Children’s Disability Network Teams: Treehouse and
South City
St. Gabriel’s Foundation now operates TWO Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). The Treehouse CDNT is based in Dooradoyle, Limerick and the South City CDNT is based in Parnell Street, Limerick City.
The Treehouse and South City Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) form 2 of 7 CDNTs within the Mid-West region. All the Teams work under the umbrella of the Mid-West Children’s Disability Services.
Through the CDNTs, St. Gabriel’s provide services to children aged from 0 to 18 years who have a developmental delay; are at risk of having a disability; or who have complex needs arising from a disability.
Services to families are provided in partnership with the following agencies:
- Health Service Executive (HSE)
- Brothers of Charity Services
- Avista
- Enable Ireland
- St. Gabriel’s Foundation
The 7 CDNTs are located at seven sites serving counties Limerick, Clare, and North Tipperary. Please click here to see map of all the network catchment areas. The catchment areas for the Treehouse and South City Teams are highlighted on the map.
- St Gabriel’s CDNT (Treehouse Team), Springfield Drive, Dooradoyle, Limerick V94 VY9Y Tel: +35361302733 E: treehouseteam@stgabriels.ie
- St Gabriel’s CDNT (South City Team), Parnell Street, Limerick V94 D378 Tel: +353861081813 E: southcity@stgabriels.ie;
- Blackberry Park (CDNT), Blackberry Park, Dock Road, Limerick
- West Limerick (CDNT), Gortboy, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick
- East Limerick (CDNT), Eastway Business Park, Ballysimon Road, Limerick
- North Tipperary (CDNT), Belmont, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary
- Clare (CDNT), Lifford Rd, Ennis, Co. Clare
As of June 1st 2022 the Mid-West Community Healthcare organisation have implemented the National Policy on Access to Services for Children with Disability or Developmental Delay 2019.
The policy itself can be found here.
CDNT are the providers of services for children with complex difficulties in functional skills and/or applied skill sets required for activities of daily living, learning new skills and social interactions. This may involve physical, social, emotional, communication and behavioural domains. Services and supports are provided from birth until their 18th birthday, however may be extended to completion of secondary school up to the 19th birthday, if appropriate to address specific needs.
How to Make a Referral
All referrals to a CDNT should be made using the new Children’s Services Referral Form. CDNT’s will have an open referral policy, which means that they will accept appropriate referrals from any source, including parents.
The form can be found here.
Catchment Areas for the 7 CDNTs in the Mid-West can be viewed in the catchment area map which can be viewed here.
Who Should be Referred to the CDNT?
Please view the Reference Guide here.
Our teams are made up of psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers and nurses.
All the professionals listed above are registered with either the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), CORU (Ireland’s multi-profession health regulator) or the Register of Nurses and Midwives.
Our teams also include a Children’s Disability Network Team Manager, Team Administrator, Clerical Officers and Therapy Assistants.
The Treehouse & South City CDNT’s work with children and their families using a family-centred approach.
The objective of this approach is to help maximise a child’s independence and participation in all parts of their lives within their community.
Our teams work in an inter-disciplinary way together with the child and family to identify needs and priorities; plan goals; and develop an Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP).
The CDNT’s use a family-centred approach, seen internationally as the best model of practice in supporting children with disability or developmental delay and their families.
Research has proven that this approach provides the best outcomes for children and their families.
It is recognised that children develop and learn by taking part in daily life and activities with their family, school, and community. They learn through repeated interactions with the important people in their lives and by engaging in activities which are of interest to them.
A child’s development and learning are improved in their everyday life and environments with their family and carers who know them best. This means that children and their parents do not have to set aside “therapy time”, because learning occurs in everyday routines, activities, and opportunities.
It is the stimulation and motivation that parents and others who are close to the child provide on a daily basis that has a positive effect on their development.
Family Centred Approach
A family-centred approach (also known as ‘family-centred practice’) means:
• A child’s family, and those closest to the child, are recognised as the most important people in helping any child learn, develop and participate.
• Children and their family are at the centre of all aspects of service from assessment to planning and intervention, and they are supported to identify the goals that are most important and relevant to them in the context of their everyday lives.
• The CDNT’s will support the parents/guardians and those closest to the child (extended family/school staff/respite services etc.) as they help the child achieve his/her goals using evidence-based intervention strategies in their daily routine within their natural learning surroundings.
• Every family is seen as unique, and the service is responsive to the strengths and needs of the family.
Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP)
The Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP) is very important because it is based on the unique routine and demands for each family and on their priorities. It focuses on the outcomes that the child and their family would like to achieve.
The CDNT’s will help the child and family identify opportunities for learning and development during their daily routine. The benefit of this approach is that these opportunities occur frequently across the day, in various settings, in natural learning settings, and with a range of people. The Individual Family Support Plan is a live document and as goals are achieved, adjustments can be made to the plan.