Children with disabilities service

What happens when your child with disabilities is referred to children’s services?

Referrals for all children are made by contacting the Access and Referral Hub on 0300 300 8585.

The Access and Referral Hub will speak with you about the support needs of you and your child. The Access and Referral Hub can offer support as information and advice, as an Early Help Assessment and Child in Need Assessment. This is tailored to the level of your support needs.

For children with a recognised disability, if a parent wishes, a child and family assessment will be progressed.

Early Help Assessments are carried out by Early Help Family Partners, Child and Family Assessments are carried out by Social Workers. Depending on the complexity of disability this will either be carried out by our mainstream services or our Children with Disabilities service.

Please see a copy of our threshold criteria which gives clear information when a child will be supported by the Children with Disabilities team.

A decision about the type of assessment agreed to be progressed will be made within 24 hours in consultation with you.

Early Help Assessments and Child and Family Assessments will look at the following 3 areas:

  • the child’s needs
  • the carer’s ability and capacity as a parent
  • the environment and the wider support that is available to the family

The family will receive a copy of the completed assessment and the early help family partner, or the social worker will discuss how needs can best be met. When the support of allocated social care workers are no longer needed, social care involvement is stepped down to ongoing community support through universal services.