Admissions
Criteria for Admission to the Centre are as follows:
1. Introduction
The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments is Scotland's national Centre established to provide, develop and advance the education of children from all parts of Scotland affected by disorders of movement, co-ordination, communication vision and learning, caused by cerebral palsy or other neurological conditions.
The Centre gives careful and comprehensive consideration to determine whether it would be the most appropriate environment to address the individual and specific needs of a particular child.
2. Staff Expertise
Staff of the Centre have extensive experience both within the Centre and in other health and educational environments, working with children with a variety of complex needs and with the families of such children. Staff call upon a range of measures, professional judgement and personal insight, gained from extensive collective experience to make reasoned decisions regarding the suitability of the Centre as the most appropriate environment for each child.
3. Assessment of the Individual Child
In order to determine whether the Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments, offers the most appropriate environment to address the particular needs of the individual child, a full assessment of each child is conducted and extensive consultation with parents and with other appropriate professionals is undertaken.
4. Centre's Principles Related to Admission
Cerebral palsy and other neurological conditions result in an enormous range and collection of difficulties for children. The combinations and complexities of the special needs of these children mean that absolutes related to admission criteria are difficult to determine in a precise and specific manner.
The range, combinations and complexities of the needs of a specific child are considerable and an element of judgement may be required in taking a decision. Where an element of doubt exists in determining the suitability the Centre to meet the needs of a child, a decision would normally be in favour of the child attending. Regular re-assessment is also undertaken to ensure that the Centre continues to be the most appropriate environment to meet the specific needs of a child.
5. General Criteria for Admission
The assessment conducted to determine whether the Centre is the most appropriate environment to meet the needs of the individual child is comprehensive. It includes assessment of the child's health and their physical, communication and cognitive abilities. The forms and documents utilised in these assessments are detailed in the appendices.
A range of criteria are employed to determine admission. The initial criterion for entry is normally the diagnosis of cerebral palsy or other non-progressive neurological disorder, which has resulted in the child having motor and learning difficulties. Cognisance is also taken of:
- the guidance and advice offered by other key professionals, eg paediatric neurologists, regarding the suitability of the child to be placed at the Centre;
- the level of parental commitment to facilitate the transfer of skills developed at the Centre into all aspects of the child's life.
6. Specific Criteria for Admission
Admission to the Parent and Baby Provision
The engagement of a baby and their parents with the Centre's Parent and Baby provision is regarded in a different manner to admission to the Centre's other age group provisions. As in all cases, but particularly in dealing with young babies, it is important that the parents are content that the Centre is the most appropriate environment for their child. The parents are therefore evaluating the Centre, in addition to staff considering the appropriateness of the Centre for the child. In addition, the baby's status would be formally evaluated after a short period of attendance, usually 2-3 weeks.
The duration of the assessment babies is normally a half-day however this may be altered to take account of the particular circumstances of the individual child. In order for a child to attend, it is normally required that:
- one of the parents, close relative or carer attends with the baby for each session;
- the same adult attends on a consistent basis with each baby.
Children 2 Years and Over
The admission of children aged 2 years and over, normally requires the child to demonstrate:
- potential for a change in their abilities;
- capability of physically participating in the Centre's active daily programme;
- ability to understand language to a level which would have an impact on movement and posture;
- engagement with the immediate environment;
- ability to interact with others.
For this age group, the assessment process will normally take up to four days and parents are expected to agree to this time commitment.
Admission to Periodic and Sessional Placements
In considering the admission of a child or young person to Periodic Placements, in addition to the criteria identified in earlier, it is normally expected that the child or young person has the:
- capability to benefit from short and regular placements;
- ability to participate in a group environment;
- commitment that activities undertaken during the placement are continued and their abilities are maintained by themselves, the family and the school.
7. Ongoing Assessment
Regular re-assessment is undertaken regularly, normally annually, to ensure that the child continues to gain the maximum benefit from sustained attendance and that the Centre remains the most appropriate environment for the child. The assessment criteria employed are consistent with those identified above.
8. Progression of the Child Through the Centre's Age Groups
In light of the ongoing re-assessment identified above, progression from one of the Centre's age group provisions to the next, cannot be guaranteed, or indeed assumed. Specifically it should not be assumed that a child in the Parent and Baby Group would necessarily be admitted to the Parent and Child Group.
9. Funding Authority Approval
It requires to be noted that where funding is sought from eg Local Authorities and the NHS to enable attendance at the Centre, the funding authority requires to give its approval to provide such funding directly to the parents.
10. Communication with Funding Authorities
The Director will communicate in writing with the appropriate funding agency eg Local Authorities regarding the outcomes of initial and on-going assessments conducted on each child. Depending on the parent's residential location, this communication may be either prior to, or following the child's initial assessment.
