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Inclusion and support

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The Inclusion and Support team is based within Children’s Specialist Service’s co-located integrated teams. The role of the Inclusion and Support team combines Education and Social Care roles and functions to meet the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms.

The role of the Inclusion and Support Case Worker will focus on building relationships with CYP and their families in order to ensure that their wishes, feelings and aspirations are fully considered and incorporated into their Education Health and Care plan (EHCP).

This information will be gained by the Case Worker through visits to the child/young person and family at home, visits to school, the completion of one page profiles, genograms and eco maps.  

The team also provides information, advice and signposting to families and professionals in relation to short break support. In order to decide which children access Short Break services or support services Telford & Wrekin use the wider definition of disability as found in the Disability and the Equality Act 2010 (The Act).

The Act defines a disabled person as ‘a person with a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.

This means that, in general:

  • the person must have an impairment that is either physical or mental
  • the impairment must have adverse effects which are substantial
  • the substantial adverse effects must be long-term
  • the long-term substantial adverse effects must have effects on normal day-to-day activities.

Meaning of ‘impairment’

The definition requires that the effects which a person may experience must arise from a physical or mental impairment. The term mental or physical impairment should be given its ordinary meaning. In many cases, there will be no dispute whether a person has impairment. Any disagreement is more likely to be about whether the effects of the impairment are sufficient to fall within the definition. Even so, it may sometimes be necessary to decide whether a person has an impairment so as to be able to deal with the issues about its effects.

Short Break Provision is based on principles that acknowledge that:

Each child is a unique individual, with their own personality, needs and strengths and wishes and feelings. They are entitled to make the same choices as any other child. In addition family circumstances vary and we aim to ensure that short breaks provision to individual children reflects the particular needs of the child and their family. Our application of this definition should be understood as including those children and young people with long term health needs including those with life limiting conditions.

Section 25 of the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 requires local authorities to provide short breaks for families with disabled children.

Regulations relating to this duty which came into force on 1 April 2011 require each local authority to produce a short breaks service statement so that families know what services are available, the eligibility criteria for these services and how the range of services is designed to meet the needs of families with disabled children in the Borough. View the Statement.

All Short Break Provision will be subject to 6 monthly reviews of the identified outcomes, and will be based on principles of Inclusion and person centred assessment and planning will be through an integrated approach.

Social Work assessment for short breaks

Do you provide support for parents and carers?

Inclusion and Support, focus on getting to know children/young people (0-18 years) and their families, using a personalisation approach in order to ensure their wishes feelings and aspirations are fully considered, and they have the support to be fully involved in decision making.

Referrals for inclusion and support are through Family Connect.