FAQs

Unfortunately, we do not currently have the facilities to provide respite care.

Although there are no longer any government guidelines re Covid 19 at bibic we continue to want to keep families and staff safe as we move into the Autumn/Winter period.

To continue to keep everyone safe, children, young people, families and staff alike we will continue to operate some of our protocols for families coming into the centre.

The protocols continuing are:

Ongoing personal hygiene practices including hand washing for everyone throughout the day

Although mask wearing is not mandatory, please feel comfortable to wear masks/visors if you wish to do so.

Robust cleaning practices with antiviral products a minimum of twice per week.
Ongoing offer of Day 2’s assessment digitally so only one day is required in the centre face to face.

Any staff members who test positive for Covid 19 are asked to not enter the office for a minimum of 5 days after a positive test.

We will let you know if there is a change to the risks posed, such as a notification of a confirmed case of COVID19 in the centre or a change in our approach.

We can work with children and young adults with a wide range of conditions including Cerebral Palsy, Dyslexia, Down’s Syndrome, Developmental Delay, Asperger Syndrome, Autism, ADHD and many more.

We also work with children and young adults with no diagnoses.

We support a variety of difficulties, contact us to discuss any difficulties if you would like to know if we can support you and your family.

You can also take a look at the conditions we support below.

You do not need a diagnosis as we aim to support your child’s difficulties rather than their condition.
To discuss your individual needs, please complete an enquiry form.

At bibic we work with children and young people from the ages of six months to 25 years.

Please have a look at our bibic assessments and services for more information, our Family Services Team will be happy to discuss which assessment if right for your child once you have enquired.

The degree of impact varies for each child. bibic works with your child to reach their full potential whatever that may be. Life for your child can be happier and less stressful and their behaviour can improve.

For more information, you can read our impact report below

The bibic programme, which is based on the ‘theory of neuroplasticity’ consists of a series of techniques and strategies to work to strengthen your child’s existing skills. Through daily practice your child will be encouraged to exercise their body and mind and learn how to cope more effectively with the daily demands placed upon them. As parents, you will learn how to communicate and interact with your child more effectively, so that the whole family benefits.

Following the assessment our therapists work as part of a team to design a structured daily programme, which is specifically developed for your child. This programme is fully explained and demonstrated so you can learn how to carry out the exercises properly and in the correct order. This is to ensure you have full understanding of how to continue to help your child develop.

The bibic programme is designed to be manageable within daily family life and therefore the length of each programme varies to suit each individual family. On average a programme lasts 30 minutes per day. However, this does not have to be achieved in one session, it can be broken down throughout the day.

How the bibic programme will impact on your family life varies depending on your child’s needs, condition and the family dynamics. bibic aims to help you understand your child and how life is for them, but overall the impact on the family is positive. For example, we will suggest strategies to improve communication, reduce negative behaviour, promote independence and encourage your family to work together successfully. Your whole family can enjoy watching your child’s achievements.

Some aspects of the programme may require equipment. Your therapist will be able to advise you on where this can be obtained and wherever possible they will advise you on low cost alternatives.

We are a family driven organisation and encourage immediate and extended families as well as other people involved in a child’s development to attend together. It is important to point out, however, that as parents you need to be responsible for any siblings that may attend. Whenever possible we try to involve the siblings and other family members in the learning and delivery of parts of the programme.

We do not diagnose at bibic, however there are times when it may be relevant to carry out a screening within the assessment for a particular condition. This screening will not provide a diagnosis, but it will give an indicator of the likelihood of the condition being present, and may therefore provide some insight into a child’s difficulties. This may support parents/carers to gain additional investigation into their child’s condition.

The screeners currently used at bibic cover the following areas:

Autism
Asperger’s Syndrome
Sensory Processing Difficulties
Dyslexia
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Our Therapists come from a range of backgrounds and are all trained to a degree level in areas such as; education, home education, care services. bibic Therapists also have a vast experience of working with children and adults with learning difficulties and are trained in Makaton.

All new therapists are trained in house for 6 months before they assess on their own.

Our in-house training covers all areas of development including sensory processing, communication, social development, gross and fine motor skills, and behaviour as well as over 50 years worth of experience passed on from previous bibic Therapists.

Many are also trained in communications techniques such as PECs, undergo Johansen Individualised Auditory Stimulation training allowing them to deliver this programme and Irlen Syndrome assessments.

We encourage collaborative working and are more than happy to work alongside any other professional currently involved with your child, including school. We are also able to undertake joint assessments and can arrange for other professionals (for example speech and language therapists, nutritionists, and more) to attend the assessment if you feel this may be of benefit.

If you have copies of recent reports from other professionals, you may like to share them with your bibic therapist either during the assessment or by sending them to us prior to the assessment.

However much you feel you need to up until 25 years old, we recommend at least a one year gap between our assessments.

