Services for children and young people with a disability and their families are provided by a range of partners across Walsall including Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.
We hope this page will provide you with information about these services and our future plans.
The Vision for WalsallIn April 2010 a range of partners, parents, education providers, health, leisure and specialist providers came together to agree the Vision for Walsall for children and young people who have a disability and their families. Our aim is to ensure that families with a disabled child have the support they need to lead ‘ordinary family lives as a matter of course’ (Aiming High for Disabled Children 2008).
The Walsall Vision is one where everyone is working in partnership with families and local communities to enable children and young people with a disability to lead ordinary lives by:
This Vision is reflected in the multi agency strategy for Walsall.
Children and Young People with a Disability StrategyThis is a multi agency strategy agreed by parents, education, social care, health and young people in which we have identified 4 broad strategic objectives, with related actions, which form the basis for Walsall’s Strategy for Disabled Children, Young People and the families. These are:-
The Strategy is a working document and covers a three year period from January 2011 – March 2013 and is available here:
Disability Strategy (PDF 251KB)
Reviewing the progress the partners are making in delivering the strategy is undertaken by the Disability Steering Group. Further information about this group and contact details are available here:
Disability Steering Group (PDF 16KB
TransitionWe recognise that moving from childhood to adulthood can be and exciting and challenging time all young people and their families. For young people who have additional needs due to a physical or learning disability the challenges may be greater than those experienced by many of their peers. Walsall Children’s Services and its partners are committed to working with young people and their parents and carers to ensuring that this time is as stress free as possible and that young people are supported in preparing for adulthood as well as possible.
Partnership Protocol (PDF 108KB)
Family Voice WalsallWalsall Children’s Services is pleased to support Family Voice Walsall, an organisation of parent’s and carers of children and young people who have additional needs through a physical or learning disability, working together to improve services for families who have a child with a disability in Walsall.Family Voice are working together so that families in Walsall can have a voice in how services for children and young adults are shaped and delivered.
Contact Family Voice Walsall:Email: committee@familyvoice.co.uk
Phone no: 01902 482572 or 01902 482573
Website: www.familyvoice.co.uk
Address:
Family Voice Walsall
Office S8
West Midlands House
Gipsy Lane
Willenhall, WV13 2HA
Walsall Children’s Services provide a range of short break services to support their vision of families with a child who has a disability leading ‘ordinary lives as a matter of course’.
Some of these services are available to every member of the community, for example positive activities for young people or support provided by Sure Start Children’s Centres; some are targeted at those families whose children have the greatest need. Some require an assessment, others can be accessed simply by a parent contacting the provider or by a referral from a professional from school or health who knows the child and family well.
All local authorities are required to have criteria about who is eligible. To find out who is eligible for short breaks in Walsall, read the Short Break Entitlement Criteria (PDF 128KB)
All local authorities are also required to publish a Short Breaks Statement; Walsall's statement can be read here;
Non Assessed Services:Holiday activities are provided for children and young people who have a disability and met the Medium or High level Need in the Short Break Entitlement Criteria; they will be in receipt of DLA at medium or high level. Information about these services and how parents and carers can request place for their child is made available through schools and on the Family Voice website at www.familyvoice.co.uk
After school and holiday activities are also made available via Action for Children who will accept referrals from any professional who knows the child, young person or their family.
Young People who are 14yrs plus will find a range of information about leisure opportunities for them at the Transition Together website at www.healthtransition-walsall.nhs.uk
Assessed Services:The Social Work Services provided by Walsall Children’s Services Serco and is made up of a small number of workers. You can contact them yourself or be referred by someone else such as a doctor, teacher of health professional.
How to Get a ServiceAll referrals are taken by a duty system. It is helpful if you or the person making the referral on your behalf has as much information as possible about your child. Some situations are relatively straightforward and the duty worker can give advice and information about what to do next. If it seems that the family needs more than this then the referral will be discussed with the Team Manager and an Initial Assessment will be carried out.
Families with higher levels of need are likely to be seen first.
Contact us using the details below.
Initial AssessmentFor an initial assessment the social worker will need to see your child either at home or at school as well as meeting with at least one parent. Your child’s views are important so you will be asked to give your consent to these being asked for.
We will arrange a home visit or arrange to meet with you at another location convenient to you. The assessing worker will also agree with you who else should be involved in providing information to help with the assessment. You can of course refuse to give your consent to the worker talking with other professionals involved with you and your child however this may mean that we are unable to arrange any support for you or that the support we can arrange is not as good as it could be.
After completing the assessment the worker will provide you with a copy of the assessment to you and your child, if appropriate, and discuss with you how your needs could best be met. This may include a range of services at home, at school, provided by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust or a voluntary sector provider.
Core AssessmentIf your child has very complex needs and may require a package of care that could include an overnight stay then your social worker will undertake a Core Assessment in order to better understand your family’s needs.
For a Core Assessment the worker will visit you at home and see as many of your family as possible. There will also be close liaison with the other professionals involved with your child and your family as this assessment will look at how the needs of your disabled child impact on the whole family. The assessment will cover three main areas:
After completing the assessment your worker will provide you with a copy of the assessment to you and your child, if appropriate, and discuss with you how your needs could best be met.
Service or Care PlanAny level of assessed need will be followed by a plan which will set out what additional support your child and your family will get, how often and when this support will be reviewed.
Carer’s AssessmentParents also have their own needs as carers and you have a right you have these assessed. Many parents are used to putting their children first and not thinking about themselves so it is useful to think about things like:
As a carer you may also like to contact Walsall Carers Centre on info@walsallcarers.org who may be able to give you additional advice and support. Or look at our carers web pages
Contact usChildren and Young People with Disabilities Team
Walsall Children’s Services Serco
Education Support Centre
Field Road
Bloxwich
Walsall
WS3 3JF
Telephone: 01922 686510
This page was last updated on 12 February 2012