Children with Disabilities Team

The Children with Disabilities Team is a children’s social care team that provides a service to severely disabled children (learning and physical disabilities) and children substantially or permanently affected by illness, injury or congenital condition.

The team provides a social work support service to families who have children who are assessed as being “in need” or who are at risk of harm as a result of abuse or neglect. The team also provides a service to disabled children who are unable to remain in their own homes and who come into care.

We assess need and provide social work support as part of a formal plan aimed at improving outcomes for the child or young person.

Where a young person will need support after they become an adult, the Children with Disabilities Team works closely with Doncaster Council's Adult Services Team to ensure a smooth transition from children’s to adult’s services.

What does the service include?

The work undertaken by the CWD Team includes:

  • Statutory assessment of need under S17 Children Act 1989
  • Implementation, coordination and provision of Social Work support under the terms of a Child in Need Plan
  • Provision of short break packages for children with disabilities including children who become looked after by virtue of short break provision (NB not all children who receive short breaks in Doncaster will have an allocated worker in the Children with Disabilities Team).
  • Strategy Discussions and S47 Enquiries
  • Social Work support as keyworker to disabled children who are subject to a Child Protection Plan
  • Provision of S20 Accommodation in cases where children are unable to remain with their birth families
  • Issuing and management of applications to the court under the Public Law Outline
  • Contribution to the social care element of Education, Health and Care Plans for disabled children
  • Supporting the transition from children’s to adult services

What is the eligibility criteria for accessing the service?

The Children with Disabilities Team provides a full, statutory social work service to children with disabilities whose need or risk arises primarily from their disability and who fall into one or more of the categories listed below:

Severe Disability

  • Severe Learning Disability - where a child is diagnosed as having a permanent and substantial impairment of their learning ability. When a child is of school age this will be defined within an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
  • Physical Disability - where a child has a long term (over 12 months) physical disability, which significantly limits activities of daily life.
  • Sensory Impairment - where a child is deaf or hard of hearing with marked communication difficulties due to complete or almost complete loss of hearing. A child who has limited vision, a virtual inability to use any residual sight.

Illness or Congenital Condition

Where a child is substantially and permanently affected by illness or congenital condition. A child who has a chronic health problem which limits physical, social and emotional activities, for example, children who are terminally ill, have threatening life conditions or degenerative disorders. However this would not include conditions where appropriate treatment and management would alleviate the symptoms to allow the child to carry out the functions of daily life.

Severe Global Development Delay

A term applied usually to young children and is diagnosed severe delay in all areas of development.

Combination of Disabilities

This is where a child may have a combination of disabilities which on their own may or may not be considered severe but together would be regarded as severe. For example, a child with Autism who has an associated learning disability or where other less severe disabilities are combined with ADHD or social, emotional and behaviour disorders, which combined may be considered as severe.

How do I access the service?

To make a referral contact MASH on 01302 734100.

What happens next?

The Children with Disabilities Team support and work with children and young people up to 18 years of age. Many of the children open to the team will transition to adult social care due to their complex needs. The Children with Disabilities Team work with children and young people as child/ren in need, children on child protection plans and looked after children.

When the child turns 16 years of age and they are identified as needing ongoing social care support into adulthood a referral is made to the Community Adult Learning Disabilities Team (CALDT) who pass this on to the CALDT Transitions Team. The Transitions Team offer advice and support where required and will allocated a social worker to asses and plan for adulthood alongside the Children with Disabilities Team social worker. At 18 years old the young person will be closed to the Children with Disabilities Team and be fully transferred to the CALDT Transitions Team.

If a young person is a looked after child they will always be referred through to CALDT Transitions Team for future planning beyond 18 years old. Additionally if eligible (added this) they will also be referred through to the Inspiring Futures Team (Leaving Care Services) at 17.5 years old and they are allocated a Personal Advisor prior to their 18th birthday. The Personal Advisor will support the young person alongside their allocated social worker in CALDT Transitions Team.

 

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Last updated: 26 February 2024 08:46:02

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