Child Development Centre

Paediatricians

A paediatrician is a children’s doctor. The paediatrician can do medical assessment or contribute to diagnostic assessments, and offer advice about further tests if needed.

Psychologists

Psychologists consider the way a child thinks, learns and reacts to situations. This helps to identify the best way to support an individual child’s wellbeing, development and learning.

Speech and Language Therapists

Speech and language therapists assess a child’s ability to understand and communicate. This can include how children behave socially and how well they interact with others. They also consider concentration and play skills.

If a child has problems with eating or drinking for physical reasons, they can also assess this and offer advice.

Early Years Inclusion Teacher

Our Early Years inclusion teacher links with schools and early years settings in Rotherham. Children’s developmental difficulties can affect their education and our teachers can offer information and advice to educational staff so they know how best to support children.

Specialist Nurse Practitioners

Our specialist nurses are involved in assessing children’s development and provide health screening. They can give health advice and will offer to see you and your child if they receive a diagnosis of autism.

Nursery Nurses

Our nursery nurses assess and support children’s play and development, and provide advice to families on any areas of concern e.g. sleep, sensory differences.

Healthcare Assistants

Our healthcare assistants are there to support children and families when they visit and to help the healthcare professionals.

We work closely with the Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy teams:

Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapists assess a child’s fine motor skills (how they use their hands), posture and positioning. They consider how a child goes about doing everyday tasks and how they could be helped to do these more easily or with greater independence.

Physiotherapists

Physiotherapists look at how a child moves. They look at muscle tone, coordination and balance. If needed, they may develop a programme of activities to help a child develop their physical skills.

Medical pathway 

this is for children who have complex health needs and/or disabilities. Our paediatricians and therapists work closely with other members of the team to make sure that children get the right care and support. 

Children are often referred to this pathway as babies, especially if they have a known medical or genetic condition. We see children in clinic to review their care plan, monitor their progress and refer on to other specialists when needed.

Assessment pathway

this is for children who are not making as much progress as expected in two or more areas of their development. Children are usually aged 2 years or over when they are referred to this pathway.

We assess children to make sure that their needs are properly understood and work out whether they have an underlying condition such as autism. 

The assessment will normally involve at least two members of the team, include a full discussion with parents or carers and some contact with nursery or school. This helps to build up a really good picture of how the child is getting on across all areas of their development.

Once we have completed the assessment, we write this up in a report which also contains recommendations on where to go for further support (if this is needed).

When needed, we can provide advice on some of the day to day issues which come up for families whose children are on this pathway, including:

• helping children to communicate
• bedtimes and sleep
• issues with eating and drinking
• supporting children with sensory differences

The team also has links with the other teams in Rotherham who can support families with a wider range of issues. 

Further information about local services for children and young people with a Special Educational Need or Disability. 
 

We accept referrals from the 0-19 Service (Health Visiting Team) and some other health practitioners, nurseries, schools and Portage workers. Please note that GPs are not able to make referrals into the Child Development Centre. 

The service is open to Rotherham residents. We see children from all over Rotherham.

If you are a parent who is concerned about your child’s development, please contact your Health Visitor to request a visit so that they can work with you on a support plan to help your child. The helpline for Rotherham’s 0-19 Service (Health Visitors and School Nurses) is 01709 423333. Sometimes, this help is all that is needed.

You can also talk to the staff in your child’s nursery.

If you are still worried after this, then you can decide together whether a referral to the Child Development Centre is needed.