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If your child has significant or complex delays to their development, they may need more specialist services and support. Your GP or health visitor should be able to give more information about these health services and how to access them.
If your child is in an early years setting, your setting SENDCo can also give you more information about services and support.
Early child development Pathway
Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) provides specialist support for babies and children aged under 5 in Devon (excluding Plymouth) with severe delay or differences in multiple areas of their development.
Assessment and intervention is available for pre school age children (pre starting Reception) presenting with significant developmental delay in at least two or more areas. This must include cognition, play and communication.
Find out more about the early child development Pathway on the CFHD website.
Speech and language therapy
Speech and language therapists (SLTs) play a key role in the diagnosis of children with different speech, language and communication needs.
If you have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, support is available from Speech and Language Therapists at Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) – no referral is required.
Occupational Therapy (OT)
Occupational Therapists help children and young people to engage, participate and develop their independence in everyday activities (often called occupations) such as play, handwriting, getting dressed or going to the toilet.
Find out more about the OT support available from Children and Family Health Devon on their website.
CFHD also have an Occupational Therapy telephone advice line, where you can speak directly to a Children’s Occupational Therapist. The advice line is available Tuesdays 1.30 – 4.00 pm and Fridays 9.30 am – 12.00 pm on 03332 341123.
Physiotherapy
Access to support from a physiotherapist depends on where in Devon you live.
Vranch House – Exeter, Mid and East Devon
Vranch House in Exeter provides physiotherapy for children aged 0 to 5 for children across much of Devon.
If you are in Exeter, Mid or East Devon, this will be sent straight to Vranch House.
Vranch House – North Devon
Referrals made to Vranch House for families in North Devon will go to the Physiotherapy team in Barnstaple Health Centre.
If your child needs a service from Vranch House, anyone working with your child can make a referral.
John Parkes Unit – South Devon and Torbay
The John Parkes Unit houses physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy services.
Early Years Inclusion and Learning – specialist support
Our team of Inclusion Practitioners support children who have a significant or profound Special Educational Need and/or Disability (SEND). They support children to achieve success using a small-steps, play based, child centred approach. All of the Inclusion Practitioners have completed their National Portage Association (NPA) training and the service is registered with the National Portage Association, which is recognised by the Department for Education as an early intervention service for children with significant and complex needs aged 0 to 5 and their families.
One of the key principles of support from an Inclusion Practitioner is to work together with parents, carers and early years professionals to agree shared goals and targets, which are broken down into small, manageable steps giving opportunities for children to learn new skills and progress in their development.
The Inclusion Practitioners work in the home, community and in early years settings with parents and partner agencies, to promote inclusive practice and to build confidence and resilience.an early years setting report for all children currently attending a setting (including childminders).
- evidence of a significant and complex delay in two developmental areas which must include detailed evidence of significant cognitive delay (see criteria above)
- evidence of how professionals have tried to target areas of delay in the community, for example, demonstrated through a TAF
- evidence of the graduated response if a referral is from an early years setting – settings should have discussed the child with their early years consultant prior to the referral being made
- evidence that the child has had an Early Help Assessment (Right for Children) if appropriate
- copies of ASQs, Two Year Old and Let’s Talk More assessments where appropriate, including a summary of the child’s needs.
Find our more about the support the Early Years Inclusion Team can offer.