Find out about health and care services for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Health and care services in North Yorkshire are provided by a number of different services as well as by us.
Health services are often commissioned on a locality basis, although some are delivered by a single health provider across the whole county. Each commissioned service will have its own:
- agreed eligibility criteria (who can access the service)
- agreed referral criteria (how to access the service)
A health services glossary has been developed to provide some general information on the types of health care provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in North Yorkshire. Please also see the important referral information below.
If you have any questions regarding any of the health services in the local offer, and whether your child might benefit from referral, please discuss these with your general practitioner or any of the existing health professionals involved with the care of your child.
Health care referrals
During the time when you are meeting (and are involved) with health care professionals, they may suggest and organise a referral. This might be in relation to your child's health needs and / or in relation to any outcomes which may have been discussed at family meetings.
For the majority of services you will require a referral from a health professional and an appointment. To avoid any unnecessary travel, please do not opportunistically attend any of the service venues listed, unless the service description explicitly advises otherwise.
Funding for specialist equipment
Some children and young people will need specialist equipment in place at their educational setting.
The following is a brief summary of where responsibility for funding such equipment lies. Further guidance on responsibilities for equipment can be found via the links in the information for practitioners section.
| Item | School | Health | Local Authority | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal care | Yes | Items such as nappy bags, plastic gloves etc. are a reasonable adjustment for the school to provide and are personal protective equipment (PPE) rather than medical equipment | ||
| Medical | Yes | A child who needs things like syringes, continence pads, inhalers, blood glucose testers, sharps boxes etc. would get these prescribed. | ||
| Fixed hoists | Yes | For ceiling mounted hoists then strategic services may fund. | ||
| Mobile hoists | Yes | Yes | Mobile hoists are not particularly specialist equipment in a special school such as the Dales School, as it can be used by a number of pupils there. Therefore, these should be funded by the school as part of their standard equipment. However, in a special school such as Brompton Hall School which doesn’t generally cater for physical needs then it might be considered specialist and the equipment panel would need to consider this. | |
| Slings | Yes | Slings, which are used with hoists, are individual to a child and a school can request funding from our children’s specialist equipment budget for these. | ||
| Wheelchairs | Yes | If a child or young person meets the criteria for a wheelchair then these come via the wheelchair centre. | ||
| Specialist seating | Yes | Don't know | Many children and young people with physical needs who attend special schools require specialist seating. This is not the same as a wheelchair but some people confuse the terminology as they are on wheels. The first £500 rule applies and schools may also request top up, although this will not be automatic. |
Many children and young people with physical needs who attend special schools require specialist seating. This is not the same as a wheelchair but some people confuse the terminology as they are on wheels.
The first £500 rule applies and schools may also request top up, although this will not be automatic.
More information about finance and the first £500 rule is available in the specialist equipment in schools and educational settings guidance.
Transforming care is about making health and care work better for children and young people with autism or learning disabilities. It is the name used to describe how health, social care and education should work together to improve health and care services in local areas. You can find out more about the Transforming Care Programme on the Council for Disabled Children's information sheet.
Care and education treatment reviews
If a young person is either in a mental health hospital, or there are concerns that they might need to be admitted to hospital for their mental health needs, then a care and education treatment review may be suggested. This is a multi-agency meeting that brings the professionals involved in a young person’s care together.
The care and education treatment review meeting
The meeting lasts for full day and is led by a panel that includes:
- a chair person from the local clinical commissioning group
- a clinical expert
- an expert by experience (a parent or carer who has similar experiences).
The panel look at the current care and treatment needs by reviewing care plans and assessments, and finding out the views and wishes of the young person, family and professionals. The panel then make recommendations that are shared with the family and the lead professionals involved, with the aim that these may help support the young person’s needs to be met in the community where possible.
Eligibility for care and education treatment review and referrals
Young people with a diagnosis of autism and / or a learning disability, who are either in hospital or being considered for admission to hospital due to their mental health needs, should have a review.
Referrals can be made by professionals involved in the young persons’ care. Families can request a review through their lead professional.
Young people with a diagnosis of autism and / or a learning disability who are receiving intensive support for their mental health needs should also be included on the dynamic support register. This is held by the local clinical commissioning group. This raises awareness with professionals that additional support may be required and ensures a review is offered at the right time.
Further information
- NHS England - care and education treatment review code and toolkit
- NHS England - care and education treatment review community workbook
- NHS England - care and education treatment review policy
- NHS England - care and education treatment review policy (easy read)
- Council of Disabled Children - family survival guide
- CETR Local Offer
Annual health checks and learning disabilities
Annual health checks are for adults and young people aged 14 or over with a learning disability. An annual health check helps you stay well by talking about your health and finding any problems early, so you are able to get the right care. You do not have to be ill to have a health check. In fact, most people have their annual health check when they are feeling well.
Who's eligible?
Anyone aged 14 or over who is registered having a learning disability with their general practitioner can have a free annual health check once a year. You can ask to be registered if you think you have a learning disability. You do not need to be diagnosed with a learning disability to be registered.
There is a learning disability register and a register of social care needs managed by local councils. Check with your general practitioner's practice if you or the person you care for is on the register.
Personal health budgets
Personal health budgets are the allocation of NHS funding to support a person's health and wellbeing needs. A budget can be spent on anything that is set out in a support plan and agreed with the local NHS team. It can be held by the individual, a third party or a statutory body. Patients or service users, after an assessment, are able to personally control and use for the services they choose to support their health needs. Anyone eligible for continuing healthcare funding, including children, has a right to ask for and receive a personal health budget.
Parts of a personal health budget
The person with the personal health budget (or their representative) will:
- be able to choose the health and wellbeing outcomes they want to achieve, in agreement with a healthcare professional
- know how much money they have for their health care and support
- be enabled to create their own care plan, with support if they want it
- be able to choose how their budget is held and managed, including the right to ask for a direct payment
- be able to spend the money in ways and at times that make sense to them, as agreed in their plan
Children and young people eligible for continuing healthcare funding may include those with needs arising from:
- disability
- illness or life limiting conditions
- accident
- palliative care
Continuing care can be considered only if the needs of the child or young person can not be met from existing universal and specialist services.
For more information about personal health budgets, contact your NHS continuing care team on 0300 303 8294.
Personal health budgets in your area
Further information about personal health budgets in your local area can be found as follows:
Bradford and Craven
Via the Bradford and Craven CCG website.
North Yorkshire CCG
Via the North Yorkshire CCG website.
Vale of York
Children's hospices
Children's hospices provide specialist respite and terminal care for children suffering from life limiting conditions in a home-to-home environment.
More information on hospice care can be found on our hospice care for children page.
Clinical commissioning groups
Clinical commissioning groups organise the local delivery of certain NHS services in England. The following groups operate within the North Yorkshire area:
- NHS Bradford and Craven clinical commissioning group website.
- NHS North Cumbria clinical commissioning group website
- NHS North Yorkshire clinical commissioning group website
- NHS Vale of York clinical commissioning group website