Introduction
The Children Act 1989 places a duty on Children’s Services to provide or coordinate the provision of services to all children and young people with disabilities. The overall provision of and responsibility for these services is based on good partnership working across all Children’s Services areas and associated health, voluntary sector and Adult Services. The Children and Young People’s Disability Service (CYPDS) provides specialist services to a defined group of children and young people. The service includes support to access care or short breaks provisions if needed.
This information details the eligibility of a child or young person for support and services from CYPDS. The framework for the assessment of the children and young people will be used to gather information to determine if the threshold for the service is met or not, and will identify the level and type of resource provision needed. For some children and young people these resources will fall outside the criteria of the service. This includes children and young people without permanent and substantial disabilities at a severe to profound level.
The definition of substantial and permanent are as follows:
- Substantial means considerable or significant factors that are life changing or limiting and might include issues to do with risk and dependency.
- Permanent means existing indefinitely and not expected to improve. However there must be sufficient flexibility to take account of intermittent or episodic conditions.
The CYPDS Social Care Team comprises Social Workers, Family Workers, Social Care Occupational Therapist and an Adult Social Worker. This eligibility criteria applies to children and young people who have social care and/ or home occupational therapy needs relating to their permanent or substantial disability.
Eligibility criteria for the Children and Young People’s Disability Service
Children and young people aged from birth to 18 years who have permanent and substantial severe or profound disabilities who live in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, meet the eligibility criteria for the Children and Young People’s Disability Service. The following table outlines and defines the factors taken into consideration when making a decision regarding eligibility.
An adult aged 18 to 25 years who has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), will be open to the Children and Young People’s Disability Service and will be assessed as to whether they require social care support through an Adult Social Care Assessment. If an adult does not have an EHCP (no longer in education), they will be referred to Adult Services.
To qualify for support from the Children and Young People’s Disability Service, the child or young person (aged 0 to 25 years) must meet the requirements in the ‘profound or severe’ labelled columns in at least two of the dimensions, for example, in health and communication or self-care and safety.
|
Disability |
Meets criteria for specialist provision (CYPDS) |
Meets criteria for inclusive provision (inclusive provision - (not CYPDS) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Profound | Severe | Moderate | Mild |
| Health |
Complex health needs prevents participation in social and educational activities without constant 24 hour minimum of one-to-one specialist support.
Condition is unable to be controlled by medication. |
Requires daily specialist medical or nursing care.
Regular admissions to hospital for treatment.
Daily use of specialist equipment that needs operational assistance.
Life limiting condition.
Requires intensive therapy programme.
Health needs have a significant impact on development and learning.
|
Regular nursing care and support (more than once or twice weekly).
Uses specialist equipment that needs operational assistance.
A planned programme of therapy required with the disability.
Complex daily medication.
Unstable health which impacts adversely on the child and/ or family.
Health needs limit ability to perform everyday tasks
|
Requires no or minimal nursing care or support. Routine medical checks only.
Nil or minimal treatment or medication.
No or little therapy involved with disability.
Uses specialist equipment that does not require operational assistance.
Known health condition which is under control and only occasionally interfering with everyday activities in a minor way.
|
| Education |
Child has profound learning difficulties.
Attends educational provision for children with Profound Learning Difficulties.
Follows P levels of the curriculum. |
Child has severe learning difficulties.
Attend educational provision for children with severe learning difficulties.
Follows P levels of the curriculum. |
Attends educational provision with one to-one support some of the time or a specialist provision not for profound or severe learning difficulties.
Assessment shows abilities will achieve less than 70% of the expected attainment for age. |
Attends mainstream school or preschool with or without support.
Assessment shows abilities will achieve within 70 to 80% of the expected attainment for age. |
| Communication |
Non verbal communication.
Unable to communicate needs using any method.
Unable to use communication aid.
Severely delayed processing skills. |
None or very little communication used but can communicate at least basic needs using any method.
Significantly delayed processing skills. |
Delayed or communication disorder including language disorders causing significant difficulty in communicating outside the home.
Reduced ability to understand and process information in comparison to peers. |
Marked delay in language development.
Requires minimal support to communicate.
Able to use signing or other communication method consistently. |
|
Behaviour associated with the disability |
Profound challenging behaviour which impacts on all aspects of the child or young person functioning and the child or young person poses a severe risk to self or others.
Requires constant monitoring, supervision and a structured programme for managing behaviour overseen by specialist services.
Frequent behaviour that may be of risk to the child/ young person or carers.
