Pre-school Information
WHO’S WHO AND WHAT’S WHAT
EDUCATION
If a child has a disability or additional needs, they may be receiving some help from the Health Department before they start school – possibly speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, or maybe extra help at playgroup. The staff working with pre-school children will want to let the Education Department know about any additional needs a child might have. This is to make sure that the children have the help they require when they start school. The Department responsible for schools is the Education Department and you can contact them at County Hall on 01437 764551.
Educational Psychologist
Educational Psychologists understand how children learn and develop. They are trained to work with children from birth to 19 who are having difficulty with learning or behaviour. They work with parents, teachers and other professionals to assess what difficulties a child may be having. Educational Psychologists are based in the Education Department at County Hall.
Telephone: 01437 764551
Learning Support Assistants
They work closely with teachers and SENCOs to help children with their education. They provide support to children under the direction of the teacher.
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)
All schools have a teacher who is responsible for co-ordinating the help received by the children in school who have special needs. This teacher is called the SENCO. In smaller schools the SENCO if often the Head Teacher or Deputy Head. In larger schools the SENCO will be the Head of the Special Needs Department. This is the person to speak to if you have concerns about how your child is doing in school.
Special Needs Support Services
Specialist teachers come into school to give advice and support to teachers, individual children and their parents. The work of the service includes:
support for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties
support for children with sensory impairments
support and advice to pre-school children with disabilities and to their parents
Support teachers are based in the Education Department at County Hall.
Telephone: 01437 764551
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
A child with a learning difficulty finds it harder to learn than other children of the same age. It may also be that the child has some behavioural difficulties that make it difficult for them to concentrate on learning. Education Law says that if a child has a learning difficulty then they should have extra help at school. Most of the children who have a special need stay at their mainstream school and the extra help is given to them there. Some children who have very particular difficulties may go to a specialist school so that theses needs can be focussed on.
Code of Practice
How do schools know what to do about a child’s special educational need? The Code of Practice is a rulebook that the government gives to schools, nurseries etc to tell them how to help with the children within their schools who have special needs.
HEALTH
Most of our health services are based in Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest. There are lots of departments within the hospital which offer help and support to children who may have disabilities and their families. The way to get support from the hospital is often through the GP, who will be the first point of contact for most families who have worries about their child’s development. The following is a list of the people you might meet, but there are lots of professionals working in the Health Service, with a variety of titles. If you have an appointment with someone, but don’t really understand what that person does, always ask them.
Audiology
The Paediatric Audiology service ensures that any child with a hearing loss is seen early and suitable help is given. An Audiologist will organise tests to assess hearing levels and advise on aids to improve hearing if this is necessary.
Telephone: 01437 764545
CDT – Child Development Team
When a child is first thought to have a difficulty, and has various assessments it can be a worrying time for a family. The Child Development Team (CDT) is set up to support families at this time. The team is made up of all the professionals working with the child. They meet up regularly (usually 6 monthly) to look at the progress the child has made, and make a plan setting out what should be happening next.
Telephone: 01437 764569
Clinical Psychologist
A Clinical Psychologist for children with difficulties will help parents to deal with behavioural, emotional and developmental problems. They will work with families either in their own home or in a clinic. There is a Clinical Psychologist based in the Child Health Department at Withybush Hospital and another based with the positive Behaviour Intervention Service at Haverfordia House.
Community Nurse for Children with Learning Disabilities.
Community Nurses work with people of all ages who have a learning disability. They can help with health difficulties, continence problems, developing independence, learning new skills and behaviour etc. They also offer support and advice to parents and carers.
Telephone: Martin Clarkson 01437 776193
Family Doctor (GP)
Your family doctor will usually be your starting point for any concern about your child’s health or development. Your GP acts as a gateway to other professionals and can refer you to specialist services for tests, diagnosis or treatment.
Health Visitors
Health Visitors are trained nurses with specialist qualifications who can give advice on childcare and development. They have special responsibility for all children under 5 and will give new parents a red book to record a Child's personal healthrecord. They may see you in your home or at a clinic.
Occupational Therapy for Children
The Paediatric OT service is based at Withybush General Hospital and aims to help children access play and learning experiences and increase their independence. Children from 0-19 are seen either in clinic at the hospital, or in the community – at home, school or playgroup. The OT would assess a child’s needs and offer individual treatments and advice. Advice about specialised equipment and seating can also be given.
Contact: Ann Holden Paediatric Occupational Therapist
Telephone: 01437 773052
Ophthalmology Services
If a child is thought to have any problems with their vision they may be referred to a Consultant Ophthalmologist at the hospital. The child may be seen by a Orthopist who assesses for visual problems and squints.
Tel: 01437 764545
Paediatrician (Community)
Community Paediatricians are doctors who specialise in assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children and young people. They work with lots of other professionals such as Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Speech Therapists. The Consultant Community Paediatrician leads a team of doctors called Clinical Medical Officers, who have specialist training including Educational Medicine, Social and Behavioural Paediatrics, Child Development and Disability. The Community Paediatrician sees children with a range of special needs.
Telephone: Dr V Vipulendran 01437 773844
Clinical Medical Officers (CMO)
Clinical Medical Officers are doctors working within the Child Health Department at the hospital. They usually see children in their own home community and are linked with local schools. They offer lots of services including:
Health screening
Assessment of children with developmental difficulties or delay
Assessment for possible educational needs
Hearing and vision checks
Child Protection work
The Clinical Medical Officers work as a team along with Health Visitors, School Nurses and others to provide a comprehensive health care service for children within local areas.
