Disabled children services
The Disabled Children Service supports children and young people (and their families) who have any kind of physical or mental disability (as defined by the Children’s Act 1989). The service is targeted at children whose main need for support arises from their disability and which has a major impact on their, and their family's, day-to day lives.
Because of their complex or acute condition they may require specialist support. This includes learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders. The service also works with children that have behavioural issues when it is associated with diagnosis of a disability, particularly when the nature of the disability has an impact on the family. The kind of support will vary according to the needs of the child, but may include overnight short breaks with a carer, one-to-one support, holiday activity or help in accessing universal services such as school, club or leisure centre or children’s centre.
The services provided are at stage three and four of the Swindon LSCB (Local Safeguarding Children Board) Multi-Agency Threshold Guidance. Please see 'Sources of Information' below for details.
Who the service is for
The service is for children and young people up to the age of 18 who have any physical or mental impairments or a combination of both. We follow statutory guidelines to decide who is eligible to receive the services and what needs will be met accordingly.
For disabled children, for whom the impact of the disability on their day-to-day lives is not so great, we meet their needs with additional support, often provided by the Aiming High Short Break service or universal services available to all children and young people.
Who can request the service
The service is open to requests from:
- the disabled child’s parent, guardian or carer
- other childcare or medical practitioners and professionals
How to access the service
To access the service, get in touch with the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) in the first instance.
Next steps
Following referral, we will complete an initial assessment of the child’s needs within 10 days and a more in-depth assessment within 35 days.
Sources of information
For information about stage three and four visit the Swindon Local Policies, Protocol and Guidance on Swindon Safeguarding Partnership website.
Further information and guidance is also available on the Council of Disabled Children website.