Ballyboden Children’s Disability Network Team

Provides services to children aged from birth to 18 years with complex needs who live in the areas of Ballyboden, Edmondstown, Knocklyon, Rathfarnham and St. Enda’s.

Children's Disability Network Team

Children's Services

Dublin

Introduction to the service

Enable Ireland has provided disability services in Dublin South West for over 20 years. Enable Ireland is the lead agency for two Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNT’s) in Dublin South West. This means that Enable Ireland is responsible for the running of these two Children’s Disability Network Teams. The CDNT’s have been set up as part of the National Progressing Disability Services (PDS) Programme.

About Progressing Disability Services

In this region of the HSE (CHO7 - Kildare/West Wicklow, Dublin West, Dublin South City, Dublin South West) four partner agencies have come together to form Children’s Disability Network Teams. These partner agencies are: Enable Ireland, The HSE, the CRC and Stewarts Care. There will be eight Children’s Disability Network Teams providing services to children and families in this region.

The ‘Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People’ Programme aims to provide one clear path to services for each child and family with complex needs within their local area.

These CDNT’s will provide supports and services for children/young people and their families from birth to 18 years with complex disabilities and their families.

Community Activities Information Pack

Information on sports, music and dancing, fitness and parent support groups for parents and families in the Dublin area.

Download information pack

FAQs

How do I make a referral to one of these teams?

Children aged from birth to 18 years may be referred for services.

If you have a concern about a child’s development, ‘Children’s Services Referral Form’ can be completed by parents/legal guardians, health and social care professionals, GPs, education professionals, assessment of need officers or case managers. The completed forms can be sent to their local Children’s Disability Network Team. It is essential that signed parental consent is recorded on the referral form.

A referral can be made by a healthcare professional. Or you can make the referral yourself.

To do this:

Complete the Children’s Services Referral Form (PDF, 106 KB, 11 pages)
Complete an Additional Information Form for your child

The Additional Information Form lets you describe your child and what your concerns are. It will help to refer them to the right service for them.

Complete the Additional Information Form for children aged:

These forms allow all CDNTs and disciplines/services to accept and prioritise referrals on a consistent and equitable basis.

There is a link to a video to help with completing these forms here.

If you are a parent and would like further help with the referral forms, please phone your local team and we will assist you.

Who is the service for?

Children aged from birth to 18 years with complex needs who live in the areas of Ballyboden, Edmondstown, Knocklyon, Rathfarnham and St. Enda’s.

How are services delivered in Children’s Disability Network Teams?

Services are delivered through an Interdisciplinary Team. This is a group of different health professionals that work together and in partnership with the child and their family. The child and family are key members of this team. Depending on a child’s need, members of the child’s team may include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology and social work. There are other disciplines on the team that can be accessed if a need is identified.

The team will provide supports for the child across a variety of settings including the home, education settings such as pre-school or school, community settings or within the CDNT centre.

The CDNT’s operate through a Family-Centred Practice model. This is an approach that focuses on the whole family and not just the child requiring support. It ensures that the family's priorities are considered when settling goals with the family.

All families that have a child attending the CDNT will have a keyworker. The keyworker will be named contact and act as a link between the family and the team. They will support families with any queries they may have about their service.

All families attending the CDNT will have an Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP). This is an agreed plan that identifies the child and family’s goals and priorities. The IFSP will also describe supports needed to achieve these goals. The IFSP looks at and documents the child’s strengths and achievements since the last plan was completed. As children grow and develop the goals on their IFSP will change with them.