Support for children with disabilities

Stirling Council has a legal duty to support children and young people with disabilities.

If a child or young person is affected by disability, they’re entitled to an assessment by our Children with Disabilities team. This assessment is a way for us to work out:

• how much support they need
• how we can help them

These assessments are nothing to worry about. In all cases, our aim is to:

• give you support and information
• help all children and young people in Stirling to grow up happy and healthy

How to ask for an assessment

To ask for an assessment, contact our Children with Disabilities team.

The team will:

• send you an assessment application form
• explain what other information you need to provide
• answer any questions you might have about the application process

You can contact the team by either:

• emailing cfrdisdutyteam@stirling.gov.uk
• calling 01786 404040

What happens after you send a form

Once we’ve received and processed your form, we’ll:

• contact you, and give you a chance to ask any questions
• add you to our waiting list

During this time, you can ask your duty worker for updates.

Assessments

Your case will then be allocated to a dedicated social worker or family support worker. They’ll work with you to carry out an assessment of your child or young person’s needs. This is called an outcome-focused assessment.

In cases where a child needs equipment to support them at home, our paediatric occupational therapists will help with any assessment.

If the young person is over 14, we’ll also offer a transition assessment. This is a way for us to review their needs as they move into adulthood.

In all cases, we’ll also offer a carer's assessment. This is a way for us to identify:

• your needs as a carer
• your capacity to provide support

We understand that caring for someone affected by disability can be challenging. It’s not a sign of weakness to:

• acknowledge that you need a break
• ask for help

To help with this, we work with a range of partners to provide respite care. At present, we can offer:

• day respite
• short-break residential respite

If you have any questions about this care, you can call us on 01786 404040.

Day respite

Day respite is a way for carers to get a short break during the day. It usually involves a provider:

• coming into your home to support your child or young person while you go out
• taking your child or young person out whilst you rest or relax

Short-break residential respite

Short-break residential respite is a way for a carer to get a longer break from their caring routines or responsibilities. This might just be overnight, or it could last over a week.

This type of respite might involve a provider:

• coming into your home and staying with your child or young person whilst you leave for an agreed amount of time
• hosting you, your child and your family for an agreed amount of time, and providing any assistance you need

In some cases, a provider might be able to look after a specific child so you have a chance to:

• rest
• spend time with other children within the family

Our Children and Families team has produced an information pack that lists many useful services for young people with disabilities.