The Children with Disabilities (CWD) team

The Children with Disabilities (CWD) team support children and young people who have substantial and long-term disabilities or complex health needs that are severe or profound. The needs arising from the disability mean that they need specialist support:

  • in the home
  • to attend an education setting
  • to take part in social activities
  • to take an equal part in the life of the community

A person may be born with a disability or may acquire it at some stage in their life.

The following are indicators that the provision of specialist services through the CWD team may be appropriate:

  • physical disability and or complex health needs that require daily specialist medical or nursing care in the home and to enable the child or young person to participate in social and educational activities

  • diagnosed profound learning disability that requires attendance at special educational provision. This is different to a ‘learning difficulty’

  • behaviours arising from the disability that:

    • challenge the parent carer
    • impact on all aspects of the child or young person’s functioning
    • pose a severe risk to the child, parent carer or others

  • being fully dependant on others, or requiring very high levels of support for all aspects of personal care

  • disability needs requires the need for constant care and or supervision throughout the day and night, without which they or others would be at significant risk of harm

  • the parent carer suffers sleep deprivation on a regular basis due to meeting the disability needs through the night

  • the level of care required to meet the disabled child’s needs indicates there is a risk of the parent carer not being able to continue to care

  • without specialist support the child is likely to need a specialist residential or educational placement

Other factors may also be considered. The CWD team leader will decide if this is the right team to support the child and their family. The CWD team offers consultation to all Stockport social work teams supporting families where a child has a disability.