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PLEASE NOTE

WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING ANY NEW APPLICATIONS FOR SENSORY ASSESSMENTS

Letter to all current applicants

29-11-2014

Dear Parent/Carer

We are writing to inform you that there is now a sensory processing difficulties (SPD) pilot project run by Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group and in partnership with ADDvanced Solutions Community Network.

This project has been developed in collaboration with the Neurodevelopmental Pathway. It is a pilot service for children whose difficulty in processing sensory information is having a significant impact on their daily functioning. It will run from November 2014 – November 2015.
This service will offer a range of intervention that is dependent on each child’s individual need and MAY include:

Awareness raising for parents and professionals
Advice and recommendations
Community networking and support
Clinical assessment
Therapy programmes
Sensory-motor strategies
Sensory Integration Therapy from qualified Occupational Therapists

With the development of this new project The Isabella Trust have reviewed their application process and all current applicants and future applicants are now required to initially access the SPD Pilot Project .

Referral to the SPD Pilot Project is via the following:

Neurodevelopmental pathway
Professional referral
Self referral at designated ADDvanced Solutions drop-in sessions where a trained Occupational Therapist is present. Dates and venue for the designated drop-in sessions are:

Tuesday 6^th January 15, 12-45 until 3pm at Mere Lane Neighbourhood centre.

Tuesday 24^th February 15, 12.45-3pm at Townsend Lane Health Centre.

For further information regarding the SPD Pilot, contact the Children’s Occupational Therapy duty officer on: 0151 225 6062 or ADDvanced Solutions on: 0151 486 1788

Should your referral for a sensory service via the SPD Pilot Project be unsuccessful we at The Isabella Trust will review your current application.

Please Note: All applications will not be considered unless you have tried to access the SPD Pilot Project firstly.

The Isabella Trust was set up in November 2013 due to a lack of services supporting children and young people with SPD, the aim of the trust was to provide access to sensory assessments for children with SPD difficulties. It is fantastic news that Liverpool has recognised the gap in services for Children with SPD and is piloting this project..

The Isabella Trust will continue to provide services for children with SPD but we would not want to duplicate a service that has already been offered to a family or is available through Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group . We would only offer a sensory assessment once the applicant has already explored support from the SPD pilot.

We would strongly advise parent to attend one of the designated ADDvanced Solutions drop-in sessions where they can make a direct referral to access the services on offer by the SPD pilot.

If you would like to discuss this further please telephone myself on 0151 792 8178

Yours Sincerely

Tracy Bowyer

Service Manger

We will keep you updated with any further developments as and when we become aware.

There are two types of assessments available, a full sensory assessment and a clinic assessment.

As the Isabella Trust has limited funding, and is unable to help all families caring for a Child With Sensory Processing Disorder we use our own disability criteria to determine whether a child is eligible.

You do not need to wait for a diagnosis for your child to make an application for a grant if you think your child may meet the criteria below. Disability Living Allowance awards are not an indicator that a child would be eligible for a Sensory Assessment as we use our own disability criteria.

To meet the Isabella Trust’s disability criteria, children and young people must have Sensory Processing Difficulties.

There must be evidence that the child or young person’s additional needs impact on a family’s choices and their opportunity to enjoy ordinary life. The degree of planning and support required to meet their needs must also be much greater than that usually required to meet the needs of children and young people.

AND

They must require a high level of support in three or more of the following areas:

• The physical environment

• Education

• Communication

• Access to social activities

• Personal care, supervision and vigilance

• Specialist resources, including Information and Communications Technology, required

If you can say ‘yes‘ to the following, Isabella Trust may be able to help you and your family:

•The child resides within the Liverpool Local Authority boundaries.

•I have current legal residency in the UK and have lived in the UK for the last 6 months, and I am eligible to work and apply for public funds

•I am a parent or carer of a child or young person aged 17 or under with Sensory Processing Difficulties who lives at home.

•I am eligible for, and I can send evidence of one of the following: Universal Credit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Job Seekers, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Employment Support Allowance, Housing benefit, Pension Credit.

•I have an annual household income of less than £26,000 excluding Disability Living Allowance

•I can provide two references from an Occupational therapist and another professional who currently works with my child or young person .

To make an application please complete the online application form. Alternatively print and post a completed form to The Isabella Trust. We will ask you to provide us with information regarding your income.

If the application is successful funding will be available up to 80% of the cost of the assessment.

