Child Development Centre

About our Services

We aim to provide a specialist assessment and intervention service for children up to the age of 12 years who have neuro-developmental disorders, disabilities and complex health needs.

The team consists of:

• Consultant Clinical Psychologist/Child Psychologists (approx. 2 full time posts)
• Child Behaviour Specialist (1 full time post)

We work in close collaboration with staff from other professions who work within the Child Development Centre (CDC).

Referrals

We take referrals from the paediatricians who work in the CDC, community paediatricians and general paediatricians, as well as other health professionals who make up the CDC team.

Reasons for Referral

Referrals are taken for children with developmental problems, a disability or complex health needs, where concerns exist about development, behaviour or other psychological issues.

Assessment

The team uses a combination of assessment methods; observation in different contexts, interviews with parents, looking at children's abilities and information gathering from people who care for the child. We use these to make comprehensive assessments of individual children. We also consult with other professionals who know the child.

This information can be used as a basis to decide on appropriate intervention. It may also be used to contribute to assessment/diagnostic decisions that are being carried out within the CDC.

Intervention

Following assessment, clinicians are often involved in developing programmes to help and support families and to deal with issues that are of concern. The team member may also work directly with the child where this is appropriate.

The Child Behaviour Specialist works mostly in homes and in community settings on specific behavioural concerns.

Where we provide services

The service operates within the Child Development Centre (CDC) at St Luke's Hospital in Bradford and the psychology service is part of the multi-disciplinary team within the CDC. We aim to collaborate with other agencies that are involved with the child and see this as a vital part of our work.

Team members are also involved with a variety of initiatives, planning groups and interest groups, which are relevant to work with children.

We also contribute to other multi-professional activities, such as the Bradford Hospitals Trust Feeding Team.

Psychology members regularly provide teaching to groups, usually within the Hospitals Trust.

Appointment Times

We offer appointments Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wherever possible, we try to arrange times to suit the needs of the families that have been referred. Appointments vary in length, but may be up to a couple of hours for a detailed interview or assessment.

Other Information

There is a toy library, open to any child with special needs, situated near to the Child Development Centre at St Luke's Hospital. The librarians can advise on suitable toys to borrow to use at home. In addition, the Laura Jackson Library has a good selection of books and videos which may be borrowed by parents.

Toy Library and Laura Jackson Library tel. 01274 365463 (mornings).

Bradford Children's Information Link – enables parents to obtain up to date information about all aspects of childcare, nursery education, children's activities and family support.
www.bradford.gov.uk/childcare

Contact a Family –a UK charity providing support and advice for families who have a disabled child or a child with a medical condition.
www.cafamily.org.uk