Children with disabilities
Looking after children with disabilities is rewarding, but it
can also be stressful. Children’s services have a specialist
disabled children's team which helps families and other carers. The
service's main work is with children who have severe learning
and/or physical disabilities, children within the autistic spectrum
and children who are deaf.
We are committed to the rights of these children to fulfil their
personal potentials, ambitions and their roles in society. Disabled
children are supported by both mainstream and specialist services.
All services are expected to be inclusive.
The council has signed up to the Every
Disabled Child Charter (pdf 2.2MB) and a Practical
Directory (pdf 3MB) aimed at carers, parents and
professionals has been published to help 'navigate the
system'.
How we can help
We can arrange practical support, personal care in the home,
short breaks, counselling and residential services. We can also put
carers in touch with other organisations or groups.
We have a range of workers including:
- family link coordinator
- transition worker
- direct payments coordinator
- social workers linked to specialist schools
The children with disabilities team provides support, advice and
information to families, carers and other professionals who are
involved in caring for the disabled child or young person, where
the child’s disability has a significant impact on his/her day to
day life.
Download our brochure on disabled
children's services (pdf, 1.4MB)
Care Pathways
The Integrated Services for Disabled Children team provides
services for children who have severe learning and/or physical
disabilities, children within the autistic spectrum and children
who have a multi sensory impairment. The team also has access to
specialist equipment to support children and young people who are
deaf.
The team always work in partnership with families and services
are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are meeting the needs of
young people and their families. If a child protection plan is in
place or who a child is in public care, the team can provide help
with the following areas:
- health support;
- education and social support for the child and family:
- direct payment
- a short break
The service also supports families and young people along the
following 12 pathways. (Further information about the processes
involved in the pathways is available by clicking on the pathway
that is relevant to you):
- Discharge
from hospital for children with additional planning needs (pdf,
32kb)
- Early years
care pathway for disabled children from 0-5 years (pdf,
43kb)
- Complex
health care pathway (pdf, 30kb)
- Autistic
Spectrum Disorders (ASD) assessment pathway (pdf, 32kb)
- Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) assessment pathway (pdf,
45kb)
- Behavioural
Conduct (pdf, 34kb)
- Epilepsy
pathway (pdf, 24kb)
- Eczema
pathway (pdf, 31kb)
- Short break
referral pathway (pdf, 42kb)
- Direct
payments for parents pathway (pdf, 29kb)
- Transition
for young people with continuing care needs from children’s to
adult services (pdf, 31kb)
- Disabled
children’s carers pathway (pdf, 30kb)
- Deaf-partially
hearing care pathways (pdf, 68kb)
- Visual
impairment care pathways (pdf, 87kb)
Getting an assessment
Parents can self-refer by contacting the screening social worker
who will consider if a child in need assessment may be undertaken.
This establishes what the needs are and how they can be met. This
assessment takes into account three areas: the child's development
needs, family and environment factors and parenting
capacity.
Following an assessment, a care plan is identified with the family.
The team can arrange practical support, personal care in the home,
short breaks, counselling and residential services and can also put
carers in touch with other specialist organisations. The team can
also provide information in respect of specialist equipment for
deaf children.
The social workers attached to the child development team also
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
- welfare benefits
Along with the family we regularly review all services that are
provided.
Short breaks
We have now published the Short Breaks Self-referral form which
sets out two ways in which short break services for disabled
children can be accessed: self-referral route and the professional
assessment route.
Families with children and young people with disabilities can
now apply directly for most short break services for their
children. If families wish to apply for a short break that can be
accessed directly, they can do so by completing the self-referral
form below.
For details of short breaks that can be accessed directly,
please consult our Directory of Services for Children and Young
People aged 0-19 years. If families wish to apply for an overnight
provision or more than one short break service for their children,
they can contact the Children with Disabilities Team on 020 7364
2724 and ask for an assessment.
To apply for a Short Break, please download
the Short Breaks
Self Referral Form (pdf 1MB), complete it and send it
to:
The Short Breaks Co-ordinator
3rd Floor, Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG
Or email it back to: short.breaks@towerhamlets.gov.uk
The council's statement of
short breaks services can be found by downloading the statement
of services link.
How to contact us
A screening worker is available from 9am to 5pm Monday to
Friday. The child development team can also be contacted via this
worker.
Children with Disabilities Team
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG
Show map
Tel: 020 7364 2724
Fax: 020 7364 2731
Email: CWD.screening@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Further advice
For practical advice on living equipment for disabled children,
please visit the 'Living Made Easy for
Children' website.