Referral of children

Consider the following prior to siblings being invited to attend a group:

Sibling characteristics
Siblings should be self motivated to join a group and not coerced into it by a parent or other person. In making decisions about who should attend the group you need to consider the overall make up of the group, and also whether this is the best setting for supporting the individual sibling.Siblings with significant behaviour problems may not be able to cope with the group process and disrupt it for the other siblings. They may benefit better from one to one interventions. Think carefully before including a sibling who also has a disability.  If this child's needs are obvious to the other children they may not feel comfortable about sharing their sibling experiences. Some conditions such as dyslexia or asthma may not affect the running of the group. Siblings from the same family are sometimes best placed in separate groups so that one child does not talk about what the other said at home.

Type of disability
Will this be a specific disability group or a generic group? There is a clear need for siblings of children with autism and siblings of children with life limiting conditions to have sessions that specifically address these areas. Make sure that the disability mix does not make one sibling feel different from the others – physical disabilities and behaviour disorders may produce very different problems and emotions for the siblings. On the other hand they may benefit from a broader view of disabilities.

Referral Procedure

Process for referrals
Where are your referrals going to come from. Will you be taking only those known to your agency, will you extend it to other professional colleagues, or will siblings/families be able to refer directly?

Are places to be allocated on the basis of an assessed need, or open to any sibling who wishes to come? If it is to be on the basis of an assessed need, who will be doing the assessment?

Our Recommendation: Siblings and families should be able to self-refer.

Publicity
Possible ways to publicise the groups include:

• Write a simple leaflet about the groups you provide and get it out to siblings via their schools, family support organisations, and professionals who work with the disabled child.
• Use internal mail and email systems to circulate information to colleagues – best to avoid "All user" emails, but there may be "All Schools" or "All Care Staff" or similar groups you can use.
• Contact specific groups of professionals – eg Learning Mentors, SEN teachers, Education Welfare Officers, School nurses, Social workers, CAMHS workers. Many of them have team or network meetings you may be able to attend.
• Contact the Children's Disability Register for your area – they may send out regular newsletters to families.
• You may find it useful to produce separate information leaflets for Siblings, Parents and Professionals
• Some leaders put on an information evening to give siblings a sense of what the group would be like.

Back to Sibling Group Leader Manual contents