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Please use the tabs or sitemap if using the search function results in a broken link. This is due to a recent site restructure which takes the search a few weeks to update. Our Local Offer also includes a directory which you can visit at 1space.eastsussex.gov.uk/localoffer

Physical Difficulties and Mobility

Two children playing frisbee on some grass, with a dog running between them. Buildings and mountains are in the background.

Overview

Motor co-ordination is the ability to control your body’s movement.

Gross motor skills need whole body movement and use the large muscles. Skills such as walking, running, climbing, kicking, jumping and balancing are gross motor skills.

Fine motor skills need controlled movement of the fingers and hands. Skills such as doing up buttons, threading, drawing and writing are fine motor skills.

If your child is having difficulties, you can get advice and support from your child’s:

Schools can offer activities and programmes which support the development of these skills. However, if these have been tried for a sustained period of time, without improvement, the school might wish to discuss a referral to Children’s Integrated Therapy and Equipment Service (CITES) with you, in order to get further advice.

East Sussex School Health and Children’s Integrated Therapy Services

The Children's Integrated Therapy and Equipment Service (CITES) is a specialist service that provides occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy to children and young people aged 0-16 years and 16-19 years if in full-time education.

As a specialist therapy service, they provide training and guidance to enable pre-schools, schools and other settings support children with:

CITES loan specialist equipment to families, as well as schools and other settings supporting children with additional needs:

Adaptions

They also provide a multidisciplinary pathway involving Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy and Integrated Therapy Assistants.

Their service aims to support the safety and independence of children in their own home where alterations or adaptations are assessed as being required to meet essential needs.

The children’s adaptation occupational therapists (OTs) are part of East Sussex Children's Integrated Therapy and Equipment Service (ESCITES). The team work closely with the other professionals who may be involved in your child’s care such as physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, paediatricians and the social work team for children with disabilities.

They provide help for:

Find out more by visiting the NHS East Sussex Children website.

Equipment and orthotics

The Children’s Integrated Equipment Service (CIES) provide equipment for children and young people under the age of 18 (or 19 if still in full time education) who meet the criteria for a service from CITES. The types of equipment they provide includes daily living equipment, complex equipment, and orthotics.

Find out more by visiting the NHS East Sussex Children website.

Other topics covered by this service include:

Find out more by visiting the NHS East Sussex Children website.

Millbrook Healthcare Group

The Millbrook Healthcare Group provide healthcare services on behalf of the NHS and local authorities for:

You can find out more by visiting the Millbrook Healthcare Group website.

Accessibility in School

All schools, in line with the SEND Code Of Practice and the Equality Act 2010, make reasonable adjustments to ensure that children with physical and mobility difficulties are not discriminated against in their settings. They take an inclusive and accessible approach. 

They are also required to create an accessibility plan. These plans outline their current accessibility and how they intend to improve access for all pupils, moving forward. They are written by schools and reviewed every three years.

They can usually be found on each school's individual website, often alongside their policies and SEND information.

We also send out a survey yearly, asking for schools up-to-date accessibility information. This includes whether their setting has:

We then apply the selected answers to our directory, where they can be used as filters. You can then use as many filters as you need, to find the most suitable school setting for you. 

Accessibility Around East Sussex

AccessAble is a website that provides accessibility information for venues across East Sussex and the UK, which includes shops, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, railway stations, hotels, colleges, universities, hospitals and more. AccessAble can be used to find wheelchair friendly venues or check out disabled access and what facilities are available:

Visit Eastbourne have created an Eastbourne Access Guide and Eastbourne Accessible Toilet Guide:

Disability Payments

Disability payments for children and young adults with a disability include:

DLA and PIP are benefits paid to cover the extra costs of a person’s disability or health needs. They are both split into two components:

The government's website has more information on the disability living allowance and personal independence payments:

Additional Help and Support

Amaze SENDIASS

Amaze SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service) are a local charity who offer free, independent, and impartial advice for all matters relating to SEND. Contact Amaze SENDIASS:

East Sussex Local Offer directory of services

You can visit our SEND-specific online directory, hosted on East Sussex 1Space, that lists many different services both throughout the county and online. Services include advice, guidance and support groups, activities and events and mental health and wellbeing support among many other topics:

All services on 1Space have been split into categories. Once you have selected the category that you wish to visit, you can then use the filters and search function to further refine the results, depending on your need:

NHS - Health A to Z

While the East Sussex Local Offer aims to provide as much information as possible, there may be some conditions that aren't covered in thorough detail. The NHS website has pages that list all conditions, with information and advice on how to get extra support:

This website also provides information on what support can be offered by:

Glossary of East Sussex SEND Terms

Some of the terms used on this website are explained on our page, Glossary of East Sussex SEND Terms.

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