Devon’s Children’s Services benefit from having a specialist service which provides a range of support and services to disabled children, young people and their families across Devon.
Our targeted support for disabled children is provided in addition to, or in partnership with, early help and include number of services which are accessible to you without the need to make a request for assessment.
The type of support families could receive depends on the individual needs of your child and family and may include:
Consultation and advice – this can be accessed by families and professionals through our helpline. We will offer advice and support to promote the outcomes of disabled children and families in Devon. If you speak to us and we feel we need to undertake an assessment we will tell you.
Advice and practical help – this can be accessed through your early help plan and lead practitioner seeking additional services and support through early help ‘triage’. We will work with your lead practitioner to identify how we can best support you plan and outcomes.
Additional targeted help – this can be accessed through your early help plan and lead practitioner seeking additional services and support through early help ‘triage’. We will consider your needs in partnership with our community early help network to consider if additional targeted early help planning is required and the outcomes necessary to achieve for your family.
Children and families requesting an assessment by DCS should generally already have an established Early Help Assessment and Plan.
Targeted support
Our targeted support teams undertake early help assessments with children, young people and families where we consider, based on our pathway evaluation, that we are the right service for them.
Targeted support may be appropriate where your disabled child:
- requires intensive help and support to meet their needs – the majority of children with complex needs will already have been receiving support through early help, or have been assessed by a social worker
- has a clinical diagnosis with complex needs that can’t be met by the range of universal and targeted services available.
- requires night-time supervision
- has an autistic spectrum condition with severe learning disabilities or behaviour which is very challenging or behaviour associated with other impairments, for example, global development delay or health condition
- displays behaviour that is challenging to manage or self-harm (or both) linked to a chronic and enduring disability
- has complex health conditions which are likely to be life-limiting
- has sensory impairments
- requires the provision of targeted support in order for you, as parents/carers to meet their additional needs
When we look at what support your child needs through the assessment, we also consider the needs of the rest of your family. For targeted support these needs might include:
- sibling needs – your disabled child’s needs are impacting on their siblings’ opportunities
- parent or carer needs – your disabled child’s needs are impacting on your wellbeing and personal life
- parenting – you are able to meet your child’s needs but may benefit from specific and time-limited advice, information or support
If we identify through our assessment that the child or family have additional and unmet social care needs we will consider how we can meet the identified outcomes. Your child’s social care representative will work with you to put together a plan. They will discuss what you think would make the most difference to your child and family. Plans will include:
- specific needs, outcomes and actions
- referrals to other services and support
- direct work or intervention through out targeted early help partners
- additional targeted early help support or targeted help provided by Disabled Children’s Service
Where we have assessed that it is necessary to provide short breaks, we will talk to your child and family to consider how best to access that the support we have identified through our assessment as being necessary to provide. This will be provided as part of a wider early help plan and should not be provided in isolation.
This gives disabled children and young people an opportunity to enjoy different experiences, meet new people through social and leisure activities to help them form friendships, feel part of the community and build skills in preparation for adulthood while giving their families a break from their caring responsibilities, where they would otherwise be unable to access these opportunities. Find out more about short breaks.
Your child’s plan could also involve some signposting or referring to relevant support services for your family. This may include:
- SEND support
- Devon Early Years Complex Needs Service
- childminding (including special needs childminders)
- therapeutic physiotherapy
- occupational therapy
- ROVIC service
- speech and language input and associated aids
- community nursing
- voluntary sector provision as part of a care package
- early help
- signposting to charity support
- Parent Carer Forum Devon
Social work support
Our social work teams undertake single assessments with children, young people and families where this is considered necessary by the Council.
Children, young people and families supported at this level will have an allocated social worker who will coordinate a multi-agency support plan and may be appropriate where a child or young person:
- has very complex needs which means they require intensive support and supervision to stay safe or they require prolonged frequent night-time attention and cannot be cared for easily at home without the support of additional services
- has an autism spectrum condition and their behaviour regularly means they harm themselves or others, which means they could be at risk of requiring physical intervention and partners services have been unable to meet this need
- requires services to prevent further risk of significant impairment that would affect their growth, development, physical or emotional health and well-being or to prevent/postpone the need for them to be provided accommodation
Social work support will be required where a child or young person has experienced serious forms of abuse or neglect (or both) or is likely to experience serious forms of abuse or neglect (or both) without support, which means they need protecting.
When we look at what support your child needs, we also consider the needs of the rest of the family. This might include:
- sibling needs – where balancing the essential needs of all children in your household is difficult, resulting in likely significant impairment of your disabled child’s siblings health or development (or both)
- parent or carer needs – caring for your disabled child or young person is having a significant detrimental impact on your wellbeing and personal life
- parenting – you have your own additional areas of need for support which is significantly impacting upon your ability to meet your child’s needs – there is a risk of family breakdown if specialist support is not provided or you are struggling to meet your child’s essential care or medical needs and stimulation (or both), despite support provided, leading to high risk of your child coming into care
Families assessed as needing specialist support are likely to have a child or young person who has complex needs and will require ongoing support through to their 18th birthday and beyond.
If your assessment shows your child needs social work support your child’s social worker will work with you to put together a support plan, also known as a ‘Child in Need’ plan. They will discuss what you think would make the most difference to your child and family and how best to access that support.
Examples of services include:
- complex health care services
- specialist sensory therapy – see more on sensory impairment support
- specialist educational provision
- targeted outreach
- family support
- intensive behaviour support
- short breaks
- assessment for specialist equipment or adaptations (or both)
- occupational therapy access to specialist equipment and adaptations
- domiciliary care (in the home)
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), emotional wellbeing and other health services
- planned overnight short breaks
- specialist therapeutic residential placements
- foster care
Please also refer to the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for provision available during the school holidays.