Services for children, young people and families

 
 

Children with disabilities

Services for children with disabilities in Westminster are provided by a multi-agency team that give support, advice and information to families, carers and other professionals who are involved in caring for children whose disability has a significant impact on their day-to-day lives.

We are committed to the rights of these children to fulfil their personal potentials, ambitions and their roles in society. Our main work is with children who have severe learning and/or physical disabilities, children within the autistic spectrum and children who have sensory impairment.

Our team is multi-disciplinary and is made up of social workers, occupational therapists, a welfare benefits worker, a transitions worker, a health development worker and a Connexions worker.  We also work in close partnership with the Child Development Service based at Woodfield Road medical Centre, with the Special Educational Needs team based at Frampton Street and with the Paddington Green CAHMS service. A Social Worker/Behavioural Therapist from this service does outreach work into family homes.

If you feel that you need support we will need to complete an assessment. A duty social worker will visit you and your family/parents in your home to complete this assessment. They need to meet with you to find out how they can help.

The team provides a range of services including:

  • Family support work – Assessments completed jointly by health and social services teams and ongoing support provided to families where necessary.
  • Welfare benefits advice – Information and advice in applying for a range of disability benefits
  • Transition support – Help for young people with the transition to adulthood.
  • Occupational therapy – Assessments, aids and equipment to help children live more independently and advice on alterations required in the home.
  • Behavioural support – Therapeutic support in the home for families experiencing difficulties managing their child’s behaviour.
  • Short term breaks – Care for a disabled child at home or in a different setting to give parents a break.
  • Funded play provision/ activities for children/ young people – Information and advice to help you access local and specialist play services.
  • Direct Payments – Money given to parents/ carers or disabled young people aged 16+ to purchase the services they want themselves.


Register for Children with Disabilities

The Register of Children with Disabilities under the Children Act 1989, is administered within the Children with Disabilities team and is now amalgamated with the Registers of RBKC and Hammersmith and Fulham under the auspices of Westminster PCT. A newsletter is sent to every family whose child is on the Register. It is voluntary to register you child, however doing so enables us to understand how many disabled children we need to plan future services for.

For further information on the services provided contact:

Children with Disabilities Team
The Medical Centre
7e Woodfield Road
London
W9 3XZ
0207 266 7090

However if you wish to refer a disabled child to this service you need to contact Westminster Children and Families Assessment Team. This team complete all initial assessments of families in need. If it is identified that you require ongoing support the case will be transferred to the Children with Disabilities Team and a social worker allocated.

To make a referral contact the Children and Families Assessment team on: 0207 641 7525

Service Directory for Children with Disabilities

Other organisations that can provide support include:

Whizzkids

ContactaFamily

National Deaf Children's Society

National Blind Children's society