What this consultation is about
The Children with Disabilities Service is seeking feedback via a public consultation on the support they offer locally to Derbyshire’s children with disabilities, their families and all stakeholders. This is an opportunity for all members of the community to contribute their views, ideas and feedback on the services and support provided to our children and young people.
The consultation aims to gather insights into the current provision of services, identify areas for improvement, and shape the future direction of support for children and young people within the Children with Disabilities service in Derbyshire.
We believe that everyone has a valuable contribution to make, and we encourage everyone to participate in the consultation process. Your input will help us shape the services offered locally for Children with Disabilities in Derbyshire and ensure we meet the needs of our community effectively.
Any child or family can access the local offer, and this does not require a formal assessment of need by a social worker. Therefore, this can be accessed by anyone, for example, families may wish to access short breaks through the local offer using Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to pay for this.
What is the service for Children with Disabilities?
We are committed to supporting all children with disabilities within our local teams. Our service is accessible to all children with disabilities, ensuring they receive the necessary support and resources to thrive. Additionally, some children are served by our specialist countywide Children with Disabilities Team, which offers tailored services based on specific criteria.
The countywide Children with Disabilities Team provides support for children who meet the following criteria:
- children with a significant, permanent, and enduring physical disability that necessitates reliance on aids and adaptations for daily living
- children with significant sensory impairments requiring extensive multi-agency support.
- children and young people diagnosed with severe/significant global learning disabilities by professionals
- children with complex healthcare needs that result in physical or learning disabilities and require considerable multi-agency support
- children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) by professionals, who need significant and complex multi-agency support plans, and may exhibit challenging behaviours and/or significant communication difficulties
The team is made up of a head of service, team managers, practice supervisors, social workers, paediatric occupational therapists and community care workers who are responsible for assessment, care planning and safeguarding. We work alongside a paediatric occupational therapy team. We work closely with health and education as well as a range of specialist in-house services.
The team principally works with children with complex health needs with a disability including a learning disability and an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP).
What is offered locally for children with disabilities?
The support we offer locally for children with disabilities is on the Local Offer website which is designed to be a central resource hub provision for families and professionals, with easy access to information, advice and support relevant to their specific needs and circumstances.
The aim is to empower families and their children to make informed decisions and access the support they require to achieve their full potential and participate fully in society.