The CWD Service is made up of 2 teams.
Early Support and Inclusion Team
Early Support is a way of working which aims to identify problems or needs as soon as they emerge and respond as quickly as possible to avoid problems increasing. Early Support can be provided at any stage in a child or young person’s life.
The ES&I Team aim to work with families by:
- offering information, advice and signposting to local community and targeted services
- undertaking an Early Support Assessment where needed
The family support workers for CWD Early Support work specifically with families who have concerns or identified needs associated with a child’s disability.
Inclusion Officers
The Inclusion Officers work closely with the Family Support Workers and Social Workers in the Children with a Disability Service and a range of other practitioners, including other council services and community leisure and activity providers, to ensure that services take consideration of disabled children and young people and are welcoming of and confident when supporting children.
All children and young people must be given the opportunity to achieve their aspirations and reach their full potential by having a range of opportunities open to them.
The Inclusion teamwork with parents, carers and children to understand their views and ensure the views shape and influence services.
Social Work Team
A social worker will be required to work with a family when a situation is complex. If a child’s needs are challenging for those offering care or the child is considered to be at risk of harm, a Single Assessment would be required to understand the situation, consider the needs and wishes of the child and family and agree any services that are required.
If children or young people are allocated a social worker then they will be supported on a Child in Need plan, Child Protection Plan (if the child is at risk of significant harm) or if the child is looked after by the Local Authority.
Should a child or young person be subject to a plan and receiving support from the Local Authority then this plan will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure the package of support is meeting the child/young person’s needs. The frequency of these reviews will depend on the type of plan in place.
The Children with a Disability Service have access to information about a range of short breaks opportunities available in Kirklees, some of which require signposting or an assessment from the Children with a Disability Service to be able to attend them.