About MAP

(Or, click here to go to our FAQ section)

MAP was originally set up by Gill Baldwin in 1997, and the register held records of about 600 children. Today there are around 3,000 children registered as disabled across Manchester. The MAP project itself has now grown to employ a further 16 people who work on a part-time, full-time or voluntary basis and support several projects and groups across the city.

MAP was set up to maintain Manchester's disabled children's register of children and young people with disabilities and their families and carers and the kind of services they are receiving, or would like to receive. Information collated by MAP through this database  helps to shape services for disabled children, young people and their families and carers.

MAP now supports projects alongside the community and partner agencies across the public and voluntary sectors. Currently MAP supports summer playschemes, youth clubs, and other leisure and activity sessions aimed at supporting parents. MAP also supports projects which offer support to parents, carers and young carers.

MAP can be a first point of contact for families and carers for initial assessment and registration for services within Children, Families and Social Care. MAP also undertake initial assessment and registration of families, as well as carers assessments on behalf of statutory agencies.

MAP act as an information, advice, and signposting service for families. To support this we produce a comprehensive directory of local services,  a regular newsletter and maintain this website with service and events information.

| Top of Page |

Frequently Asked Questions

(Or, click here to read a brief overview of the MAP project)

1. What's a disabled children's register anyway?
2. Who is MAP for?
3. What Counts as a disability for MAP?
4. Why should I register?
5. Where will my information be held?
6. What will be done with the information I provide?
7. Will the information on MAP be confidential?
8. What if I do not want/ no longer want to be registered?
9. I've registered/been referred - how long will I have to wait for a MAP visit?
10. What happens at a MAP visit?
11. What do MAP project workers do?
12. What information will the MAP project worker ask for?
13. What is an Initial Assessment?
14. What is a Carers Assessment?
15. What does M.A.P stand for?
16. How is MAP funded?
17. Which other agencies do MAP work with?
18. Who works at MAP and what do they do?

| Top of Page |

1. What is a Disabled Children's Register anyway?

A Disabled Childrens Register is a database of the children with disabalities in a locality and their families and carers. It is a statutory requirement that all local authorities maintain a disabled children's register. Young people over 16 can be added to the database if their carer/parent decides they want to add them or if the young person decides to register themselves.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

2. Who is MAP for?

MAP is for children and young people aged 0-19 with a disability living in Manchester, and the parents and carers who look after them.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

3. What counts as a disability for MAP?

Any impairment meaning that a child or young person needs additional support to access services in the community. It could be:

• Visual, hearing or sensory,
• Mobility related,
• A developmental delay,
• A learning disability,
• A communication difficulty
• An emotional/behavioural difficulty, or
• A chronic or severe illness

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

4. Why should I register?

• You will be helping to plan the development of local services
• You will receive information and a Directory of Services
• You will be part of a network for families of disabled children
• You will be able to contact MAP for information and advice

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

5. Where will my information be held?

The information you give us will be kept on a computerised database and be used to supply essential information for planners and service providers.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

6. What will be done with the information I provide?

The MAP database is used to record information provided about disabled children, young people and the families and carers in Manchester, about the services they have received and about any additional unmet needs and requirements. This information will help planners deliver the right services. The MAP database is also used to contact people on the database so that they can be kept in touch with existing services which can help them.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

7. Will the information held on MAP be confidential?

Yes, only MAP will have access to the database, unless you ask for information to be passed to other workers or services. This will only be done in the interests of the child/young person and the information shared will be kept to a minimum. Reports and statistical information from the database will not identify individual children or families.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

8. What if I do not want/no longer want to be registered?

Registering details on the MAP database is entirely voluntary and people can request to be removed at any time (click here to contact us).

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

9. I've registered/been referred - how long will I have to wait for a MAP visit?

After you register with MAP or are referred to us, you will be placed on a waiting list to have a MAP visit (what’s this?). There is currently a waiting list, but you should receive information about local services while you are waiting for a visit. We are working on reducing our waiting list.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

10. What happens at a MAP visit?

One of our MAP project workers will contact you to help you fill in a MAP data input form. This can be done either over the telephone or in person. The project workers will also be able to give you advice on issues relating to health, education, social work, benefits and leisure services and signpost you towards any that you both agree would be relevant.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

11. What do MAP project workers do?

MAP project workers will only visit you once or twice to gather and provide information and give advice. They will also do some follow-up work to refer you to other agencies or services acting on the information that you give them about your needs. You can also telephone MAP anytime you need to for advice or information about local groups and services.

