• contents
• keywords & contacts
• quick guide
• values
• contact us
• search
• working together 2010

Contents

1. The Register of Disabled Children
2. Referrals and Assessments of Disabled Children
3. Care Planning for Disabled Children
4. Child Protection Enquiries
5. Disabled Children Looked After by the Local Authority
6. Leaving Care and Transition to Adulthood

1. The Register of Disabled Children

Local authorities are required by the Children Act 1989 to keep a register of disabled children living in the area.  Any child or young person under 18 living in Richmond Borough, who has a long-term disability which significantly affects their every day life, can be included on the register. The register is entirely voluntary and a child does not need to be on the register in order to receive services.

The application process is managed by the administrator of the Disabled Children’s Service based at the Croft Centre. Parents of children who appear or are known to have disabilities should be provided with information about the Disabled Children’s Register and asked to complete a registration form.

2. Referrals and Assessments of Disabled Children

Also see the following Chapters:

Referrals of Children in Need Procedure

Initial Assessments and Planning Procedure

Core Assessments Procedure

Joint Assessment and Early Intervention

Children under the age of five who have complex needs will normally come to the attention of Richmond’s multi-agency Child Development Team. This team will undertake a Joint Assessment leading to the identification of a key worker and the adoption of a Family Support Plan. These assessments and interventions may be incorporated into the Initial and Core Assessments of Specialist Children’s Services.

Initial Assessments

Where it is clear that a child has a substantial and permanent disability and the disability is the main presenting need of the child and family, the Disabled Children’s Team should receive referrals and conduct assessments.

Where the extent or severity of the child’s disability is unclear, the Disabled Children’s Team should still be consulted and may undertake joint assessments with the Initial Response Team.

Where there is insufficient information to make an immediate decision on the level of disability or the main presenting need of a family, a joint visit and/or joint Initial Assessment will be made by social workers from the Initial Response Team and the Disabled Children’s Team. At the end of that assessment, a decision about the outcome and any future provision, will be reached by managers in both teams

At the end of the Initial Assessment managers in the Initial Response Team, Family Support Team and Disabled Children’s Team must agree where and how the need for longer-term support to the family can best be delivered. This decision will be based on the outcome of the Initial Assessment and the nature and extent of the disability.

A child whose name is included on the Register of Disabled Children will not necessarily be best served by allocation in the Disabled Children’s Team.

Conversely, any child should have access to services or provision to which he/she may be eligible by virtue of his/her disability irrespective of other needs identified in the family.

3. Care Planning for Disabled Children

Once it has been established that a child is eligible to receive services from the Disabled Children’s Team, an Initial or Core Assessment is undertaken. As part of that process, the needs of the parents and siblings as carers of the disabled child are considered (Carer’s Assessment). These needs are taken into account when devising an appropriate Care Plan for the child and family. In order to offer as equitable a service as possible within the financial and resource constraints of the local authority, a system of Eligibility Criteria has been adopted. (Assessment Guidelines leaflet available from the Disabled Children’s team)

The Care Plan for the child may include the provision of Short Breaks (see Disabled Children Transition Protocols), support at home or referral on to other agencies. Care Plans are reviewed at least annually following a re-assessment process carried out by the social worker.

In some cases, Direct Payments can be provided to the family in lieu of the provision of services.

The process for Direct Payments is as follows;

Click here to view the Direct Payment Process Flowchart

4. Child Protection Enquiries

If a concern is raised about a disabled child who has an allocated social worker in the Disabled Children’s Team, the procedures set out in Core Assessments Procedure, and the London Child Protection Procedures will be followed.

Once a decision is made to carry out a Child Protection Enquiry, the allocated social worker will undertake the investigation.

If a concern is raised about a disabled child who does not have an allocated worker, a decision will be reached by the managers of the Disabled Children’s Team and the Initial Response Team as to who should carry out the investigation and offer a service to the family. This decision will be based on all available information concerning the family, the involvement of non-disabled siblings in the concerns raised, the need for immediate protection of the child/children and the necessary expertise for carrying out the work. In some cases, joint working between the teams may be the most appropriate course of action.

If a concern is raised about a non-disabled child who has a disabled sibling, the Initial Response Team will carry out the investigation, calling on the Disabled Children’s Team for any information known about the family or expertise needed to assess the implications for the disabled child.

5. Disabled Children Looked After by the Local Authority

When a plan is made for a disabled child to be looked after by the local authority it will generally be in the best interests of the child to continue to receive a service from the Disabled Children’s Team.  In exceptional circumstances there may be a need to consider the transfer of case responsibility to the Looked After Children’s Team.

6. Leaving Care and Transition to Adulthood

Also see Leaving the Looked After Service Procedure

When a disabled young person who is Looked After is nearing the age of eighteen, the reviewing process and the Transition Plan (incorporating the Pathway Plan) for the young person will determine the need to transfer responsibility to the Leaving Care service or to the relevant adults’ service.

The protocols for transition to adult services are detailed in Disabled Children Transition Protocols.

End