Caring for a child with a disability

If you are a parent of a child with a disability or special need you may come into contact with a number of professionals. You may also need to have meetings and discussions with staff working within social and health care services and education.

You may also want more information on the different types of assessment that your child may need.

Oxfordshire County Council

Oxfordshire County Council may be able to provide practical help and support for your child and for you as a family. If you are eligible for services, they may provide respite care, nursery provision, aids and equipment.

Health services

Your child’s GP or specialist will make referrals to other health services that your child requires, such as a speech therapist or physiotherapist. Contact your GP if you need help with anything relating to your child’s or your own health.You can find your nearest doctor here

Education

The education authority aims to provide an appropriate education for your child. They can also provide additional help and support for children who are assessed as having Special Educational Needs.

Contact the head teacher of your child’s school if you think that your child needs extra help or support or if you would like to discuss their educational needs.

If you are having difficulty in getting a Statement of Special Educational Need for your child or feel that your child is not getting the help that is recorded on their statement, you can call Oxfordshire County Council's Parent Partnership Service on 01865 810516

Different types of assessments

• Diagnostic assessment
  Made by your GP, hospital consultant or other health professional to diagnose your child’s disability or condition.
  
  
• On-going medical assessment
  Made by your GP, hospital consultant and school nursing staff to monitor your child’s health and development.
  
  
• Educational assessment
  Often carried out by an educational psychologist to see what provision and support your child needs. Can also include input from educational social workers, physiotherapists and so on.

Family or carer's assessments 

If you care for a child with a disability, your own needs will be considered as part of the family assessment. You may also ask for a carer's assessment. In the UK, you are entitled to ask for an assessment of your needs as a parent carer under the Carers and Disabled Children Act and the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act. You can find out more about assessments from your social worker, or contact Oxfordshire County Council or look at the assessment information on this site..

In order for the social worker to assess you she or he will need to ask you for information about your child and your family, including:

• The help the person you care for needs
  
  
• The help you are giving at the moment

What your assessment is for:

This is your opportunity to tell social workers about the things that could make caring easier for you. There may be several things that you want to think about and discuss with the social worker when they carry out an assessment of your needs as a carer.

You could try making a list of all the things that you feel are affected by you caring for your disabled child. The list below offers some examples of things to think about:

• Do you get enough sleep?
• Is your health affected by your caring role?
• Can you get out and about or are you unable to leave the person you are caring for with anyone else even for a short while?
• Do you get any time to yourself?
• Are your other relationships affected?
• Do you want information about benefits?
• Is the person you are caring for getting enough help?

Consider what services might help you if you were able to choose. Again, write a list of the things that you think might help you. A few examples are listed below:

Services that give you a break:

• Emotional support from other carers or people who understand
• Benefits advice
• Activities for the person you care for