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Children’s disability team
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About the service
The children’s community learning disability nursing team is based within the disabled children’s team which is provided by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. We work together throughout the Barnsley borough supporting children aged 0-17 years old with a learning disability and, or autistic spectrum conditions (ASC). The team works with children, young people and their families within the family home or in the community to provide support and develop skills and knowledge to help with:
- Structure and routine
- Strategies to help manage challenging behaviour
- Mental health issues (anxieties and fears)
- Relationships
- Communication packages (picture exchange communication systems, social stories)
- Feelings and emotions
- Cygnet parenting support programme
- Referral to other agencies as required
- Continuing NHS Healthcare (CHC) assessments
- Individual work with young people to promote health and wellbeing
The team works with other agencies including paediatricians, child and adolescent mental health services, social workers, children’s centres, therapy services, schools, parents partnership and health visitors.
Why would someone choose the service?
Parents who have had support from our service have reported an increased confidence in understanding and managing situations. Individual work can be offered to children and visual support will be introduced and adapted to meet individual needs.
The team provides a supportive role to families, taking in to account their wishes and feelings. We will liaise closely with all agencies involved with a child, providing a consistent approach and ensuring the child’s needs are paramount.
Our team has a library of resources to support the development of skills and promote health and wellbeing. Our service has had a range of positive feedback from parents that have attended our parenting course.
Staff you may meet
- There are many people who work behind the scenes to keep services running and you may meet them in hospital or community settings. They include porters, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, decorators receptionists and secretaries who all work to make sure healthcare settings are kept clean, tidy and safe.
- Nurses who choose to specialise in the mental health branch of nursing work with GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and others, to help care for patients. Increasingly, care is given in the community, with mental health nurses visiting patients and their families at home, in residential centres, in prisons or in specialist clinics or units.
- Receptionists are the first link for many patients and visitors. They often work on their own or with one or two other receptionists, greeting patients as they arrive and check them in. They might also collect patient notes and ensure that these vital records go to the right healthcare professional. In a clinic, they may make appointments and arrange patient transport.
- Social workers help, support and protect people who are facing difficulties in their lives. They help people to take positive steps to overcome problems and improve their lives. This could involve assessing and reviewing a service user’s situation, building relationships with service users and their families and agreeing what practical support someone needs.
Why a professional should choose the service
The team provide evidence-based practice with specialist knowledge and resources to meet the complex needs of children with learning disabilities and, or autistic spectrum condition.
The team specialise in providing a Cygnet parenting support programme, a parenting course for parents of children with autistic spectrum condition. On evaluation, 100% of parents report the course has made a positive impact on their knowledge and skills to enable them to make a positive impact on their child’s health and wellbeing.
Our specialist team includes learning disability nurses and social workers. It is evident that our approach improves outcomes for children. There is evidence that children on child protection plan’s have had improved outcomes when a close working relationship have occurred.
Parents with learning disabilities are fully supported and the information is shared at an appropriate level and pace to enable them to learn and develop new skills to meet their children’s needs.
Support offered
The children’s community learning disability nursing team works as part of a ‘Team Around The Child’ – a Department of Education initiative which was developed to encourage joined-up working, information sharing and early intervention to support a child, young person or family.
Intervention is offered in a variety of ways;
- Home visits
- Individual work with children and young people
- Group work
- Parenting courses
- Family support
- Education
- Interagency support
- Onward referral
- Attendance at meetings
Outcomes
Through our support we hope to see:
- Improved outcomes for children and young people
- Increased parental capacity in managing challenging situations
- Improved physical and emotional wellbeing
- Increased independence
- Improved parent and carers understand their children’s individual needs
- Increased parental resilience
Referrals accepted from:
A & E, CMHTs, Consultants, Courts, Drug/alcohol agencies, GP staff, GPs, Health visitors, Hospital staff, Housing associations, Local authority staff, Other NHS services, Other Trust services, Police, Schools, Single Point of Access team, Voluntary services, Youth centres, Youth Offending Team
Referral criteria:
Children referred to our service must have a diagnosed learning disability and, or an autistic spectrum condition.