Assessment
Assessment
Review Groups
What are the Review Groups?
Children with special needs often require a number of services. To co-ordinate these effectively, particularly in the pre-school years, the Review Groups have been established. The Review Group acts as a forum for exchange of information. It never makes any decision about your child’s needs. These groups consist of local representatives from Health, Education and Children’s Services. The professionals who work with you represent your views there. Some of them may be known to you and already seeing your child. There are five groups covering the following areas:
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· · Totton & Waterside · Romsey |
· Lymington & New Milton · |
Is there a referral process?
Referral of your child to the local Review Group for discussion can take place at any age from birth onwards, and parental permission is always sought first. Any professional may refer, but most often this is a locality based Paediatrician. It is in the interests of your child to be referred as early as possible, because the Review Group acts as a ‘safety net’ to ensure that all possible services are made available to you and your child. In particular, the Local Education Authority will be made aware of your child’s needs so that consideration of any special educational needs and provision can be made for nursery education.
How do I find out more?
For further information concerning the Review Groups, please contact your locality based Paediatrician or Health Visitor.
Assessments in Southampton
If your child has severe disabilities and, at anytime, you need the help of Children’s Services and Learning, they may co-ordinate an assessment of your child’s needs.
A brief assessment is called an Initial Assessment, and would be carried out by a social worker or someone who knows your child and your family well. It will involve meeting with you and your child, and, with your permission, talking to other professionals who have had contact with your child and your family.
Your child’s needs may be identified, and services, as far as they are available, may be provided at this stage. An Initial Assessment should be carried out within 7 working days.
If your child’s needs are more complex, or it is a particularly challenging time for your child or family, Children’s Services and Learning are able to co-ordinate an in depth assessment of your child’s needs called a core assessment. A social worker and other professionals who know you and your family well, will talk with you about your family and your child.
An important part of this will be, whenever possible, direct communication with you and your child about what he/she would like to happen. They try not to ask you the same questions over and over again! The Core Assessment should result in a summary of your child’s needs. Services may then be provided, to meet those needs, and these may include services to help you as a parent. A Core Assessment should take 35 working days.
Local Health Assessment Centres
Wordsworth House
Wordsworth House provides assessment, therapy and ongoing care of pre-school children who have, or may have significant or several areas of special needs. These needs may include physical, developmental or communication difficulties.
Assessment and therapy take place in a nursery setting, usually one session per week for an initial period of six to ten weeks. During these sessions the appropriate professionals within the team, which consists of Paediatricians, Nursery Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, possibly a Dietician and Clinical Psychologist will see the children. Parents and carers are fully involved at all times.
At the end of the assessment period there is a joint discussion with the parents/carers, to which their GP and Health Visitor are invited, to plan the future needs of the child and their family. This is repeated six monthly for children who continue to attend. Many children will continue at Wordsworth House until they are three years old, others will be supported in the community or transferred to an Early Years setting (nursery).
Referrals are made to the Consultant Community Paediatrician, usually by a GP, Community Paediatrician, a Health Visitor, Hospital Consultant or Speech and Language Therapist.
Office hours 0900 – 1630, Monday to Friday.
Answer-phone out of hours.
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The New Forest Child Developmental Service is based at the Ashurst Child and Family Health Centre for children 0-19 years who have, or may have, special needs and who live in the
Referrals are made to the Child Development Team and the child and his/her family may be seen by one or more members of the team, at the initial appointment.
The multi-disciplinary team consists of a Consultant Community Paediatrician, other Paediatricians, a Clinical Psychologist, Nurses, a Health Visitor, an Educational Psychologist, a Social Worker, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists..
The children are assessed and therapy follow-up is arranged as appropriate.
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New Forest Child & Family Health Centre, |
Hardmoor Early Years Centre
The Hardmoor Early Years Centre provides a service to children under the age of 5 and their parents across the professional boundaries of Education, Health, Social Services and the Voluntary Sector. The Centre works in co-operation with the Early Years Child Care Partnership.
Hardmoor Opportunity Group provides integrated care and education for chioldren aged 2-5 years.
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The Aviary Early Years Centre
The Aviary Early Years Centre is an inclusive nursery offering term time sessions and full day care. The nursery offers full daycare and sessional places for all children from birth to 5yrs.
There is a mix of mainstream and children with special needs. Children can attend up to five sessions a week and work with staff on agreed programmes to support development. There is regular support from Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, a Speech Therapist and Educational Psychologists. There is also liaison with Consultant Paediatricians,
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The Aviary Early Years Centre |
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023 80 653390 |
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susie.james@hants.gov.uk |