Yes, we have many siblings on programme. Each child would be seen by an individual therapist. If you would like to bring more than one child for an assessment at the same time, we ask that you ensure there is a responsible adult with each child for the duration of the assessment.

We are unable to give a sibling discount, however please talk to our Family Services team to find out how we can support you.

Your Therapist will become your keyworker. You will have access to your keyworker via email and can arrange phone calls if needed for an agreed time period following your assessment to help with any questions you may have.

At your first re-assessment in most cases you will see the same Therapist you saw for your initial assessment to keep the continuity. From assessment three onwards we encourage children and families to use the expertise of the whole therapy team, so would normally book you in with another Therapist.

We aim to respond to all enquiries as soon as possible, however when we have an increase in enquiries it can take us longer than usual.

Please complete our enquiry form below and our Family Services Team will contact you as soon as they can to discuss how we can support you and your family.

We ask families to pay £950* for a two-day bibic assessment. This can be paid by cheque, card, cash or can be paid in instalments. Please phone our Family Services Team on 01458 253344 to find out more about payment options. *As of 1st February 2024

Our waiting list varies. We aim to book you in for a 2-day assessment within a year of your enquiry, however in exceptional circumstances this may be longer.

We are open during school holidays and occasional weekend however these do get booked up quickly, if you would like an assessment during these times, please let our Family Services Team know when you enquire.

We do not provide direct funding or grants to individual families. We can provide details of other organisations that may be able to provide assistance and we ask that families look into those at the first stage.

For families who have not been successful with Grant applications we may be able to offer support with partial fee waivers to help with the cost of assessment. Please talk to our Family Services Team to find out more about this at enquiry, on 01458 253344 or email info@bibic.org.uk

We aim that families who cannot meet the cost of a bibic assessment will never be turned away due to financial hardship.

We always offer payment plans to help with the cost of assessments.

Yes, we assess all children and young people, this can be at our bibic centre or the majority of our assessments can be carried out online.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay whilst visiting bibic for an assessment, take a look at the below accommodation near bibic.

Schools’ individual policies on this will vary, however, most are generally accommodating if they understand the nature of the appointment and the potential benefits for the child.

We always contact schools to let them know your assessment dates but are happy to provide you with a written confirmation letter if you need proof of your child’s appointment.

Unfortunately not, as we see children from all over the UK and do not have specialised knowledge of schools across the entire country.

We aim to help you understand your child’s strengths and areas of difficulty better so you feel able to communicate more effectively with their school. We are happy to talk with teachers, support workers and SENCO’s if permission is received and in certain circumstances, our assessment can be carried out in the school, although this may incur some additional cost.

Alternatively, following the assessment the techniques and strategies we teach you can be shared between the school and home environments. In addition, a detailed written report is provided after your child’s assessment which you may like to share with their school.

We provide tea, coffee, water and kitchen facilities, which include a microwave and fridge. We advise you to bring a packed lunch, though there are several cafes and shops in the surrounding area.

Somerset is a well-known tourist destination and Langport is a lovely village with plenty of amenities. We can provide families who have booked an assessment with the names of local bed and breakfasts, self-catering accommodation and hotels. We do advise that you contact these facilities directly to identify if they suit your specific needs. Take a look at our list of accommodation near bibic.

Comfortable loose clothing and sensible shoes would be best, as there may be some physical activities during the day.

Yes, of course, please let us know and we will work the timings of the assessment around your child’s needs.

Please bring any equipment that your child uses regularly, such as splints, communication aids etc as long as it is practical to do so.

Please bring these with you for the child to wear during their assessment.

We have plenty of toys and equipment here at bibic, however, you may like to bring some of your child’s favourite things. Please ensure you do not leave any of your belongings behind at the end of the day.

We have ample free parking and two disabled spaces set aside specifically for bibic families.

We aim to keep the day within school hours, please arrive at 9.15am for a 9.30am start. The day usually finishes around 3pm. - 3:30pm dependant on what the day consists of.

Please ring us as soon as you know your child is ill. Provided you let us know and your reason for not attending the assessment is genuine there will be no charge to reschedule the assessment.

Any individual can complain by;

• Calling our office on 01458 253344.

• Emailing info@bibic.org.uk

• Sending by post to:
bibic
Old Kelways
Somerton Road
Langport
TA10 9SJ

To support bibic to deal with your complaint promptly and fully please state that you are making a complaint, set out your concern as clearly as possible and provide your contact details.

You can read our complaints policy attached.

We aim to send the report to you within four weeks, however in exceptional circumstances this may take longer.

We only send the report to the parents/carers, who are welcome to make copies and share it with whoever they wish.

Our bibic reports have been used to secure additional support in the past, although we cannot guarantee this, as it does depend on the professional you take it to.

The bibic report is not designed specifically with this in mind, but rather as a clear indication of what difficulties your child is experiencing and a range of practical and effective methods to help them address those. We find that special needs services in schools will certainly consider our report when deciding what further services and support they can offer, as will health services when making diagnoses.