Tower Hamlets Children S Social Care Response To

Tower Hamlets Children’s Social Care Response to

Every Disabled Child Matters

NHS Tower Hamlets and Local Authority Charter 2011

1. We know how many disabled children live in our area and all agencies in our area are working together to plan services based on this knowledge.
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
The SEN team maintains data on the above children a The EPS maintains the ASD database in partnership with others to help predict need
and uses this to help plan provision needed.
Information is reported to the multi agency Disabled Children Strategic Group and Be Healthy Commissioning and Delivery Group.
Information is shared with the local parents forum Parents and Carers of Children with Special Educational needs (PACSEN) ; the Integrated Services for Children with Disabilities Partnership Group and the Short Break Providers Forum. / Khalida Khan- Service Manager
with David Carroll
Head of Education Psychology Service / 2252 children / young people aged 0-up to 18 are known to have additional needs, learning difficulties or a disability. This also includes children and young people with an SEN statement.
1533 out of 2252 children and young people identified with a disability ( April 2011).
2. We have an identified lead with specific responsibility for services for disabled children and families.
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
The Integrated Service Manager for Disabled Children
is the senior manager for disabled children.
Mulberry Place
5 Clove crescent
London E14 2BG
Tel 0207 364 2129.
/ Khalida khan / Evidence of partnership work is strong from the Third Sector, Schools and Statutory Services such as Health, Education and Social Care. A range of inclusive and specialist provision is commissioned within a Framework known as the Family Well Being Model.
3. We are providing clear information to support choice and control for parents that explains how we provide specialist services and also make all universal services accessible.
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
The following is available from the internet and from the Children and Family Information Service:
The Directory of Services for Disabled Children and Young People
Short Breaks Self Referral for Disabled Children
Transition into Adulthood Services / Khalida Khan / A practical Directory for families has been consulted upon and will be finalised for publication this year. Care pathways are also available.
www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/childrenwithdisabilities
The Children with Disabilities Team can be contacted Mulberry Place
5 Clove crescent
London E14 2BG
Tel 0207 364 2724
4. Parents and carers in our area have access to transparent information on decisions made about their child, and have access to mechanisms for providing feedback
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
The Parent Advice Centre ( PAC) work closely with PACSEN and families for all children with a disability subject to a Special Educational Needs ( SEN) statement.
There are PACSEN members who are part of the Integrated Services for Children with Disabilities Partnership Group.
The SEN team provides clear information to parents and carers about how processes work, how decisions are made and how they can continue discussions with the LA through all processes.
The SEN team receives notifications from Health and others of children thought to have significant SEN. These are often very young children. The Education Psychology Service (EPS) responds on behalf of the Local Authority working with families to determine the degree of difficulty and type of support needed as the child enters education provision. EPs encourage parent and carers to express their views on how their child is best supported, their preference regarding the school they would their child to attend. / Jenny Miller- Manager of Parent Partnership – Parents Advice Centre
David Carroll- Head of EP Service / Parents Advice Centre
30 Greatorex St
London E1 5NP
020 7364 6489
SEN
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent,
London E14 2BG
Tel 0207 364 1450
www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
5. Disabled children and their families are involved in the planning, commissioning and monitoring of services in our area, including both specialist and universal services.
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
We have PACSEN members who have sat on interviewing panels for Social Workers and have also been involved in short break tendering panels.
Through the Children’s Centre Network EPs support parents of children who have disabilities giving them the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and feelings. This is a valuable piece of work enables parents to feel more in control and better able to care for their child. / Parent / PACSEN
www.pacsen.org.uk

6. Our Parent Carer Forum is instrumental in developing and reviewing services in our area and promoting choice and control for parents.
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
PACSEN is apart of the wider national parent and carer forum which hold regional cluster meetings to discuss services, support/concerns and promoting the parents forum in your local area. PACSEN also have an up and running website, email address and mobile telephone. PACSEN members have also been involved in surveys that will be used as part of national statistics for Parent Participation by the government / Parent / PACSEN
www.pacsen.org.uk

