Disabled Children's Record

What is the Disabled Children's Record?

The Children Act 1989 required all local authorities to establish a record of disabled children in their areas. This is known as the Disabled Children's Record and is kept up to date by the children's disability team in Salford.

The information on the record is confidential. It conforms to the Data Protection Act 1998. Only professionals from social care, education and health services can have access via the record co-ordinator who works in the children's disability team.

What are the benefits of being included on the record?

Although inclusion on the record is voluntary, we hope that as many parents as possible will agree to their child's name being included as it has many benefits.

• It helps to keep parents, carers, children and young people better informed about what is available in Salford
• It provides information about where disabled children are living and so enables better planning of services to meet the needs of all Salford's disabled children
• It enables real opportunity for consultation and involvement of parents, carers and disabled children and young people in the development of services
• It provides information about the needs of all disabled children in Salford and will support multi-agency working
• It will help in the transition to adulthood

The record is not linked to any other record and will not affect entitlement to services or benefits.

Who should record their details?

The record is open to disabled children and young people who:

• Are aged up to 18 years
• Live in Salford
• Have in their opinion, or the opinion of their parents/carers, a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities

Disability includes for example:

• Physical conditions which are permanent or require lengthy treatment
• Learning disabilities
• Behavioural difficulties
• Sensory loss
• Children on complex medication or treatment programmes like dialysis

What information is kept?

Core information including: name, address, age, type of disability, GP, school, and information on any services currently being received or are waiting for. The record is held on a secure computer system with strictly controlled access. Parents, carers and young people can request a copy of the information held about them.

What next?

Contact the multi-agency team on 0161 603 4500.