Disabled children

Disabled children need services from more organisations than just the County Council, so we aim to link up with all the other organisations who provide social and health services to them.

We provide information about the full range of services available in Nottinghamshire, not just those we provide ourselves.

There is also useful information for disabled young people at the Cool Kids 4 Kids by Kids website: www.cool-kids.org.uk. It includes a comic, and a directory of cool places to visit. It is produced by disabled young people.

There are many voluntary groups in Nottinghamshire that provide services to disabled children and their families. These services include:

• after school and holiday clubs
• support for parents
• sitters and befrienders
• support and activity groups for other children in the family.

These services do not require assessment and you can find out about them from your local Children and Young People's services office.

We may also be able to provide your child and your family with our own services.  Before we can offer you services, we will need to find out more about you and the problems you are having. This is called an assessment.

What services are available?

Adventure Breaks

A Residential Adventure camp for children and young people aged from 8 years up to their 19th birthday.

Aids, equipment and adaptations to the home

These are provided by our Occupational Therapy teams.

Family centres

Family centres offer support to disabled children under the age of eight and their parents.

Help with the personal care of a disabled child

We usually help families with getting a disabled child ready for school in the morning or ready for bed in the evening.

Sitters or befrienders

Sitters or befrienders can help to care for a child at home, or help them with going out to join in with something they like doing.

Direct payments

A Direct Payment is where we provide the money for you to arrange your own care and support, instead of us providing the service for you.

Help for carers

We also carry out carers assessments to ensure that we take into account the impact on parents of caring for their disabled child when we decide what services are needed.

In cases where children are assessed as having a very high level of need, we may be able to arrange short breaks overnight either with carers or in a residential home.

We also have specialist teams that work with deaf children and their families and children with a visual impairment.

How can I find out more?

Contact your local Children and Young People's Services office