07855858409
7. We actively include disabled children and young people in any decisions made about them and the services that they access, that might affect them.
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
We consult with Disabled Children in primary and secondary schools ( Fun Days at Mile End Leisure Centre) to find out what their priorities are through an annual Disabled Children’s Forum event. Disabled Children are members of the wider Youth Council. Third Sector organisations have user forums. In addition, SEN annual reviews have a person centred approach to transition planning for 14 to 19 year olds.
All statutory assessments processes ensure the child or young persons views are taken into account.
We have training materials for staff capturing the views of disabled children. / Khalida Khan / If you have a child under the age of five or a child with disabilities: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EYCWD
If you are aged 14- 19: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RateMyYouthCentre
If youuse services for children with disabilities and would like to tell us how well we are doing: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CWD2
8. Parents in our area benefit from our Parent Partnership Service, which is able to provide impartial advice and support to parents of disabled children and young people .
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
Through outreach work PACSEN can also sign post parents to the Parent Partnership service for more professional support.
The Parents Advice Centre provides advice, information and support to any parents of disabled children and runs a number of specialist groups. / Jenny Miller / The EPS has lead EPs who liaise with the Children with Disabilities team and the Child Development Team.
9. Our staff receive both disability equality training and training to ensure that they have core competencies to work with disabled children.
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
All local authority staff receive equalities (including disability)training as part of the Corporate Induction process and have their development needs considered as part of the appraisal (PDR) process, which includes a requirement for each employee being set at least one equalities related objective. Disability awareness training is available for all staff who require it for their roles. Guidance for managers on reasonable adjustmentsis also available via our intranetto help ensure they provide support to our disabled staff.
In 2011, the Council was successful in retaining its "Two Ticks" Positive About Disabled People accreditation following an assessment by Job Centre Plus. Tower Hamlets were the highest ranked local authority in the Disability Standard 2009 - a benchmarking assessment carried out by the Employers Forum on Disability.
Courses are run such as deaf awareness, inclusion training is run for SENCOS and by Support for Learning, and EP Service. All EPs employed undertake training on disability equality as part of their basic training. Many EPs also provide similar training directly to schools on request. / Mark Keeble- Senior Business Partner – Human Relations
( HR)

Liz Vickery and Lead Officer Social Inclusion and Head of Support for Learning Service and

David Carroll
10. We have produced a short break services statement that has been drawn up in partnership with disabled children and their parents and have made it widely available.
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
Our short break service statement is captured in the Service directory and self referral process. Our eligibility criteria for short breaks is open to families who require the service. The local authority has in effect, an open door approach to ensure we meet the needs of families with additional care responsibilities. The short break statement was drawn up taking on board feedback from parents. Our current literature sets out the core offer and entitlement offer for short breaks.
In 2010 /11 1380 children and young people either accessed a short break service or received a short break grant of £100 ( or both). In total, 995 children and young people received a short break service in the financial year of 2010/11. / Khalida Khan
11. We have regard to the provision of services suitable for disabled children, when assessing the sufficiency and supply of childcare in their area
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
The sufficiency report for children looked after ensured that the needs of disabled children were met. In addition, the local authority has two short break overnight units run by Third Sector providers to meet the needs of children with ASD and Complex care needs. Our current spend on short breaks for disabled childrenis £2,244,410
Children’s Centres have consulted with parents and provide inclusive provision to meet the needs of families. Working parents have access to nursery and childminding provision.
We are currently in the process of undertaking our childcare sufficiency audit and will be consulting parents/carers on their childcare requirements which includes for those with a disabled child. The survey will go live on theCouncil's Internet and through early years settings. / Monica Forty- Head of early years and Children’s centres.
Karen Badgery
External Funding and Commissioning Manager / If you have a child under the age of five or a child with disabilities: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EYCWD
If you are aged 14- 19: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RateMyYouthCentre
If youuse services for children with disabilities and would like to tell us how well we are doing: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CWD2
12. We are working together with disabled young people and adult service providers in our area to ensure a smooth transition to adult services for disabled young people preparing for adulthood.
Evidence / Status / Lead Officer / Comments
We have reliable data and good joint working between Adult and Children’s Services evidenced by the Transition team. The Careers, Information advice and Guidance Service and Joint Enterprise and Training (JET) service work closely. Key partners are members of an operational steering group. A strategic transition group overseas the development of transition services. The group is chaired by a Head of Service in adults (Health and Disability).
The EPS person-centred annual review project is developing planning and review systems for all children with statements of SEN so that children and young people are placed at the heart of the process. Others especially schools are supported in how they seek young people’s views on their education andactively include them in decisions made about them in school.
EPs liaise with other professionals, such as LA specialists in the SLS, to ensure that children are well supported in particular during their transition into new settings. / Katharine Marks- Service Head , Adults Social Care