Access & Referrals

Accessing Children’s Services

Each Enable Ireland service region is contracted by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to provide, for that area, services to children and their families. The range of services that Enable Ireland provides depends on the specific contracts in place between Enable Ireland and the HSE and will vary from region to region. Furthermore, Enable Ireland’s ability to provide services is dependent on what resources are made available by the HSE to that service region.

How does a child gain access to Enable Ireland services?

In order for a child/family to gain access to an Enable Ireland service they must follow a number of steps. Firstly a child, parent/guardian must consider if the child meets the access to service criteria.

Each Enable Ireland children’s service has a published statement of the access to service criteria for that area which is available on request.

The access to service criteria in each service area will include such information as: the geographic area the service extends to, the age range of children who can avail of the services and the types of disabilities or developmental concerns identified in the children who would benefit from the services.

Find out more about your local children's service centre.

Referral procedure

The referral is the first step in the possible provision of services for a child and family. The purpose of a referral is to bring the child to Enable Ireland’s attention and to allow for an assessment (including an independent assessment of need – see below) of the child to be arranged. The referral could be for the sole purpose of an independent assessment of need under the Disability Act 2005.

When a child is referred to Enable Ireland for services, they will receive a screening assessment or an independent assessment of need. The type of assessment that a child may receive will depend on the nature of the referral.

Independent Assessment of Need (AON)

Enable Ireland may be contacted by the HSE, under the Disability Act 2005, to carry out an independent assessment of need for children with disabilities aged between 0 and 4 years, 11 months. This is an assessment of the full range of a child’s needs associated with their disability. The HSE assessment officers, who are appointed under the Act, oversee and co-ordinate the assessment process and will be the first point of contact for child/parents/guardians and will guide them through the process.

Screening Assessment

This occurs when a child is referred directly to Enable Ireland children’s services and not through the assessment of need process. The purpose of a screening assessment is to establish if the child satisfies the criteria for accessing services and to determine if the child’s service needs can be met by Enable Ireland. The screening assessment process may be carried out by reviewing the referral information or it may involve a full team assessment.

Following completion of the screening assessment Enable Ireland will communicate the decision of acceptance/non-acceptance to the referrer, child , parent/guardian and any other relevant person.

If a child is being accepted into the service, Enable Ireland will communicate the length of waiting time expected before the commencement of service to the referrer, parent/guardian and any other relevant person. They will be kept informed of the process and time frame in all of the above by the service team.

Assessment

An assessment is an evaluation of the developmental status and service intervention needs of a child/family. The assessment is not only for the purposes of referral and access but will also take place at various stages throughout the child’s time in Enable Ireland services.

Find out more about the Children's Services Team