Children with Disabilities - Frequently Asked Questions

1. Q. Who can receive a service from specialist social care services?
   A. Specialist resources have to be used for those in greatest need.
   
   This means we give priority to helping those children with permanent and substantial disabilities, including those with:
   
   
   • Severe learning disabilities
   • Severe physical disabilities
   • Profound multiple disabilities
   • Severe sensory impairment
   • Complex and severe health problems
   
   Where resources allow, we will consider help to children with less severe disabilities if:
   
   
   • A parent has a disability or chronic illness
   • The impact on the family is severe
   • There are other factors affecting the family's ability to care
   • A sibling also has moderate disabilities
   
   
2. Q. What sort of help can we provide?
   A. The Children's Services Directorate in Worcestershire has specialist social work teams located in Bromsgrove and Pershore. They work with the Health and Education Services and other agencies to meet the needs of children with disabilities.
   
   Some of the services we might be able to provide or organise include :-
   
   
   • Advice
   • Information via the Family Information Service
   • Signposting to services
   • Counselling
   • Family Support
   • Domicillary help
   • Short Breaks (respite care)  
   • Direct Payments
   • Worcestershire Parent and Carers' Council
   
   These services can only be provided following an assessment of your child's needs and those of your family.
   
   
3. Q. How can I get more help?
   A. You can ask for help yourself or you may ask someone else such as a friend, teacher, health visitor or doctor to contact us on your behalf.
   
   In the first instance contact should be made with the Access Centre on 0845 607 2000.
   
   We may need to know more before we can decide if its possible to offer a service and with your permission we may want to contact other people who know your child.
   
   This is called an Initial Assessment and is usually undertaken by one of our Family Assessment and Support Teams. We aim to finish this within 7 working days.
   
   In complex situations we may need to undertake further assessment and where appropiate this may be done by one of our specialist Children With Disability Teams.
   
   We will want you and your family to be invloved in this as well as other professionals who know your child well.
   
   This is called a Core Assessment and we aim to finish this within 7 working weeks.