Social Work Child Disability Team
By
Thursday, November 18, 2004
The team for disability is based at the Livingston Social Work office at Cheviot House, Owen Square, Livingston. Telephone 01506 777 777 and ask to speak to the team for children with a disability.
They can offer support with getting benefits, respite care, adaptations and equipment, among other things. You can refer your family, or Signpost can refer you. The Social Work team can provide a Section 23 Assessment, which looks at the young person's needs, and a Carers's assessment, which looks at the support parents or other family members need. Based on these assessments, they may then be able to offer services such as respite or help with the cost of adaptations or equipment.
Direct payments
If your local authority decides that you or your child need community care or children’s services, they must offer you direct payments as an alternative to arranging the services for you. If you get direct payments you must use it to arrange services that meet your assessed needs (information taken from the Scottish Executive 'Guide to Receiving Direct Payments'). You can choose whether or not to receive Direct Payments. A guide to claiming and receiving DP in Scotland can be found here.
The local contact for information about claiming Direct Payments is
Jane Kellock
Service Development Officer
West Lothian Council
Almodvale Boulevard
LIVINGSTON
EH54 6QG
Tel: 01506 777 846
Support with the decision about whether to claim Direct Payments can be found by contacting the Lothian Centre for Independent Living on 0131 475 2350.