Applications are discussed three times per year as follows:

applications received between:

12th November and 11th March are discussed beginning of April
12th March and 11th July are discussed beginning of August
12th July and 11th November are discussed beginning of December

isabella-trsutpsd_14

The Isabella Trust work closely with Shine Therapy who complete all sensory assessments organised by The Isabella Trust.

Shine Therapy are an established team of independent Occupational Therapists, Speech & Language Therapists and Physiotherapists working within the North-West of England. Shine Therapy Services are only too aware how sensory processing difficulties can affect a child’s ability to successfully access learning, play, social situations and ability to interact and communicate with others effectively. The staff have the most up to date qualifications and training, and have very high standards of practice, particularly within the area of Sensory Integration Assessment and Intervention.

isabella-trsutpsd_13

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take before I am contacted?

Applications are discussed three times per year in April, August and November. Following the meeting in which your application is discussed you will be contacted within two weeks to inform you of the outcome. Please note that all supporting documentation must be provided before a decision can be made. For successful applications it currently takes approximately 8 months from the initial application until the assessment appointment.

Is there a limit on how much you’ll pay?

We will fund up to 80% of the cost of the assessment so you will need to contribute 20% yourself.

Can we use any company or Occupational Therapist to complete the sensory assessment?

No, all sensory assessments funded by The Isabella Trust are completed by Shine Therapy services whom we have a close working relationship.

Another charity has said that they will pay half of the cost of the assessment; can I apply to The Isabella Trust for the rest?

If you have part of the funding in place then you can apply to us for the rest however we would need written confirmation that the rest of the funding is available.

If I pay for a sensory assessment will you reimburse me?

No, The Isabella Trust does not reimburse you for money you have spent. We pay Shine Therapy Services directly following the completion of the assessment.

I am self employed, what financial information do you need me to send?

We need you to provide us with details of your income and expenditure for the last financial year.

What do the references need to say?

Both references must confirm:

Your child’s full name.

How they know your child.

Details of diagnosis and/or difficulties

Who can write the references?
One of the references must be written by an Occupational Therapist. The other reference can also be from a medical practitioner but it doesn’t have to be. It just needs to be written by a professional who works with your child such as their teacher, social worker or speech therapist.

