1. Children’s Health And Disability Team

2. Role of the Referral Coordinator
First point of contact for new enquiries about services from the Children’s Health and Disability Team
Information gathering to inform the decision about whether an assessment of need should be undertaken, and offering advice and information and signposting to services not needing an assessment
Undertaking an assessment, which will identify what level of service, if any, is needed by a child and their family.
Setting up 100 hours of short breaks where this is identified
Making links with key workers in the community, who can have a day-to-day overview of the service that is being provided.
Ensuring that reviews of services take place and that services continue, or are altered as necessary.
The post of referral coordinator is one full-time equivalent, currently shared between France and Leona

3. Making a referral
Referrals can be made by anyone – a professional working with the child or a family member
Telephone or the referral coordinator with as much detail as possible
If you are a professional making a referral please ensure that the family is aware that you are doing so.

4. Outcomes
An enquiry may not always lead to assessment and sometimes just information about accessing services in the community is enough support
When an assessment is made it may not always indicate the need for a service, but could help identify what services could be accessed in the community
An assessment could indentify a need for service that can be met within the 100 hours short breaks offer
A young person and their family could present with complex issues that need the ongoing involvement of a social worker and will be allocated to a named worker within the Children’s Health and Disability Team
Once a service of up to 100 hours is set up, a community key worker will be identified to monitor and review the service, and the young person will be closed to Childrens Health and Disability Team.
Consent will be gained from the family to allow us to gather information from other professionals firstly to decide about whether or not to complete an assessment, and also to include the information in an assessment,.
If a My Support Plan, or EHCP is being developed we would look to link in with the people completing that document, rather then duplicating assessment.
If we decide not to undertake an assessment, a re-referral can be made at any point in the future if needs or circumstances change.

5. Short breaks Services currently used include:
100 hours of short breaks can be used creatively to best support the individual needs of each child and their family.
Services currently used include:
direct payments to employ a PA or to access community activities
sessions at after school or weekend/holiday clubs such as SNAPPY, drama or sports clubs
CYCs Community Short breaks services

6. Review of services
Short breaks services should be reviewed annually, and this can usually be done by the identified key worker as part of the annual review at school, or through other meetings that might be held regarding your child.
At any time a re-referral can be made back to the referral coordinators, either if the identified service is no longer meeting the assessed needs, or if the needs of the child or family have changed

7. Referral Coordinator Frances Campbell Leona Thorpe
Contact on or
Referral Coordinator, Children’s Health and Disability Team, The Avenues Children’s Centre, Sixth Avenue, York, YO31 0UT

8. What do people say? Parents ....
This h
This has helped us find a club that is right for him, in an area he loves (drama), it is wonderful to see him come out so happy, chatting to the other children, it's great for him to mix with children that he doesn't go to school with t for him, in an area he loves(drama), it is wonderful to see him come out so happy, chatting to the other children, it's great for him to mix with children that he doesn't go to school with
Finding the right activity is key. We have used direct payments to pay for diving. Z has found sport clubs hard because of his coordination, they were not good for his self esteem so he would not last at clubs. We have seen a big change with the diving. The club is brilliant with Z and he is enthusiastic and confident even asking family to come and watch him something he would never have done in the past. Short breaks support has opened up new doors for our child, it has been brilliant.
SNAPPY has been really good for her. It’s been great to see her with children outside of school and we get a short break too.

9. What do people say? Children ...
Its helping me to play with friends and things. I'm excited to go to it and go on trips. I give it 10/10 (uses a holiday club)
A uses nonverbal communication. She is always smiling and happy when she is told it is a Snappy day and when we collect her she is still happy.
It's fun, I get to go to a club that I couldn't go to before, people like me for who I am there. I can work with girls without others taking the mickey.