The Children with a Disability Unit provides advice and support for children and young people with disabilities and their families. If your child has a substantial and permanent physical, sensory or learning disability, you can contact the team by getting in touch with any Gateway to care.

The unit is part of a support network which includes doctors, occupational therapists and education services.

Depending on the needs of the child and family the team can arrange help from the following services:

Assessment teams – assess the needs of the family and work with families and other agencies to prepare, carry out and review care plans.

Short stays (respite care)
Family Link - A free service for families who look after a disabled child at home. Children can stay with another family for regular short breaks to give their own families a rest and provide them with a different environment. Children will stay with volunteer foster families who have been carefully selected and trained. Volunteers come from various backgrounds and may be single people or a family unit. Family Link is normally only provided for younger children

Residential stays - Older children with a physical or learning disability may need short or longer term care which Adult Services provides in residential homes for disabled children.

Orchard View - Provides short breaks for children and young people who have various disabilities and are aged between 10 and 18. Breaks can be for two or three days and nights, a month or even just during the day.

Elm Grove - Provides medium and long-term care for children and young people with a disability who cannot be cared for in their family home.

Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children’s care when they use these facilities.
Out and About scheme - provides carefully selected volunteers who take children on day trips and visits. Volunteers are flexible with their time and will do their best to be available when needed up to a maximum of 20 hours a month.

Holiday playschemes - The Young People’s Activity Team works with voluntary organisations to run specialist playschemes and organised activities throughout Kirklees during school holidays. The activities are for disabled children and young people aged 5-18 years.

Youth Club - The Youth Club offers a service for those aged between 12 and 18 who have a disability.

Saturday Club - This is a service for those aged between five and 12 years with a disability. It offers them the opportunity to socialise and take part in activities.

Direct payments - Families who need support are increasingly offered direct payments so they can arrange their own support rather than use that organised by the local authority. For instance, they could employ a care assistant in their home, or use activity or respite centres provided by private or voluntary organisations.

Adapting your home - Looking after a disabled child can sometimes be made easier by making some changes to your home – creating a downstairs bathroom and shower room for example.

When Adult Services agrees that adaptations to your home are needed it can arrange this work for you. Sometimes a more suitable home may be found for you.
Families will usually be asked to contribute towards the cost of any changes or adaptations and this amount will depend on their income and savings.

Equipment and household items - Specialist items of equipment could help you and your child at home. These include dressing aids, large button telephones, hoists, and items which increase or decrease the height of your furniture. These can be borrowed free from Adult Services. You may want to buy small items such as walking sticks and specially-designed cutlery. The Equipment Exhibition and Shop at the Walsh Building in Dewsbury has equipment you can try out before you decide to buy. Shop staff can also give advice on other local suppliers.