What is the Child Development Centre?
The Child Development Centre (CDC) service assesses and supports preschool children who have identified health needs. These can include children who have difficulties communicating and interacting with others, or a delay to their development in two or more areas. We also provide assessments where there is likely to be an underlying diagnosis such as Autism.
What we do
Children are referred into Child Development Centre service via their Community Neurodevelopmental Paediatrician, Neonatologist or Paediatric Physiotherapist. These referrals may be to the preschool Autism pathway for assessment, or to attend one of our Therapeutic Support groups for children with areas of identified developmental delay. CDC also provides parental support services including Sleep Clinics for strategies and guidance around sleep difficulties, Stepping Stones Triple P and Early Bird/Early Bird Plus for parents of children who are referred to our service.
Our main aim is to ensure the best health outcomes for each child and provide developmental management for children requiring therapeutic interventions. The team works with families to assess each child carefully and make joint plans to help children reach their potential. Once the assessment process is complete the team will discuss with parents any diagnosis that is appropriate, any further actions or therapy required, and will discuss a support plan for the child & family. We work together with the parent or guardian so that they feel fully involved.
Assessments can take place in a range of venues, including the child’s home, nursery, and within the Child Development Centre.
CDC staff will arrange to visit your child in the home and in the nursery provision (if applicable) as part of the assessment process. Any CDC based activity allows observation of your child away from their home environment. The CDC service offers families the opportunity to meet with professionals and other parents in a child friendly environment at either of our two CDC’s, Holly House and Rainbow dependant on their assigned catchment area.
We are based at Rainbow Child Development Centre, at Burnley General Teaching Hospital, and at Holly House Child Development Centre at the Acorn Primary Care Centre, Accrington. We work as a multi-disciplinary team and are involved with many different services to assess and provide the right help for children and their family.
Child Development Centre Manager: Nicola McCumskay
We are a team comprised of Specialist Health Visitors, specially trained Early Years Development Practitioners (EYDP) and CDC Administrators.
We work alongside Community Neurodevelopmental Paediatricians; other provider services such as Children’s Psychology Services and Children’s Integrated Therapy and Nursing Service; education providers such as the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities team (SEND) and Portage services provided by Lancashire County Council and other services for preschool children.
We offer a Monday to Friday service between the hours of 8am - 4pm. We are closed during bank holidays.
Involvement from the parent or guardian is considered to be fundamental to child development. Therefore there is an expectation for you to attend the centre with your child for the duration required. This applies to the majority of our services offered.
Our aim is to empower you with strategies and advice to enable your child to reach their full potential. It is an opportunity for you to meet other parents in a relaxed environment.
Attendance at these sessions is important, if you cannot attend for any reason please can you contact us prior to your session. Please ensure you arrive on time to the sessions to keep disruption to your child and other children in the group to a minimum.
We are always looking at ways to improve the quality of care we provide and we want you and your family to let us know how we can be even better. Please tell us what you think about our service, we would like to know if we do not meet the standards we have set but also if you were happy with your experience within our service.
Telephone : 01282 803646
Email address: CDCAdmin@elht.nhs.uk
Lancashire Local Offer: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities/
Contact a Family: https://contact.org.uk/news-and-blogs/
Cerebral Palsy UK: http://www.cerebralpalsy.org.uk/
Kidz Up North: http://www.kidzexhibitions.co.uk/kidz-north/
Spring North http://springnorth.org.uk/ASDsupport/
Disability Living Allowance for Children: https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children
National Autistic Society: http://www.autism.org.uk/
Education, Health Care Plans: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities/education-health-and-care-plans/what-is-an-education-health-and-care-plan/
Cerebra: http://www.cerebra.org.uk/
ERIC Children’s Bladder and Bowel Charity: https://www.eric.org.uk/
Down`s Syndrome Association: http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/
SENDIASS Services-Special Needs (Special Education Help): http://www.kids.org.uk/
Child Accident Prevention Trust: https://capt.org.uk/csw-factsheets/