The Children's Disability & Health Team is a multi disciplinary team providing a range of services for severely disabled children and those with complex health needs. NCCS through the Children's Disability & Health Team can offer:

• Information and advice

• Social work support and guidance service

• Occupational Therapy services

• Planning for the future

• Play Scheme

• Together Information Exchange (T.I.E) - Disability Register

• Specialist Transitions Work

• Nurse Advisor

• Day care

• Short-term breaks/respite

• Support in the home

• Referrals to specialist services

• Direct payments

For more information and to request an assessment for any of these services contact the Children's Disability & Health Team.

A Social Work service which offers:

• Information, advice & support to children, young people, their parents and carers

• Identification of the needs of the children and their families (assessment)

• Tailored support to meet those needs such as respite care

• The investigation and ongoing management of Child Protection issues

• Work with children who are Looked After by the Local Authority

• Care Proceedings and other statutory work

Occupational Therapy services offering:

• Information and advice

• Assessment and the provision of aids and adaptations to promote independence and reduce risks in caring for a disabled child

(Also see sections 3.2, 5.10 & 7.2)

Play Project, providing:

• Specialist holiday Play Schemes

• Out of School Clubs

• Leisure activities and sports development for children and young people with a wide range of disabilities

• Parents can self-refer

This service offers after school and holiday play schemes to children who are attending special schools.  Activities are varied and information about 'what's on' is distributed through the special schools.

For more information contact:

Specialist Transitions Work:

• Working with other agencies to improve the transition from children's to adult services

• Working directly with some young people through the transition to adulthood

(Also see section 14.1)

Nurse Advisor offers:

• Advice & support to our residential respite services

The Children's Disability & Health Team, based at the Carr House Centre, is a multi-disciplinary team providing a range of services for children aged up to 18 years, who have a severe physical and/or learning disability and/or complex health needs, which significantly affects their daily lives.

• When we receive a request from a family, carer or another professional for help for a child or young person we first have to ensure that we are the right service for the child or young person.

• When we are sure we are the right service for the child or young person we will arrange to complete an assessment.  This assessment looks at many aspects of a child's life, thier family and how they live.  It is likely that we will talk to the child or young person, their parents/carers and other professionals.

From the assessment we will be able to decide how we may be able to help.  In some cases this may be providing information and signposting to other services, by providing aids and equipment or there may be greater need for help.

• In cases where children, young people and their families need ongoing support we can access services such as specialist Children's Home Care Service, Care to Share (family based respite), Residential respite and adaptations and equipment for your home.

• In some cases children/young people and their families who are offered support may wish to employ their own help, which may be possible through our Direct Payments Scheme.

• Support in the home, such as sessional support and home care.

• Care to Share - see section 11.4

• Short-term breaks/respite - see section 11.4

• Family centres - see section 4.1

• Blue badge (Car parking badge) - see section 13.1

• Radar toilet key - see section 8.1

• Transition to adult services - see section 14.1

• Children's Disability & Health Team - see section 11.1

• Out of school and holiday playscheme - seesection 11.1

• Together Information Exchange (T.I.E) - see sections 8.4 & 10.5

The service is based on different sites:

The CDHT includes social workers and assistants, occupational therapists and specialist development workers who provide a service to severely disabled children (learning and physical disabilities) and children substantially or permanently affected by illness, injury or congenital condition.

They can be contacted at:

The Special Educational Development Team is also based at Carr House Centre and has specialists in Hearing Impairments, Visual Impairments and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (see section 2.5).

Social Workers are based within the CAMHS team at Springwood House.  The workers are part of the multi-disciplinary team and offer therapeutic help to children with mental health problems and their families or carers.

The Together Information Exchange (T.I.E) is also based with the Children's Disability & Health Team at Carr House Centre.  T.I.E is Doncaster's register of children with disabilitie (0 -19 years) and keeps families informaed and up to date on local and national issues including benefits, support groups, events and workshops.  It also sends out quarterly newsletters and regular mail updates on courses and events.  The group also hold regular coffee mornings and annual information and pamper events.  If you would like to receive the above information direct to your door, please contact:

If your child does not fit the criteria for the Children's Disability & Health Team you will need to contact the Duty & Assessment Team based at the Council House.  The team has social workers who will take your details and complete an initial assessment to see if you should be referred to a specific team for further assistance.

Families First are new, area-based teams that provide support and advice to children, young people (0-19 years) and their families in Doncaster.  The advice and support offered can range from information on other services, help in accessing services, child behaviour and parenting support.  The borough is split into 5 areas and each has it's own co-ordinator.  To contact a Families First Team co-ordinator ring one of the numbers below:

The Disabled Children's Resources team provides the following services.  These will only be provided once an assessment has been completed by the Children's Disability & Health Team and the service is approved by a resources panel.

This is a scheme to provide short foster breaks for children with physical or learning disabilities and their families a break and is available to children and young people up to the age of 18.  Care to Share means that an approved carers will share the care of the child, giving the parents a chance for a break and the child a chance to make new friends and experience new things in a secure and happy home.

All Care to Share carers are carefully selected, police checked and trained.  The carers are also matched with the child and his or her family.  Care can be arranged for the daytime or evenings, longer periods, weekends and holidays.  There is no charge for the service.

The following homes provide short-term breaks for children with severe learning disabilities.  Each unit can offer short breaks on a regular basis.  The units provide positive opportunities for children & young people whilst enabling parents to have a break.  there is no charge for the service, but referral is through a Social Worker, Doctor, School or Health Visitor.  Fo more information contact:

The respite units are:

Oaklands is for children and young people up to the age of 18 years with severe learning disabilities and associated physical disabilities.  This unit provides long-term and short-term residential care.

Priestley Close is for older children and young people, aged 12 to 18 years with severe learning disabilities.  This unit provides short-term respite care.

East Avenue is for children aged 4 to 14 years with severe learning disabilities.  This unit provides short-term respite care.

Long-term residential placement for 6 young people, aged from 10-18 years is offered at Morrison Drive.  This organisation provides quality residential services for young people with a learning disability who are unable to live with their families.

This is a way of a family putting together and paying for their own care package.  The child would need to be assessed by a social worker and then a resources panel would decide whether Direct Payments would be appropriate for them.  Once the family were allocated some funds on this scheme, they would then be supported through the process of finding a suitable carer/s.

For initial enquiries, you can either speak to your social worker or contact the Direct Payments Co-ordinator on:

This service provides someone who can spend time with a child or young person with disabilities.  They offer time and support to the child to develop social experiences and friendships.  All befrienders are thoroughly checked and come from a wide variety of backgrounds.  Training is also given to the befriender to allow them to keep up to dat on all disability issues.

To ask about accessing a befriender or to become one yourself, contact:

A leaflet called 'Viewpoint', which explains the complaints procedure, is available from all council offices and libraries.  If you are unhappy about any part of the service you receive from the directorate of Neighbourhoods, Communities & Children's Services you should talk to the relevant manager, who may be able to sort things out quickly.

If this isn't possible or you are still unhappy, you can contact: