Early Support
Services that support families and carers with young disabled children
A range of services exist to support families and carers with young disabled children, including Portage and Team Around the Child (TAC) meetings.
Portage
This is now an independent service known as PlayWise.
Early Support Co-ordinator
The Early Support Co-ordinator is available to help families in the early stages of a child's diagnosis.
Team Around the Child Meetings
A TAC meeting is an opportunity for parents, carers, children and professionals to meet up, share information and to decide a plan for the best way forward in the next few months. Team Around the Child is generally for children with disabilities aged 0-8 years. Meetings are kept as informal as possible, parents/carers are encouraged to bring along significant people in the child or family's life and there is an attempt to look at the needs of the whole family. Parents/carers are recognised as experts on their own children, are very much in the driving seat of the meeting and are encouraged to ask questions and to raise any points they wish. A plan is drawn up to best meet the needs identified and is based on the outcomes of being healthy, enjoying and achieving, staying safe, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. For more information please read the Team Around the Child Leaflet.
Sleep Counselling
This is offered for children and young people aged 2-18 years who have additional needs/disabilities. For more information please contact the Children's First Contact Service.
read the Sleep Counselling Leaflet.
To make a referral please use this referral form.
To access services or further information:
Practitioners and Families can call Children's First Contact Service on 020 8770 6001 or email childrensfirstcontactservice@sutton.gov.uk regarding any of the above services and how to make a referral.