Help for children with disabilities

Family Help Additional Support Needs Team

We want Newcastle to be a place where every child and young person feels they belong, does well, and can reach their full potential.

Children, families, communities and services will work together. We will support families to help themselves and give help early, as soon as it is needed. This will improve the wellbeing and quality of life for all children, young people and families in Newcastle.

Children and Families Newcastle

Most children and young people, including those with disabilities, have their needs met well through everyday services. These are services open to all children and families. They include:

• schools and colleges
• health services
• youth services
• children’s centres
• voluntary and community groups

These services help children and young people grow, learn and reach their full potential.

What help is available

Children and young people aged 0 to 17 who need extra support can get help from Children and Families Newcastle. This support also helps parents, carers and families.

Help is available through:

• the Community Family Offer
• the SEND Local Offer
• the Community Short Breaks Offer

You do not need an assessment to use these services.

Community Family Offer

The Community Family Offer is free. It provides safe spaces, activities and support for families with children aged 0 to 19, or up to 25 for those with SEND.

SEND Local Offer

The SEND Local Offer gives information and support about:

• education
• health
• activities and things to do

Community Short Breaks Offer

The Community Short Breaks Offer is part of this. It gives children a chance to:

• take part in organised activities
• make friends
• learn new skills
• have fun

They also give parents or carers time to rest, or do things they may otherwise struggle to do.

Children can often join these activities without their parent or carer staying with them.

How to get help

To get help from the Family Help Additional Support Needs team:

• phone 0191 277 4700

You can call the team yourself, or a professional can make a referral on your behalf. You can also get support in person at one of our Community Hubs.

The assessment process

Any child or young person with a disability can ask for an assessment of their needs. In Newcastle, this is called a Family Help Assessment.

This assessment helps us understand:

• your child or young person
• your family’s needs
• the support you already have

It can also help identify services and support that may be useful.

We will also consider the needs of parents and carers. This may include a Parent Carer Needs Assessment (PCNA), if needed.

A Family Help lead practitioner (a named worker who supports your family) will carry out the assessment. When a referral is made, we look at the level of need to decide which team will complete it.

This could be:

• a locality Family Help team, for most children and families
• the Additional Support Needs team, for children and young people with more complex needs

Most families will get the help they need from a locality Family Help team. Children and young people with the highest level of need may be supported by the Additional Support Needs team.

The additional support needs team

Ongoing support from the Additional Support Needs team is only given when a completed Family Help Assessment shows this support is needed. Support will then be planned and managed through a Family Help Plan.

If the assessment shows that a child or young person does not need support from this team, they may still get ongoing help from a locality Family Help team. This support will also be set out in a Family Help Plan.

To get ongoing support from the Additional Support Needs team, the child or young person must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Significant, permanent physical disabilities that severely impact on the child’s wellbeing
• A significant learning disability which severely impacts on the child’s communication, social and behavioural functioning
• Diagnosed Autistic Spectrum Disorder with an associated learning disability which has a significant impact on the child being safe, being equal and being able to achieve. 
• Severe sensory impairment (vision/hearing) impacting on the child’s daily functioning
• Complex health, life limiting or life-threatening conditions which significantly impact on the child’s or their family’s daily living arrangements
• Children with profound multiple disabilities

Support recommended during or after a Family Help Assessment may include:

• Developing a Family Help Plan with you based on the needs identified within the Family Help Assessment, and ongoing support of a family help lead practitioner
• Regular reviews of this plan with you and any professionals involved in supporting your family to ensure it remains current and is providing support in relation to assessed needs (support may change as circumstances and needs change based on updated assessment)
• A family network meeting or Family Group Conference to understand the support available within your wider family and friends network
• Advice, guidance and advocacy, which may include targeted family support and direct work with your child and/or your family
• Support with identifying or arranging services that could provide support to you and your family, including via the Local Offer or Community Short Breaks Offer, and referrals to other services
• Support with transitions to Adult Social Care where relevant and applicable
• Where eligibility is assessed, a personal budget to fund personal assistants, social activities and promote independence (the level of personal budget may increase or decrease as circumstances change based on updated assessment)
• Overnight short breaks may be recommended for children and young people with the most complex needs
• A Parent Carer Needs Assessment to explore the Parent Carer’s Needs, if this has not already been considered as part of the Family Help Assessment

This is not a full list. Support will focus on helping families use their strengths so children and young people can grow, do well and reach their full potential.

MAX Cards: Disabled Children’s Register

By law we are required to keep a Disabled Children’s Register. We use it to help us improve services now and in the future.

By being on the register, you will be kept informed of what services are available and how you can get involved if you want to.  Joining the register is voluntary but if you register your child we will:

• Give you a Max Card to get discounts into various cultural venues across the region.
• Let you know how we have used your information every year at our annual parent-carer conference
• Send you our newsletter
• Keep you updated on what we can offer you
• Update you about new developments in services for disabled children
• Inform you of ways you can get involved.

If you live in Newcastle local authority and you have a child under 18 with a disability, you can apply to register your child on the Newcastle Disabled Children’s Register. 

Complete the Disabled Children's Register online form for each child to join the Disabled Children's Register.

To find out more information about MAX cards and how and where you can use them, click on the link below:

Discounts for fostered and disabled children – MaxCardMaxCard – The Max Card is the UK’s leading discount card for foster families and families of children with additional needs. Families can use their Max Card at venues across the UK to get free or discounted admission.

For MAX card enquiries, call us on 0191 277 4644 Monday to Friday 8:45am to 5:00pm, or email disabled.childrens.register@newcastle.gov.uk