Introduction
Disabled children are children first and need the opportunity to experience valued family life. To help achieve this, they and their families may need extra information, help and support. This may be for a short time or over a longer period, possibly throughout their childhood years.
The East Riding Children's Trust Disability Team, which is part of the East Riding Local Authority, work with children & young people aged 0-19 years who have the most severe and complex disabilities, or life limiting conditions, that effect learning and/or physical development and have a major impact on quality of life. This includes:
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Multiple disabilities
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Physical impairments
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Learning disabilities
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Sensory impairments
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Complex health needs
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Life limiting conditions
The multi-agency team consists of Social Workers, Care Coordinators, Assessment Officer (Transitions), Learning Disability Nurses and a Learning Disability /CAMHS Nurse and they work across the East Riding.
Assessments
All disabled children are unique and assessments are based on the individual needs of the child and family. The Team believes that not all disabled children need specialist support and encourage disabled children and their families to access universal and local community services whenever appropriate.
Following referral to the team, an Initial Assessment will be undertaken. It may be at this stage that we can give you information and signpost you to other services & support to meet your needs.
If not, a social worker from the team will undertake a Specialist Assessment, in accordance with the Children in Need Assessment Framework, which focuses on the needs of the family as a whole and incorporates both an assessment of the child's needs and those of the parent/carer.
Following the assessment, the support plan may highlight the need for specialist provision. This could include:
The team works in partnership with other service providers, including Health, Schools, Education and the Voluntary sector to ensure an holistic package of support is agreed to meet the assessed needs.
Reviews
All the support provided is subject to review. This means that as the needs of the child and the family change, then the services provided may change. This could be an increase or decrease of an existing service, or a change, or new service that will meet the needs more effectively.
How to Make a Referral
If your child has severe and complex disabilities and requires access to specialist services please speak to anyone involved with your child and ask for them to undertake a Common Assessment (CAF).
Alternatively visit anyone of our 14 Customer Service Centres, where a referral form can be completed and forwarded to the Social Services department. The team will then assess your eligibility for services provided by the Council.
If you are eligible for any services an assessment is undertaken and then, based on individual needs, a support plan will be compiled to determine how the services are to be implemented/provided.
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