Why might your child have a social worker?
If your child has a disability, you may be offered support from a Social Worker in the Children with Disabilities Team.
Our role is to work with your family to:
– Understand what’s going well
– Explore anything that’s becoming more difficult
– Find the right support to help make daily life easier
A social worker might become involved if:
– You’ve asked for help because caring for your child is becoming more challenging
– A professional (like a teacher, health visitor or GP) thinks your child or family might benefit from extra support
– Your child has complex needs and may need services such as short breaks or specialist help in the community
How do referrals work?
Referrals can happen in different ways:
– You can contact the council directly and ask for support
– A professional who knows your child (like school, GP or therapist) can make a referral for you
– Some families already working with other services are referred to us for more specialist input
Once we receive a referral, we will look at the information and decide:
– Whether a social work assessment is needed, or
– Whether another service may be more appropriate
What is an assessment?
An assessment helps us understand your child’s needs and how we can best support your family.
We’ll speak with:
– You and your child (in a way that suits your child’s communication needs)
– Professionals already involved with your family
The assessment is not just about applying for Direct Payments or services — it’s about building a clear picture of your child’s strengths and challenges.
Following the assessment, we may offer:
– Advice and signposting to local services
– A package of support, such as short breaks or help in the community
– Direct Payments, if appropriate
– Other support tailored to your child and family’s needs
We aim to complete assessments within 45 working days.
What happens after the assessment?
If your child is assessed as needing ongoing support, we’ll work with you to create a Child in Need (CIN) Plan. This will clearly set out:
– What your child’s needs are
– What support will be provided
– Who is responsible for delivering that support
– The outcomes we’re all working towards
You’ll be fully involved in creating this plan. We’ll review the assessment of need at least every 12 months to make sure it’s still right — this may result in the support being increased, reduced or kept the same, depending on your child’s current needs.
How is the plan monitored?
Your child’s Social Worker will visit regularly and stay in touch with you.
We will:
– Check in on how things are going
– Review the plan with you, your child and the professionals involved
– Make changes if the support no longer fits your child’s needs
We’ll always aim to work alongside you and keep things clear and simple.
What happens if things are stable?
If everything is going well, and your child’s needs are being met, we may look at stepping down support to the Children with Disabilities Early Help Team.
This means:
– Your child’s Social Worker will talk with you about whether Early Help is the right next step
– We’ll hold a final Child in Need Review with you and professionals involved
– If everyone agrees, we’ll refer you to the Early Help team
– The Early Help team will stay in contact and offer support – but without a social worker involved
This helps your family continue to receive support in a more informal way, while still meeting your child’s needs.
