Children with Disabilities Team is part of Together for Children Sunderland, an independently controlled company delivering Children's Services on behalf of Sunderland City Council.
The Children with Disabilities Team undertake assessments with the purpose of meeting the needs of children and young people, who have a permanent, severe disability.
This could include:
- supporting them to engage in appropriate activities that enable their families to have a break from their caring role
- providing behavioural support to parents and carers of children who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or a learning disability
- providing overnight short breaks
- personal assistants funded via direct payments, promoting social opportunities and developing independence
- access to commissioned youth provisions
- support with transition to adult services
- ensuring they are safeguarded
The services are intended to support families and use their strengths to enable children and young people to fulfil their potential.
Criteria for access
We are a specialist service targeted at those children and young people who are aged 0-17 years 11 months who have:
- a severe long-term physical or sensory impairment
- a severe learning disability
- a life-limiting or life-threatening medical condition
- a diagnosis of autism and associated severe learning disability
We cannot offer assessment/services to:
- children diagnosed with ADHD (unless also diagnosed with one of the above disabilities/conditions)
- children with mild learning disability/learning difficulties
- children with educational and behavioural difficulties
Referrals to the Children with Disabilities Team all need to be made via the Integrated Contact and Referral Team at Together for Children on 0191 520 5560.