Carers In Wiltshire

Filling in a Disability Living Allowance (DLA) form can be a bit of a tricky business at times but there are various resources and pieces of information which can help you make it an easier job:

Direct Gov's DLA form and information

Carer Support general guide for Parent Carers

Contact A Family information and guide to DLA - March 2012 edition - this includes DLA changes and how they affect children under 16 years of age.

Other useful downloads:

Challenging Behaviour: A guide for family Carers on getting the right support for children

Challenging Behaviour: A guide for family Carers on getting the right support for teenagers

Getting to and from local hospitals

Mental Capacity Act Resource Pack

Tips for dealing with difficult behaviour

Transitions Guide for Wiltshire

Transitions timeline - useful checklist and pointers

Tips to help cut electricity and gas bills

Work Focused Support for Carers

2012 Ask Calendar (with school hols)

Addiss: Providing information and resources about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder for parents, people who have ADHD, teachers and health professionals.

Advisory Centre for Education: a national charity that advises parents and carers of children aged 5-16 in state-funded education. With advice on things such as special educational needs. 

Ask Parent Partnership Service: To provide you the parent with information and support to help you make informed choices and decisions regarding your child.

Autism Alert Card: The Autism Alert card can be carried by anyone with an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and has been developed in consultation with adults with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome and parents of children with these conditions.

Benefits Helpline: advice and information for disabled people and carers on the range of benefits available. Tel: 0800 882 200

British Institute of Learning Disabilities: working to improve the lives of people in the UK with a learning disability.

Calvert Trust: aims to enable people with additional needs, together with their families and friends, to achieve their potential through the challenge of outdoor adventure in the countryside.

Cerebal Palsy Helpline: a free confidential telephone information, support and referral service to people with cerebral palsy. Opening hours 9am–5pm weekdays, closed weekends and bank holidays. Tel: 0808 800 3333

4Children: 4Children provides practical information, advice and support to parents, employers, local authorities and the children’s and youth services workforce through our Information Helpline, publications, website and national conferences and events.

Children's Legal Centre: an independent national charity concerned with law and policy affecting children and young people. Offers legal advice and representation to children, their carers and professionals throughout the UK.

Children's Society: a leading children’s charity committed to making childhood better for all children in the UK.

Contact A Family: UK-wide charity providing advice, information and support to the parents of all disabled children.

Disabled Children - A Legal Handbook: The handbook aims to empower disabled children and their families through a greater understanding of their rights and entitlements.

Disablement Employer Adviser (DEA): At local JobCentre Plus - can offer advice on support available for disabled young people. Includes helpful information on employment support and benefits.

Downs Syndrome Association: aims to help people with Down's syndrome to live full and rewarding lives. Tel: 0845 230 0372

Employment: Support and advice to carry on working while you're caring on DirectGov's website.

Face 2 Face: one-to-one befriending service for parents of disabled children.

Family Action: a charity providing services to disadvantaged and socially isolated families. Providing practical, emotional and financial support, educational grants and information service. Supporting families who may have issues - such as learning disabilities, mental health problems, domestic abuse and severe financial hardship. 

Family Fund: give grants for things that make life easier and more enjoyable for the disabled child, young person and their family, such as washing machines, driving lessons, computers and holidays.

Halt Creative: photography sessions caterered specially for families with members with additional needs.

Independent Parental Special Education Advice: Offers free and independent advice on Local Education Authorities' legal duties to assess and provide for children with special educational needs.

Job Centre Plus: now has a 'Work Focus Support for Carers' (WFSC) scheme dedicated to providing information and advice about job opportunities and training for carers.

Lone Parent Helpline: free, independent helpline for lone parents and anyone affected by the issues surrounding one parent families. Tel: 0808 802 0925

Medicines for Children: Useful and reliable information about giving medicines to your child - written and reviewed by children's doctors (paediatricians), pharmacists, and parents and carers.

National Autistic Society: Help, advice and lots of information for parents of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Tel: 0845 870 4004

Netbuddy: Netbuddy is full of handy tips and bright ideas from parents, carers, teachers and therapists with experience of learning disability.

Newlife Foundation: Providing equipment to help individual children, nurse support services, medical research, awareness and campaigning. They have just launched a new service 'Just Can't Wait!' aiming to give terminally ill children equipment within 72 hours.

One Stop Wiltshire: Provides short break opportunities for children and young people with disabilities to spend time away from their primary carers, and can include day, evening, overnight, weekend or holiday activities in and around Wiltshire.

Pre-School Learning Alliance: educational charity specialising in the early years. Offering practical support, publications and family programmes.

Sense: a national charity that supports and campaigns for children and adults who are deafblind. Providing advice, information and specialist services to deafblind people, their families, Carers and the professionals who work with them. Sense also supports people who have sensory impairments with additional needs. Tel: 0845 127 0060

Sibs: Sibs is the UK charity for people who grow up with a disabled brother or sister. They support siblings who are growing up with or who have grown up with a brother or sister with any disability, long term chronic illness, or life limiting condition. 

STEPS: Adapted battery operated toys and switches for disabled children provided free of charge on long-term loan.

The Harbour: The Harbour, a Bristol based charity, provides free counselling and psychotherapy to people affected by a life-threatening physical illness.

The Key: Wiltshire Council's register for children and young peopl aged 0-19 years with disabilities or special educational needs.

Transition Info Network: an alliance of organisations and individuals who come together with a common aim: to improve the experience of disabled young people’s transition to adulthood. TIN is a source of information and good practice standards for disabled young people, families and professionals.

UCAS: Find out about a vast number of academic, vocational and professional courses on offer at universities all over the country.

Warm Front: The Warm Front Scheme provides a package of insulation and heating improvements up to the value of £3,500 (or £6,000 where oil, low carbon or renewable technologies are recommended). It is a Government-funded initiative.

Waving Not Drowning: for parents of disabled children and carers of adults who want to combine paid work with their caring responsibilities.

Wessex Mediation: provides a Mediation Service specifically for children and young people with Special Educational Needs.

Wiltshire Independent Travel Service: provides travel support for those people wishing to learn the skills and gain confidence to travel independently. They assist individuals with learning difficulties, disabled people, those with a sensory impairment, those with mental health experiences and older people.

Wiltshire Parent Carer Council: run and managed by parents and carers for parents and carers, who have a child or young person with some type of disability or special needs. 

Wiltshire Pathways: helps children & young people in Wiltshire get the services they need.

Wylye House: a four bedded unit for adults with Learning disabilities situated within a five minute walk of Salisbury city center. Wylye can also consider 16 and 17 year olds to be admitted for respite care.

Young Carers: An innovative, online service for Young Carers from The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.