The Disability Network
The Disability Network is a list of children and young people in Devon who have special educational needs (SEN) and / or disabilities who are aged 0 – 25 years. To find out more, click on the questions below. You can complete the form and register online here.
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What is the Disability Network for?
The Disability Network helps us to keep you informed about available services in your area. It gives you opportunities to be involved in consultations, and in designing services for Children and Young People with SEN and/or disabilities. The information from the Disability Network will also help Children’s Services to build a broader picture of SEN and disability across the county from a family’s perspective, and understand local needs for services.
Additionally, by registering your child or young person, if they are under the age of 25, they will automatically be sent the “Max Card” once the registration form is complete.
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What is the Max Card?
The Max Card has been funded by Devon County Council and is free to families with children aged 0-25 who have SEN and / or a disability. It allows the eligible child or young person free or discounted admission to more than 800 attractions nationwide, over 60 of which are in Devon and Cornwall.
For more information visit www.mymaxcard.co.uk
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Who can see the information on the Disability Network?
Your personal information is kept on a database and is managed and kept up to date by the Disabled Children’s Team. With your consent, the information will be shared with our partners in health, education and social care so that we can work together in the planning and delivery of local services for families in Devon. Information shared will be in the format of statistical figures, for example age ranges and numbers of children and young people, but we would not share names or identifiable information about individuals.
Joining the disability network is voluntary, and you can give as much or as little information as you like. We will need your name and address and some information about your child’s disability as a minimum.
We ask for your child or young person’s NHS number and date of birth so that we can identify them as an individual child or young person on the register to avoid any duplication. A person’s NHS number is a unique number that everyone has from birth onwards and it does not change over time. We will not use your child or young person’s NHS number to access any of your child or young person’s medical records.
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Who can register for a Max Card and the Disability Network?
You can register your child or young person if they are under 25 years of age with special educational needs or a disability.
The Equality Act 2010 definition of disability is a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
Additionally, Section 17 (11) of the Children’s Act states that a child is disabled if they (direct quotes from the Act):
- are blind
- deaf, or
- non-verbal, or
- suffer from a ‘mental disorder of any kind’, or
- are ‘substantially and permanently handicapped by illness, injury or congenital deformity, or such other disability as may be prescribed’.
We would like the parents and carers of all children and young people who have SEN and /or disabilities to register their child or young person (young people can register themselves if over the age of 16, if they want to).
Devon County Council is really keen to ensure that we are fully informed about Children and Young People with SEND so we can understand the needs and requirements for services to support them. The Disability Network will help the Council and other commissioners to do this.
Who should fill in the form?
- The parent, carer or guardian of a disabled child or young person with consent from the person who has parental responsibility.
- The young person themselves if aged 16 or over.
Where a young person is 13 or over we will ask for their consent to be on or remain on the register.
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How do I register for a Max Card and the Disability Network?
The easiest and quickest way of registering is by completing the online registration form.
Alternatively, you can:
- download the form and complete it, then post to the address below;
- ask us to send you a copy in the post to complete.
Telephone:
Email:
Postal address:
If you have any questions, would like help to complete the registration form, or require the form in a different format then please call xxxxxxx or contact us by post or email as above.
Updated 23/10/18
sendlocaloffer@devon.gov.uk