JIGSAW – Team for Disabled Children
JIGSAW supports children and young people and their families who have a Southampton address with a complex level of need. Please see referral criteria details below.
JIGSAW (Children with Disabilities Team) is a specialist and statutory multi-agency health and social care service that undertakes assessments and provides services at the complex level of needs.
The Team supports disabled children, young people and their families whose main need for service arises from their disability or their intrinsic condition, and where these conditions have a complex impact on the quality of the child’s life or/and the lives of their families.
The Service intervenes where their needs cannot be fully met by universal and targeted services alone.
Children are defined as ‘children in need’ by the Children Act 1989 because of their disability. Some of those children are also assessed as having complex needs that may require specialist support from JIGSAW (Children with Disabilities Team), in addition to universal and targeted services, because they have disabilities or illnesses that are severe and enduring, including one or more of the following;
- Learning disabilities within the moderate, severe or profound range.
- A severe physical (including visual and hearing) health condition or impairment which is life limiting, or significantly affects, or is predicted to affect, everyday life functioning or a child’s access to education (e.g. in a wheelchair, has adapted living, requires total personal care support, requires communication aids) and their ability to achieve outcomes appropriate to their age related potential. These children are likely to be subject to Children’s Continuing Care Arrangements because of the complexity of their health needs or an Advance Care Plan. They may also have Autism, and their behaviour is likely to present a serious risk of harm to self or others.
Other disabled children may have additional needs but the impact of their disability on their day to day living arrangements means that they do not require specialist statutory support and their needs can be met appropriately with additional support from universal and targeted services, including mainstream Children’s Services.
The JIGSAW team
The three separate strands (Health, Statutory Social Care and Statutory Occupation Therapy) are drawn together through the Team Manager role.
It is made up of professionals from the following disciplines:
- CAMHS Learning Disability Nursing
- Clinical Psychology
- Family Therapy
- Health Community Support Workers
- Learning Disability Nursing
- Occupational Therapy (Statutory and Health)
- Registered Mental Nurse
- Registered Social Workers
- Speech and Language Therapy
Whilst there is a single line management arrangement for the service, each professional group will be professionally accountable to the professional lead in each area (e.g. OT will be accountable to a lead OT).
The Jigsaw service also has the statutory Short Break Service sat within it. This also includes the Buzz Network, which is accessible to all children and young people within the City who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This is overseen and managed by the Short Break Officer. For further information please see the Short Breaks Statement. The Short Breaks Officer also maintains the Register of Disabled Children for Southampton City Council.
For more detailed information about the eligibility criteria please see the Disabled Children’s Service Children’s Social Care Threshold and Eligibility Criteria document.
To make a referral for Children’s Social Care support, please complete the online referral form via The Children's Resource Service.
| Document | Type | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Disabled Children’s Service Children’s Social Care Threshold And Eligibility Criteria | docx | 689.6 KB |
| Occupational Therapy Referral Form May 2018 | doc | 242.5 KB |
| JIGSAW Complaints Process March 2016 | docx | 14.2 KB |
| JIGSAW Complaints Form | doc | 56.5 KB |
| JIGSAW Patient Experience Strategy | doc | 455.5 KB |
| Direct Payment Support Plan Template | doc | 122 KB |
| Direct Payment Letter of Agreement Template | doc | 118.5 KB |
