The Child Development Centre

Transcription

1 TO PROVIDE THE VERY BEST CARE FOR EACH PATIENT ON EVERY OCCASION The Child Development Centre An information guide The print quality of this copy is not an accurate representation of the original.

2 The Child Development Centre Tel: Your child has been referred to the Child Development Centre for a multidisciplinary assessment. We would like to tell you about this centre, how it works, and how we may help your child. Our job at the Child Development Centre is, to find out and assess whether your child has special needs and, if so, what they are. We aim to begin the process of meeting those special needs and helping you to plan ahead. The Assessment Your child will first be assessed in the clinic by a doctor (consultant or deputy). A decision will then be made with your agreement as to whether your child would benefit from a multidisciplinary / multiagency assessment. A referral form will be completed with you. All referrals are discussed with the child development team and a decision is then made as to whether a multidisciplinary assessment is the most appropriate way forward to determine your child's needs, as there are other ways to assess your child e.g. your child may already be known to some of the therapists. The multidisciplinary/multiagency assessment always takes place on a Wednesday. To ensure all the multi-discliplinary team (MDT) are available, the team dedicate wednesdays for these assessments, which means that the day of assessment cannot be changed. There are different types of assessment, which take place either on two consecutive Wednesday mornings (full assessment) or one Wednesday morning (under two years), depending on the outcome of the referral meeting. The print quality of this copy is not an 2accurate representation of the original.

3 Whatever type of assessment your child has been allocated, you must attend all the appointments, as your child will be seen by a number of professionals during these assessments. Failure to Attend Policy We try our very best to combine the appropriate assessments by various therapists in one appointment slot, which require a lot of thought and planning, so that you do not have to attend multiple appointments. It requires time to co-ordinate everyone s diary so that you do not have to come to the hospital repeatedly. We strive to avoid too long a waiting list and hence if the appointment is inconvenient for you we can offer it to someone else on the waiting list. We try our best to combine the appointment assessment slot, so that you do not have to attend multiple appointments and we've tried to avoid too long a waiting list. If the appointment is inconvenient for you, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can offer the appointment to someone else on the list. If you do not attend without letting us know beforehand, your child may be discharged back to your GP. We would also be very grateful if you could inform the Child Development Centre in good time if you cannot attend for unavailable reasons. Language Difficulties If you have difficulties in understanding/speaking English, then please ask someone who can speak English to let the secretary know in advance on so that help with an interpreter can be arranged. Day and Time of Assessment The assessment always takes place on a Wednesday. The print quality of this copy is not an 3accurate representation of the original.

4 Time Full assessment 9.15am 12.15pm (break for tea, coffee / juice) Baby assessment 9am 12.15pm (break for tea, coffee / juice) Transport Transport: You would be expected to make your own way to the Child Development Centre. If however you have difficulty getting here, please contact the secretary who will see if help can be arranged. Parking There is a limited number of 'parent & child' and 'disabled' parking places available in front of the child development centre. This is a pay and display car park. Report A summary of your child s assessment will be prepared and typed. You will receive a copy and one will also be sent to your GP, health visitor and other professionals as appropriate. If you wish us to send a report to your child s school/nursery we require a signed consent and this will have been discussed with you at your first clinic appointment. Children who may not have gone through the combined assessments (either already known to therapists or has been referred individually) will still receive a report. The Staff The secretary will arrange your appointment. You must confirm whether you are able to attend and must notify her of any changes The print quality of this copy is not an 4accurate representation of the original.

5 in the situation, such as if you want to cancel your appointments or report a change of address, GP etc. Please remember we have a waiting list. If you cannot keep an appointment please let the secretary know well in advance to enable us to see another child ( ). The doctor the consultant paediatrician or a deputy (associate specialist, staff grade or specialist registrar) will usually see your child, initially in the outpatient clinic. The doctor will ask you about your child s early development and take a detailed history which helps in the assessment. The doctor will also examine your child and arrange investigations if necessary. The doctor will always keep you and your GP informed of every decision or management plan made to help your child Paediatric audiology - the consultant paediatrician in audiology specialises in children s hearing and works with a team of audiologists. Usually there are two people in the clinic, either the consultant and an audiologist or two senior audiologists. It is very important for your child to have a test to find out their level of hearing, as a hearing problem can affect not just speech but other areas of development. It is also important to know if your child has normal hearing so that all the other people involved with assessing or helping your child can do so properly. The hearing test is carried out in the audiology clinic. Generally this is the one in the building near the main entrance to Fairfield General Hospital. However there may be occasions when we may need to offer an appointment at one of the peripheral clinics in Tottington or Radcliffe. The consultant acts as the link between the Child Development Centre and local authority hearing impairment services. The print quality of this copy is not an 5accurate representation of the original.

