Helping children with disabilities

Our Children with Disabilities Team

 Our team helps families with a disabled child to access information, advice, and support.

We work with children where their disability is impacting on their lives. You can ask us for an assessment of your child or your needs as a parent or carer. 

Call us on 0191 277 4700 Monday to Friday 8:45am to 5:00pm.

Who do the Children with Disability Team work with?

The term disability covers a broad spectrum of support needs. The Children with Disabilities Team will work with all children where their disability is impacting on their ability to achieve their full potential.

If your child receives special educational needs support because of their disability you may be eligible for our support. For example, children who have a Special Education Needs Statement or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). If a child is entitled to Disability Living Allowance (DLA)Higher Rate, this is a good indicator that we would be able to offer support to your family.

The team will not usually work with children whose main need for support relates to emotional/behavioural development or is connected to a mental health problem. There are some conditions that you can get support for through your child's school: dyscalculia, dyspraxia and dyslexia.     

Disabled Children’s Register

By law we are required to keep a Disabled Children’s Register. We use it to help us improve services now and in the future.

By being on the register you will be kept informed of what services are available and how you can get involved if you want to.  Joining the register is voluntary but if you register your child we will:

• Give you a Max Card to get discounts into various cultural venues across the region.
• Let you know how we have used your information every year at our annual parent-carer conference
• Send you our newsletter
• Keep you updated on what we can offer you
• Update you about new developments in services for disabled children
• Inform you of ways you can get involved.

 Complete the Disabled Children's Register online form

If you want more information about the register email  disabled.childrens.register@newcastle.gov.uk

Short Break Offer

We have a duty to provide short breaks for disabled children and young people.

A short break is an opportunity for disabled children and young people to spend time relaxing and having fun with their friends. Short breaks can give families a rest from their caring responsibilities and they can offer families the means to spend quality time together.

Our short break statement sets out what services are available, the eligibility criteria for these services, and the range of short breaks is designed to meet the local needs.  Read our Short Break statement 

Personal Budgets

A personal budget is our usual way for providing funding to families to meet a child or young person’s assessed need.  They are a statutory right for eligible children (Children and Families Act 2014)

Read all about how Personal Budgets work in our Local Offer.