Physical Difficulties and Medical Service 

The Physical Difficulties and Medical (PD&M) Service consists of four key provisions:

1. A helpline service - the first point of contact for education settings with enquiries about all issues relating to the inclusion of children with physical difficulties or long-term medical needs. Contact pdandmedicalservice@eastsilc.org.

2. School access and curriculum outreach - Expert assessment advice and guidance in relation to teaching and learning for children and young people aged 2-25 with complex physical and medical difficulties:

• Assessing needs and requirements.
• Advice and guidance in relation to training, equipment, resources and curriculum delivery to ensure full access to the appropriate educational setting for children and young people.
• Preparation of resources for use in the school.
• Co-ordination of professionals meeting to identify access needs of individual pupil. This could include the physiotherapy team, local authority access officer, moving and handling team, estate management team and staff from the educational setting.
• Advice on individual risk assessments available, e.g. fire evacuation.
• Bespoke advice on personalising the curriculum to ensure the physical needs of the pupil are met e.g. communication of learning whilst in a standing frame, appropriate positioning of both pupil and resources in class setting.
• Awareness training for both staff and students e.g. staff meetings, assemblies.

 3. ICT assessment service to schools. Please see ICT Assessment Service, email ICTAssessmentService@eastsilc.org or call 0113 293 0236 Ext 1234. The service provides:

• ICT assessments, including the detailed specification of equipment recommended and supplier information.
• Develop monitoring systems to review the use of equipment recommended and identify further training needs.
• Specialist training in the use of the approved equipment and software to both school staff and pupils (where necessary, parents/ carers may be included).

4. Safe moving and handling training service to schools / Mobility and Equipment advice. Please see Moving and Handling Training Service, email movingandhandling@eastsilc.org or phone 0113 2930236 Ext 1238. The service provides:

• Development of risk assessment in relation to the safe movement of pupils including ‘evacuation’ advice.
• Recall service for refresher training.
• Provision of policies on safe movement of children with disabilities.
• Bespoke guidance and advice on meeting the intimate care needs of pupils.
• Advice on appropriateness of equipment requested.
• Advice to schools in relation to facilities required to support young people with PD and medical difficulties (e.g. laptop, Eye Gaze technology, etc).
• Support health colleagues audit location of resources.
• Signpost educational settings to appropriate professional support e.g. occupational therapists, dieticians, nursing team, continence advisory service.