Telephone: 01437 764545
Paediatrician (Hospital)
Hospital Consultant Paediatricians play a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of children with acute illnesses as well as disability and chronic illness.
Hospital Consultants see children in the hospital ward and also in hospital out-patient departments. They may hold joint out-patient clinics locally with visiting Consultant Specialists from another hospital.
Tel: 01437 764545
Physiotherapy Services
Physiotherapists (physios) use exercise and other physical treatments to improve movement, strength and co-ordination and to help the body to develop and work properly. They can show parents and carers, teachers and assistants how to handle a child to help him/her cope better with the needs of daily life and to reach their greatest possible level of mobility. Treatment may be given at home, the clinic or in school.
Tel: Jane Walker 01437 773261
Positive Behaviour Intervention Service - PBIS
The Positive Behaviour Intervention Service is a group of health workers who offer advice and support – mainly about managing behaviour - to people with learning disabilities and their families. They will assess children and young people who have behaviour which is proving difficult, and will develop a plan to help families to manage the behaviour. They will work with a family until they feel they are confident about dealing with the behaviour.
Tel: 01437 776404
School Nurses
School Nurses are nurses who have specialist skills in dealing with the health needs of children. They have overall responsibility for the health screening of all children in school and they are available to meet parents to deal with any aspect of their child’s health they may be concerned about. School Nurses also work closely with teachers on health education programmes in school, as well as on a one-to-one basis with a child and family. Each school in Pembrokeshire has their own School Nurse and School Doctor. The school nurse will take over from the Health Visitor when a child begins school.
Telephone: 01437 773850
Speech and Language Therapy
The Speech and Language Therapist is concerned with assessing, diagnosing and helping children with a wide range and variety of communication difficulties. They also help with feeding and swallowing problems in children. Communication covers a wide range of things including speaking, listening, reading and writing. Therapists provide support and advice to both children and their carers. They work closely with teachers and health professionals, including doctors and psychologists. Children are seen at home, in the clinic or school.
Tel: Lynne Roberts 01437 773393 or 773267
SOCIAL CARE AND HOUSING
If you need help in meeting your child’s needs at home, then a referral has to be made to the Social Care and Housing Department at County Hall. This referral can come from you, or from one of the professionals working with you and your family. The following are the workers, or teams you may meet once a referral has been made.
Child Care Support Worker
Child Care Support Workers can work with families who have disabled children in lots of ways. They can help care for the child in their own home or take the child out to join community activities. The role of the support is to help develop the child’s confidence and self-esteem, so that the child can be part of their community.
Telephone: 01437 764551
Social Workers
Social Workers offer advice, information and emotional support. They assess the needs of children and young people and their families and then organise and co-ordinate the services they need. There is a team of social workers who work with children with disabilities. At times the social work teams also work with children who have suffered harm, or may be at risk of harm.
Telephone: 01437 764551
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Social Care and Housing or Education may give money to voluntary or charitable groups to provide some services for families. Here are some of those offering services or advice in Pembrokeshire.
Barnardo’s
Barnardo’s is a national charity. In Pembrokeshire it provides support for families and young people using money given to them by the Social Care and Housing Department at the County Council. Barnardo’s provide ‘sessional workers’, who support children at after school activities and sometimes provide holiday activities.
Tel: 01646 687064
Host Families
Host families are carers who provide short breaks for children with disabilities. This support may be for a few hours every week, to a few days now and again. The level of support offered would depend on the assessed needs of the child. Families are offered support through the Barnardo’s project after an assessment has been made by the Social Care and Housing Department of a child’s needs. The Social Workers would then refer the child and their family to the project for support.
Telephone: 01646 687064
Special Needs Assessment Playgroup (SNAP Haverfordwest)
This is a playgroup held at the Child Health Department at Withybush Hospital for children with a disability or developmental delay. Through the play opportunities SNAP provides they assess a child’s developmental needs and plan their future needs in readiness for them starting school or local playgroups. There is also a small SNAP playgroup in Pembroke Dock.
Telephone 01437 773860
Special Needs Advisory Project (SNAP Cymru)
The SNAP project gives information, advice and support to parents to help them make sure their children are having the support they need within schools. They can offer help to parents during the assessment of their child’s educational needs with writing or understanding reports, writing letters and attending meetings. They are also helpful for directing parents towards other support eg other voluntary groups, explaining options, helping them to understand the jargon used by professionals and helping them to understand the processes of help and support for them and their children.
Telephone: 01437 768097
HOME-START PRESELI
Home-Start is based in Fishguard and offers free support, friendship and practical help to families with at least one child under five and living in the north of the county – from Narberth/Broad Haven northwards. Families are visited regularly in their own homes by volunteers who have all had experience of parents, and know how hard it can sometimes be.
Telephone: 01348 872727
CHILDREN'S INFORMATION SERVICE - CIS
This is an information service which covers the whole of Pembrokeshire and can offer accurate, impartial and up-to-date information on many aspects of child care. for example they have details of childminders, creche facilities, playgroups and holiday play schemes, as well as information about the toy library.
For more information telephone: 01437 763344