MAP project workers WILL NOT visit you regularly or over time as a social worker would.

MAP project workers can:

• Collect information about you for the MAP database.
• Perform your Carers Assessment (what’s this?)
• Perform an Initial Assessment (what’s this?) of your needs on behalf of the Children, Families and Social Care (what’s this?)
• Give you information and advice on issues relating to health, education, social work, benefits and leisure services.
• Signpost you on to any service that you agree would be relevant.
• Help you to apply for Disabled Living Allowance (DLA).
• Help you to apply for any one-off grants or funds to which you may be entitled.
• Refer you to other agencies, including Equipment and Adaptations

12. What information will the MAP project worker ask for?

The MAP project worker will help you to complete the MAP data input form. This holds all the details we need to add to the database about the child or young person with a disability and their parents or carers The form is divided into 12 sections:

1. Child/Young Person: personal details of the child or young person, including sign language use, any benefits they are receiving, and residence (home, foster care, or residential care)
2. Parent/Main Carer: personal details of the main parent or carer including whether they need an interpreter or need information explaining personally due to a learning difficulty or literacy problem.
3. GP: details of the child or young persons GP
4. Reasons: details the child or young person’s reasons for being on MAP record including details of any diagnosis made of the child or young person’s disability, and any epilepsy or continence issues. We also ask for permission to approach the health department for the name of the condition if it is unknown to you.
5. Personal Attention Required: lists any areas where the child or young person requires significantly more attention than other children of a similar age.
6. Education: The name of any nursery?school or college attended by the child or young person.
7. Leisure Activities & Holiday Playschemes: Brief details of any holiday, play or activity scheme the child/young person has attended in the last year.
8. Transport: Whether or not the family has access to a car or other private transport
9. Further Information: Any services that you would like information about or feel would be beneficial to you.
10. Confidentiality: We ask you whether or not you agree to us sharing the information you have given us with relevant professionals.
11. Signature: Your signature to say that you understand the terms of the form.
12. Comments: anything additional that you ask or tell the project worker will be recorded here.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

13. What is an Initial Assessment?

If you believe that your child has a severe learning disability, you can have an Initial Assessment of your needs on behalf of the Disabled Children’s Team (DCT). The DCT provide specific social work, transitional social work, community nursing and direct payments services for those children who have a severe learning disability only. The initial assessment is much more in depth than a MAP visit and the outcome will determine your entitlement to DCT services.

If you would like an Initial Assessment, DO NOT contact MAP. Please call the Manchester Contact Centre for Children, Families and Social Care, on 0161 255 8250.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

14. What is a Carers Assessment?

You are entitled to a Carers Assessment if you provide substantial and regular care to someone who is unable to manage without help due to sickness, age or disability. The asessment is your chance to discuss what help you need with caring. You can also discuss any help that would maintain your own health and balance caring with other aspects of your life, like work and family.  The Disabled Children’s Team (DCT) use the assessment to decide what help to provide you with, including Direct Payments. Carers are recommended to have themselves re-assessed every 12 months as your caring responsibilities and needs change.

For more information on Carers Assessments you can visit the Carers UK website.

If you would like a Carers Assessment, DO NOT contact MAP. Please call the Manchester Contact Centre for Children, Families and Social Care, on 0161 255 8250.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

15. What does M.A.P stand for?

MAP stands for “ Manchester’s Multi-Agency Partnership for Disabled Children and Young People”. Yes, we know that doesn’t add up, but we couldn’t call ourselves MMADCYP!

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

16. How is MAP funded?

MAP is currently jointly funded by Manchester City Council, Manchester Primary Care Trust (health) and Sure Start (education). We also help to secure funding for the projects and summer play schemes that we support from a variety of sources.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

17. Which other agencies does MAP work with?

MAP (Multi Agency Partnership) is an initiative in the City of Manchester based in Children, Families and Social Care. The aims of MAP are supported by Talbot House Parent's Support Group and the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People. MAP works with the Central Manchester Primary Care Trust (PCT), the city's Education Department and voluntary agencies to provide the best and most useful services for all disabled children, teenagers and their parents or carers.

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

18. Who works at MAP and what do they do?

You can download a PDF of our staff list and organisation structure here. (What's a PDF?)

| Back to FAQ |
| Top of Page |

Back to the navigation menu or Back to the top of the page content or Back to the page header