Please fill in our form so we can assess your situation

I am a parent/carer applying?*
I am a professional applying on behalf of a family?*
Childs Details
All personal data acquied by The Isabella Trust shall only be used for the purposes of this Agreement and shall not be further processed or disclosed. By completing this document you are agreeing for the information provided to be used for the purposes of this agreement.
Childs Name*
Date of Birth*
Male/Female*
Parent/Carer details
Mr/Mrs/Ms*
First Name*
Surname*
Address*
Tel no*
Email*
Relationship to child*
Please tell us about your child
Does he/she have a diagnosis?*
if 'yes' what is the diagnosis?
What are his/her main difficulties?*
How is your child’s general health and well-being?
Does he/she take any medication?*
if 'yes' what is the medication?
Does he/she have any specific dietary needs?*
Does he/she sleep well?*
Does he/she suffer from any minor ailments or allergies?*
if 'yes' what aliments or allergies?*
Is he/she generally alert?
Does your child have any physical difficulties, if yes please specify?*
Please specify here*
Does your child need additional support with daily tasks such as eating, drinking, dressing, bathing?*
Does your child have any speech, language and communication difficulties?*
What type of play does your child enjoy at home?*
Does your child have any difficulties in their relationships with parents, siblings, other children or other adults?*
What is your child’s behaviour like at home?*
Any further information you would like to add:*
Please answer either; always, sometimes or never to the following questions, does your child:
Respond negatively to unexpected or loud noises*
Cover their ears to protect from noise*
Have trouble concentrating when the radio or TV is on in the background*
Become distracted or upset if there is a lot of noise around*
Appears to not hear what you say*
Fail to respond to their name being called despite having no issues with their hearing*
Enjoy or make strange noises*
Prefer to be in the dark*
Become distressed or upset with bright lights*
Have difficulties with puzzles*
Cover their eyes or squint to protect from bright lights or sunlight*
Stares or look intensely at objects or people*
Become anxious or distressed when feet leave the ground*
Dislike activities where they are upside down*
Avoid playgrounds or moving toys*
Dislikes being in a car*
Constantly move or fidget to the point where it interferes with daily routines*
Enjoy movement activities such as being twirled by an adult, swings, merry go rounds, roundabouts*
Twirls or spins frequently*
Rocks without seeming to be aware they are doing it*
Rocks when sitting*
Avoids messy play*
Becomes upset or distressed during personal care tasks such as haircutting, washing, fingernail cutting*
Prefers long sleeved clothing*
Becomes upset or distressed during teeth brushing or seeing a dentist*
Is sensitive to certain fabrics and clothes*
Avoids being barefoot particularly in the grass or sand*
Dislikes splashing water*
Struggles to stay in line or close to others*
Touches people, objects or certain textures*
Not seem to feel pain or the cold*
Doesn’t seem to notice if someone touches them*
Avoids wearing shoes and prefers to be barefoot*
Doesn’t seem to notice when hands or face are messy*
Gets lost easily*
Has difficulty paying attention*
Seems oblivious in an active environment, show no awareness of the activities taking place*
Hangs on to people or furniture even in familiar settings*
Walks on toes*
Gags easily with food textures*
Avoids certain tastes, textures or foods (list them)*
Will only eat certain tastes, textures or foods (list them)*
Picky eater regarding food textures*
Shows a preference for certain smells (list them)*
Shows a preference for certain tastes (list them)*
Craves certain foods (list them)*
Seeks out certain smells or tastes (list them)*
Chews or licks non-food objects*
Moves stiffly*
Tires easily*
Seems to have weak muscles*
Has a weak grasp*
Can’t lift heavy objects*
Tires easily*
Appears lethargic, no energy*
Seems accident prone*
Fears falling or heights*
Avoids climbing or jumping*
Holds onto or clings the wall or banister*
Takes excessive risks during play, no sense of danger*
Appears to enjoy falling*
Spends most of the day in quiet play*
Always on the go, becomes very excited*
Has rigid routines*
Overly familiar with others*
Finds it difficult to understand social cues, body language or facial expressions*
Avoids eye contact*
Stares intensely at objects or people*
Watches everyone when they come into the room*
Doesn’t notice when people come into the room*
Becomes upset or anxious with changes in routines or plans*
Frequently presents as anxious*
Has excessive emotional outbursts*
Has temper tantrums*
Doesn’t express emotions*
Jumps from one activity to another which interferes with play*
Have you previously made an application for funding for a sensory assessment?*
IF YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL APPLYING ON BEHALF OF A FAMILY PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING DETAILS.
Name*
Job Title*
Address*
Tel no*
Email*
Has the family given consent for the application*
The following supporting documentation must be provided with the application:

Diagnosis of the child (if they have one) Supporting letter from a professional involved with the child such as a health visitor, school nurse, social worker, paediatrician, occupational therapist, speech therapist outlining the child’s difficulties.

Applications can not be considered without the supporting documentation.
Income
Is the child in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)*
Care Componant*
Mobility Componant*
Can you/the family make a contribution towards the assessment? If yes, how much?*
Have you applied to any other charity for funding towards the assessment? If yes, which charity and what was the outcome?*
Personal information

All personal data acquired by The Isabella trust shall only be used for the purposes of this agreement and shall not be further processed of disclosed By completing this document you are agreeing for the information provided To be used for the purposes of the agreement.
Declaration

I confirm that the information on this form is correct and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

I understand that if I misrepresent or fail to inform you on any matter that may be of relevance to the application this will be in breach of this agreement and may result in any offer of a funding being withdrawn.

I understand that no money will be paid directly to myself.

I agree to abide by the conditions, as set out above, and those stated in the guidelines.

Thank you for taking the time to fill in this form for us, it is much appreciated.
Do you agree to our disclaimer ?*
Confirm your parental responsibility?*
do you confirm to your information being shared with Shine Therapy Series*
Type your name here if you agree to the disclaimer*

PLEASE NOTE

Letter to all current applicants

We will keep you updated with any further developments as and when we become aware.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take before I am contacted?

Can we use any company or Occupational Therapist to complete the sensory assessment?

Another charity has said that they will pay half of the cost of the assessment; can I apply to The Isabella Trust for the rest?

If I pay for a sensory assessment will you reimburse me?

I am self employed, what financial information do you need me to send?

Please fill in our form so we can assess your situation

Childs Details

Parent/Carer details

Please tell us about your child

How is your child’s general health and well-being?

Please answer either; always, sometimes or never to the following questions, does your child:

IF YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL APPLYING ON BEHALF OF A FAMILY PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING DETAILS.

The following supporting documentation must be provided with the application:

Income

Personal information

Declaration