Children with disabilities

Respite and hospice care for children
Children with disabilities team
Respite care for children with disabilities
Hospice care for children
How to contact us

Respite and hospice care for children

Tower Hamlets Council social services offers a specialist service to disabled children and their families. We have a new service based at Phoenix School to work with children within the autistic spectrum disorders and their families.

Children with disabilities team

The children with disabilities team provide support, advice and information to families, carers and other professionals who are involved in caring for children whose disability has a significant impact on their day to day lives.

We are committed to the rights of these children to fulfil their personal potentials, ambitions and their roles in society. Our main work is with children who have severe learning and/or physical disabilities, children within the autistic spectrum and children who are deaf.

Parents and professionals can make referrals to the duty social work team who will arrange to visit the child and family at home to complete an assessment. The assessment will consider both the day to day and longer-term needs of the disabled child and their carers.

The assessment may include the views of other professionals who may already be working with the child and family. Any services we provide will be based on the needs identified during the assessment. We can arrange practical support, personal care, personal care in the home, short breaks, counselling, residential services and can put carers in touch with other specialist organisations. The team also has some specialist equipment for deaf children.

The social workers attached to the child development team work with children and families who have been newly diagnosed with a disability. This team includes health professionals and Bangladeshi parent advisors.

Following an assessment the multi-disciplinary team meet to look at what kind of support can be offered. This might include health services such as speech therapy or physiotherapy, counselling, help with educational provision or welfare benefits. In conjunction with the family we will regularly review all services that are provided.

Respite care for children with disabilities

We may provide respite care for children with disabilities through in house services and those provided by the third sector or private organisations.

Hospice care for children

Tower Hamlets does not directly provide hospice care. However, Social Services may assist children who require hospice care or access hospice provision and also contribute to the funding of such a placement.

How to contact us

You can contact us through our duty social worker who is available from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. The child development team can also be contacted through this worker.

Contact:

Social Service Department
Cheviot House
227-233 Commercial Road
London E1 2BU

Tel: 020 7364 5004
Minicom: 020 7364 2837