6 Educational psychologist - the educational psychologist is available for consultation with parents to discuss any concerns they may have regarding their children s learning or behaviour. The educational psychologist cannot undertake any assessment of the child at the Child Development Centre. For children who are attending an educational nursery or who are in school, an educational psychology assessment should be sought via the school. Pre-school children who are not attending an educational setting may be followed up by the educational psychologist for further assessment where appropriate. The physiotherapist - will check your child s muscle strength, muscle tone, joints and posture. They will assess your child s progression through the normal developmental stages of lying, sitting, crawling, standing and walking etc. Your child s balance and coordination will also be assessed. The physiotherapist may give you a programme of exercises to be carried out at home. They may also refer your child to the orthotic service for assessment of their footwear needs. The occupational therapist - will look at the way your child s play and independence skills are developing. She will be watching how he / she uses finer movements involving hand / eye coordination. She will advise about special equipment for home use (e.g. chairs) and adaptations at home if necessary. She may use a multisensory environment in some children with more complex needs. The speech therapist - will find out how you child communicates (both at home and in an age appropriate context) and how much he / she can understand when other people talk to him / her. The speech therapist will ask you questions about your child s speech and understanding at home. She will talk and play with your child The print quality of this copy is not an 6accurate representation of the original.

7 and listen to what he / she says, so that she can find out which sounds, words and sentences he / she uses and understands. If your child has swallowing and feeding difficulties, the speech and language therapist will recommend for further referral to the language therapist who specializes in swallowing and feeding disorders / difficulties. If your child is already seeing a local speech therapist an additional assessment may not be necessary. A report will be requested from your therapist. However, an additional assessment could be undertaken at your therapist's request. The orthopist - will measure your child s vision and eye movements. She / he will assess how your child uses their vision and help determine what effect this will have on their development. The orthoptist will assess your child s eye movements / ability to coordinate their eyes. The orthoptist is a member of the community eye service and will liaise with his / her colleagues to ensure comprehensive management of your child s ocular and visual development. The orthoptist acts as a link between the child development centre and local authority visual impairment services. The social worker - currently the child development centre do not have a social worker in the team. The social worker can help families where there may be additional needs. If you feel you need support from social services we advise you to contact the advice and assessment team at children's services, tel no The oral health promotion team - a member from the oral health promotion team may be present during the assessment of children under the age of 2 years. They will talk to parents and children to ensure that the children are following the correct regime concerning oral health. The advice is tailored to each individual child about the importance of tooth brushing, healthy snacks, The print quality of this copy is not an 7accurate representation of the original.

8 drinks and visiting the dentist. Parents and carers are welcome to ask advice regarding oral health for their child. If you do not have a family dentist for your child, the team can help arrange an appointment with the community dentist. The named worker - one of the team members will be your named worker throughout the time your child is at the child development centre. You should discuss any concerns or worries with her and she will then bring the matter to the team s attention. You will be notified of your named worker in the report. Parents are important The team who will be assessing the child includes you. You will have more personal knowledge of your child then we can ever hope to have so we value your contribution. Children can do things at home which they may not do when seen at the centre. We value your contribution very much and would expect you to be a partner in the ongoing assessment and treatment of your child. At your first attendance you will be asked to complete a history questionnaire which will avoid you being asked the same questions repeatedly by different professionals. If you are invited for a review meeting it would be of help if you would bring a handwritten report about your child s progress. If you are happy, and with your agreement, this report could then be typed and attached with your child s main report. Review Conferences Every 6 9 months the professionals involved with your child s management will meet to discuss progress in some cases. Parents, general practitioners, health visitors and any other professionals who may have been involved in your child s care will also be invited. A report from the conference will be sent to the parents as well as to the other professionals. The print quality of this copy is not an 8accurate representation of the original.

9 The review conferences always take place on Wednesday afternoons. Nearer the time, you will be notified of the time of the meeting. Because of the complexity of arranging multiple professionals and doctor s diaries, the review meeting appointments cannot be changed. You are considered to be an important partner in the review meetings and you are always welcome to attend these meetings. It would therefore be helpful if you would write a short report which could be included in your child's final report. You may however give your views verbally via your named worker, your own health visitor or school nurse as appropriate. We will make every effort to let you know the dates in advance. Smoking Smoking is injurious to health and there is plenty of evidence now that cigarette smoke can cause damage to children s health. Smoking is therefore not permitted within hospital grounds or buildings. Communication Please remember to tell your named worker if anything is worrying you at all. She will be able to direct you and arrange for you to talk to the appropriate member of the team about your worries. Things to bring When attending the centre please bring with you nappies, feed and feeding bottles, cups and any favourite toys that your child may need. Parents Feedback You will be asked to complete a questionnaire after your initial assessment for multidisciplinary assessment and after review meetings. We take your feedback seriously to improve our service and would welcome your suggestions. The print quality of this copy is not an 9accurate representation of the original.

10 We hope that with this combined approach we can be of some help to you and your child and we look forward to seeing you at the centre. The print quality of this copy is not an 10 accurate representation of the original.

11 Notes Useful Telephone numbers The print quality of this copy is not an 11 accurate representation of the original.

12 If English is not your frst language and you need help, please contact the Ethnic Health Team on Jeżeli angielski nie jest twoim pierwszym językiem i potrzebujesz pomocy proszę skontaktować się z załogą Ethnic Health pod numerem telefonu For general enquiries please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on For enquiries regarding clinic appointments, clinical care and treatment please contact and the Switchboard Operator will put you through to the correct department / service Date of publication: January 2010 Date of review: February 2014 Date of next review: February 2017 Ref: PI_WC_601 The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Wood pulp sourced from sustainable forests The print quality of this copy is not an accurate representation of the original.