What services do you offer?

The Fieldwork team

The Fieldwork team are social workers and children’s practitioners who are responsible for assessment, care planning, safeguarding, short-term intervention and early intervention of younger children.

To be eligible for a service offered by the Fieldwork team, your child will be aged between 0-17 years and have a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability, or any other condition (for example, life-limiting illness) and a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability.

To access this service your child will be aged between 0-17 years and have a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability, or any other condition (for example, life limiting illness) and a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability.

Residential short breaks

The Residential Service provides overnight short breaks for disabled children. Based on the ground floor of the Light House, the residential facility has 10 bedrooms all with en-suite facilities. It is separated into two units, known as ‘Sun’ and ‘Star’. It is run by a team of skilled and experienced residential child care workers.

Sun is a 6-bedroomed unit designed for children with multiple disabilities, complex medical needs and physical impairments. The bedrooms have equipment, aids and adaptations to help meet the needs of the more physically disabled children. There is a sensory room to provide a stimulating experience, plus a large playroom with patio doors leading to a sensory garden which has an accessible swing and a roundabout for wheelchair users.

Star is 4-bedroomed unit designed for children and young people with challenging behaviours.

There is an indoor soft playroom and gardens include a play area containing a rubberised track and recreational equipment for children who enjoy more physical activities. Both garden areas are safe and secure and are accessible from the building via separate patio doors.

Ofsted inspect the Residential Service to make sure it continues to deliver a good service.

The Light House has a fully adapted minibus which is used to take children on outings.

To access the Residential Service your child will be aged between 0-17 years and have a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability, or any other condition (for example, life limiting illness) and a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability.

Early Help Offer

The Early Help team (EHT) supports families through a variety of interventions, which are based on assessed need and are time limited. The Integrated Disabled Children’s Service (IDCS) operates a ‘tiered’ approach to working with families, based on the family’s level of need. Children and families will be supported at the lowest level of intervention appropriate to the needs, with services then being increased or decreased following reviews. The aim of this approach is to ensure services are distributed appropriately and to prevent duplication.

The criteria for all EHT services is the child has a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability. The child may also have a physical disability or complex health needs. All referrals are received through the Vulnerable Children’s meeting (VCM) which decides the most appropriate service to deliver the required outcomes identified in the referral.

The range of interventions and support available to children and families through the IDCS Early Help Offer is outlined as follows.

Activity sessions

The purpose of activity sessions is to enable children with a disability to have a social opportunity away from home in a safe and appropriate environment. Activities are planned around the needs of the children and include both centre based and community activities. Sessions can be themed around achieving outcomes such as independence, or they may be to enable young people to socialise and form peer friendships.

Activities can be time limited with the intention of moving children on to mainstream or universal services, but many children will be unable to access these services, so the need for social opportunity will likely be an enduring need.

Outreach

A range of outreach support can be offered including behaviour work, routines, play. The team are trained in interventions such as Positive Behaviour Support, intensive interaction and in communication methods such as Makaton. The Outreach team will plan appropriate interventions depending on the support required, they will devise plans and then support parents in implementing the plans. The team will also model and support the implementation of behaviour plans developed by the Complex Behaviour Service. Outreach work is time limited, with workers offering between 6 and 10 sessions. At the conclusion, the work is evaluated to demonstrate the impact of the intervention, then if further input is required, families can be re-referred into the team or signposted to other resources.

Early Help Assessments

The team are trained in Early Help Assessments (EHA) so are able to update and carry out EHAs, with a focus on the specialist support required and provided for disabled young people. These are time limited pieces of work that can lead to a variety of actions including: cases being closed, referred into other IDCS services or signposted to other resources.

Sleep support

Staff are trained sleep practitioners, to deliver sleep programmes that help families develop positive sleep routines for their children. The team consider both environmental and behavioural approaches to sleep to find a holistic solution. These are time limited and can be delivered either 1:1 or in groups.

Non violent resistance (NVR)

Staff are trained to deliver NVR training for parents. NVR is an approach for reducing negative behaviours in children by improving relationships within families and improving parental confidence in managing their children. NVR offers parents non-punitive strategies to manage a child’s controlling behaviours without escalation, which aims to restore balance within a family, build support networks and to secure a parent’s authority within the home. NVR is time limited and can be delivered either 1:1 or in groups.

Staying Together

This is a short, intensive intervention to support families in crisis to try to prevent family breakdown. Staying Together work will encompass any early help services that may be required. Once completed, families may be referred into other IDCS services, signposted or referred into other resources, or the case may close.

Supervised family and friends time

These are sessions where looked after children are able to have contact with their families and siblings. These sessions are normally directed by the courts during care proceedings and the team supervise these sessions to ensure that they are as positive as possible for the children involved.

