A CORNWALL Council team that supports families with disabled children has now helped more than 1,000 youngsters.  

The Supporting Change in Partnership (SCIP) was developed in 2016 following consultation with parents and carers about a different way of providing support rather than a social work assessment.  

It is focused on early intervention and empowering parents, carers and young people to work through issues and overcome obstacles together.   

The approach is based on the belief that families are resilient and have the answers to their problems.  

SCIP started out with three support workers but now has nine who help families across our communities.  

Its creation has led to a significant reduction in social work caseloads, freeing up social workers to focus on statutory social work when it matters.    

Crin Whelan, Disabled Children’s Early Help Team manager, said:  “It’s a huge achievement for the team that we have now helped more than 1,000 children across Cornwall and I’d like to pay tribute to the dedication and hard work of the support workers and the families they support.  

“SCIP is all about early intervention and understanding the views and wishes of children, young people and their families to improve their lives.  

“It is clear that the service is now making a real difference to disabled children and their families in Cornwall, giving young people a brighter future and a greater chance of independence. We are now sharing the approach with other local authorities.” 

Kay Henry, of Parent Carers Cornwall, which helped in the formation of SCIP, added: “The co-production of SCIP was based on parents telling us that they sometimes needed help, but they didn’t always need a social work assessment.   

“We hear from families on a weekly basis about how invaluable the work of the SCIP team is and the support they have offered families. Early intervention and the right information are key to families and SCIP provides that.”