationSome

communication diffi culties

Housing and environmental

factors

Low BehaviourOccasional challenging behaviour

Financial problems

Low Cognitive

Regular prompting

required to make appropriate

choices

Family stress

Low Sleep patternSome attention

requiredSingle parent family

Low MedicalLow level

medical needsAcute tiredness

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How to fi nd us Located: Children with Disabilities Team, Isaac Newton Professional Development Centre, 108a Lancaster Road, London W11 1QS

Telephone: 020 7598 4925

Fax: 020 3680 226

Tube: Ladbroke Grove (Circle or Hammersmith and City Lines)

Buses: 7, 23, 52, 70, 228, 452

Parking: There is a free car park which works on a fi rst-come-fi rst served basis

Accessibility: We are based on the ground fl oor of the building and there is wheelchair access

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© November 2012. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. RBKC Design 020 7361 4325. 14462soh.

If you do not understand English because, for example, you have sight or hearing loss, we can give you the information in this leafl et:

• on audio cassette or in very large print or Braille

• translated into the main languages spoken in Kensington and Chelsea

• by arranging an interpreter or signer for you.

You can make these arrangements by:

• calling our contact centre on 020 7361 3013

• emailing social.services@rbkc.gov.uk

• calling the minicom number on 020 7937 7232.