No awareness of the impact of behaviour on others.
|
Behaviour demonstrates significant risk to self or others.
Requires monitoring supervision and a structured programme for managing behaviour overseen by specialist services.
Challenging behaviour which impacts significantly on community life and requires specialist provision to function socially or educationally. |
Behaviour demonstrates moderate risk to self or others.
Requires monitoring or supervision in some circumstances.
Input required to manage behaviour.
Has difficulties in relating to peers.
Behavioural or management difficulties which may require specialist advice. |
Behaviour does not demonstrate risk to self or others.
Need for monitoring or supervision appropriate for age.
Minor difficulties in relationships with parents, peers or others.
Behaviour that can be difficult to manage at times.
Behaviour can be managed without specialist provision. |
|
Family and Social Relationships |
Inability to build and maintain friendships and relationships without constant support with all aspects. |
Limited ability to build and maintain friendships without significant support with all aspects.
Total dependence on carers for social integration.
Very limited awareness of the impact of behaviour upon others. |
Difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relationships without support. |
Able to sustain limited peer relationships and social integration with support. |
| Self Care |
Fully dependent on others for all personal care (eating, drinking, toileting and washing).
Needs physical support with all personal care.
Requires specialist equipment to support all their care needs.
|
Needs physical assistance with personal care.
Needs a high level of supervision with all personal care (eating, drinking, toileting and washing). |
Requires some prompts and supervision greater than that expected for developmental age. |
Independent in majority of personal care activities.
Requires occasional supervision beyond that expected for that age. |
| Safety |
Needs constant supervision both during the day and night.
Does not have any awareness of danger to self or others. |
Needs constant supervision during the day.
Would place themselves or others at risk without supervision.
No awareness of danger to self or others. |
Needs some supervision at times.
Limited perception of danger to self or others |
Occasionally requires more supervision than children and young people of the same age.
Some awareness of danger to self or others. |
|
Mobility |
Unable to walk.
Uses a wheelchair.
Totally dependent upon carer for mobility. |
Unable to walk.
May be able to stand or transfer with support.
Able to manoeuvre her/himself at least some of the time. |
Walks but only with aids or assistance.
May use wheelchair for intermittent use. |
Able to walk and function independently but with some limitation of function. |
| Visual Impairment |
Mobility restricted without special provision.
Requires education by non-sighted method.
Eligible for registration as blind. |
Mobility restricted without special provision.
Unable to read large print without intensive educational assistance or aids.
Severe visual field defect with impairment visual acuity.
Eligible for registration as blind or partially sighted. |
Able to read print with simple aids or assistance.
Defect of at least half visual field.
May be eligible for registration as partially sighted. |
Severe or profound problem with one eye.
Less than half visual field loss.
Able to function independently. |
|
Hearing Impairment |
Total or near total loss of hearing (>95dB) |
Severe hearing loss (71-95dB) |
Significant hearing loss but able to function with a hearing aid.
Hearing loss (41- 70dB) |
Severe or profound hearing loss in one ear.
Moderate hearing loss (20- 40dB) |
Children under the age of 5 years old.
This applies where a child under 5yrs has social care needs which are far greater than children of their age who do not have an additional need, and where there are clear difficulties in meeting developmental milestones as a direct result of their disabilities. Health needs would be assessed by the appropriate providers.
|
Disability |
Meets criteria for specialist provision (CYPDS) |
Meets criteria for inclusive provision (inclusive provision - (not CYPDS) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Profound | Severe | Moderate | Mild |
|
Children under the age of 5 years |
Child requires significantly greater care and attention because of the profound nature of health or learning conditions.
Significant failure to reach developmental milestones.
|
Child is functioning around ½ the level expected for age. |
Child is functioning around ⅔ the level expected for age. |
Child is functioning slightly behind the level expected for the age. |
Children and young people who are NOT included in the eligibility criteria for CYPDS are the following:
- A disability or disabilities that are not permanent and substantial.
- Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties due to social or environmental factors i.e the behaviour is not associated with a disability.
Case responsibility and management
Taking into consideration all available information and the child or young person meets the eligibility criteria for the Children and Young People’s Disability Service, then a home visit will be undertaken by a social or family worker. Once the child or young person's needs have been identified and the eligibility criteria is met for Short Breaks or a Social Care Support package, a referral will be made to either the Resource Panel or the Short Break, Social Care Support and Post 18 Panel, as to the most appropriate way to support the child or young person and their family.
A child or young person may be reviewed at a minimum of every three months and the outcome may be assessed to close.