Emergency response

Specialist disability support for foster carers.
Children under 8 who are presenting challenging behaviour and often display traits associated with learning disability, such as poor communication skills, lack of toilet training, inability to read, however, they do not have a formal diagnosis of moderate or severe learning disability. Generally, children receive a diagnosis before the age of 8 years so the EHT will support mainstream services in managing these children, or they will access EHT services. Once they reach 8 years old, depending on their diagnosis, they may not meet the EHT criteria when they will be transferred back to mainstream and universal services. If they do receive a diagnosis that means they are eligible for specialist services, they will receive an assessment to determine what needs could be met through the provision of specialist services.

To access the Early Help team and Home Support service your child will be aged between 0-17 years and have a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability, or any other condition (for example, life limiting illness) and a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability.

Occupational therapy

The Occupational Therapy team works in partnership with disabled children and their families to promote independent living within the home.

An occupational therapist will visit disabled children in their own home and carry out an assessment of their needs. The assessment will identify any equipment or adaptations that may be required to maximise the child’s independence within the home; for example, handrails, grab rails and ramps. The occupational therapist will then arrange for the provision of these adaptations including obtaining quotations if specialist adaptations are required.

If major adaptations are required, Disabled Facilities Grants are available to owner / occupiers and privately rented properties.

To access the Occupational Therapy Service, your child will be aged between 0-17 years and have a diagnosed permanent and substantial physical disability, and / or a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability.

Direct Payments

A Direct Payment is money given to parent carers or young people, by the authority, to enable them to buy in support that is assessed as being needed, instead of the authority providing that support through their own services such as residential care or outreach services, such as residential care or outreach services. Direct Payments do not affect benefits.

To apply for Direct Payments your child will be aged between 0-17 years and have a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability, or any other condition (for example, life limiting illness) and a diagnosed moderate to severe learning disability.

Community Short Breaks

What is a Short Break?

Short Breaks give children and young people experiences that are fun, stimulating, and enjoyable, independent from their main carers which aim to reduce their social isolation and help their personal and social development. Short Breaks also give parents and carers a necessary and valuable rest from caring responsibilities allowing them to re-charge their batteries, spend time with other family members and provide space to do other things. A short break can range from an hour-long activity to a full day trip and take place during the day, evening, weekend, and school holidays.

Who is the service for?

One of our main aims is to offer a service to families who are not receiving any similar support.

We cannot offer a Community Short Break to any child who already receives any of the following services:

residential stays at school
hospice care, play schemes
youth services
Link Care (Fostering Service) scheme
after school clubs
any other service delivered by The Light House. This also includes Direct Payments that have been awarded for social activities.

How are Short Breaks run?

Short Breaks are delivered by specialist providers who offer both special groups and 1-1 support in the community.

There are 3 types of Short Break available:

Specialist groups

Specially designed to be stimulating, enjoyable and fun and to help promote friendships and peer support. They offer an exciting choice of varied activities at several venues across the city. Special events are arranged throughout the year too celebrating religious and cultural holidays, local carnivals, and national events. Day trips are available, some are suitable for the whole family to enjoy too.

Community

Open to all children and young people in the city, for example swimming pools, leisure centres and so on. We can select a suitable support worker to enable a child or young person to attend a community activity of their choice. They will be supported and encouraged to reach their full potential in the pursuit of their chosen activity. Examples of other 1:1 Community Support opportunities are learning to use public transport, shopping, and money management.

Short Breaks Grant

In some circumstances parent or carers prefer to arrange their own support. A Short Break Grant allows families the flexibility, choice, and control to choose their own short break activity from 1 to 1 lessons or spot purchase support such as after school club or nursery. The grant is paid at £11.20 per hour and usually for 50 hours, therefore a one-off payment of £560.00 will be paid directly into the parent or carers' account.

How much support is available?

Children and young people are offered 50 hours of support for 12 months, this is then reviewed. The service can be re applied for if required or wanted.

How much does it cost?

The cost of some services will be the responsibility of the parents and carers. For example; Scouts or Brownie subscription, Specialist group admission, entrance fees, individual lessons and so on.

Transport arrangements and any associated transport costs for the activity will be agreed between the service provider and the family in advance of the activity. A support worker will be provided without charge.

How can Short Breaks help?

All families are asked to choose their desired outcome of support. For example, a child or young person may benefit from being more confident or independent. The service provider will work with families towards this. It is necessary that families cooperate with all reviews. This will help the service provider make any relevant improvements or changes to support.

To access the Community Short Breaks service your child will be aged between 0-17 years and have any diagnosed disability and not already receiving any of the services mentioned earlier.