WHEN Health minister Peter Roffey officially opened the new Child Development Centre at Le Rondin School and Centre last month, he said the purpose-built facility would make a big difference to a lot of people. WHEN Health minister Peter Roffey officially opened the new Child Development Centre at Le Rondin School and Centre last month, he said the purpose-built facility would make a big difference to a lot of people.

‘Just about every family is going to pass at some time through this facility,’ said Deputy Roffey.

‘I think it is brilliant that we have this new building and I think it is brilliant that it is attached to Le Rondin School.’

For the first time, the centre brings the child development team together.

Deputy Roffey said that the department had long wanted to centralise the team and that he hoped the new facility would help it to operate more effectively.

‘It will all be a big help and will further enhance the service,’ he said.

Routine developmental assessments for all island children at the age of three-and-a-half, organised by health visitors, were previously held at Lukis House. During these sessions a health visitor, an orthopist and a dentist assessed each child.

In some cases, paediatricians refer children who are suspected of having complex needs to assessment groups at the centre.These youngsters are placed with about five other children in an assessment room and their individual and group behaviour is observed through a two-way mirror. The children play with toys in the room and are asked to complete a range of activities.

Clinical psychologist Dr Adrian Datta said: ‘We would be looking at language, social interaction, motor skills, hand-eye coordination and, as the children get older, we would be looking at some of their practical-reasoning skills.’

Sessions are recorded on video so that they can be reviewed and sent away for second opinions and after assessment, an action plan for the child is drawn up and recommendations made.

Disability and respite services manager Bev Clark said: ‘What’s nice about it being here is that most of the children who end up here will end up in Le Rondin, so it is a one-stop shop.’

Its garden area is shared with the nursery and children can be seen from the observation room.

The centre also accommodates a health-visitor clinic and the liaison nurse. Medical checks and consultation with parents are carried out in the paediatrician’s room and there is a customised psychiatrist’s office.

‘It has been made to be unlike an office so that it is relaxing, like a little sitting room,’ said Ms Clark.

The facility houses the Early Bird parent group, which offers an eight-week course for families with an autistic child.

Parent Jayne O’Connor, whose four-year-old son, Dylan, has an autistic spectrum disorder, said the new facility was excellent.

‘The staff in the centre and the school are fantastic,’ she said. Health and Social Services staffs the Child Development Centre but the Education Department is responsible for the building.

Education minister Martin Ozanne said it was a vast and vital improvement on previous arrangements.

‘It is a bit of a dream come true,’ said Deputy Ozanne.

‘It has taken a while and there is a little bit more to do, but I think so many children are going to benefit and many parents will be better accommodated by having this one-stop shop.’

The centre was completed within Education’s #13.9m. budget for the whole complex.

Deputy Ozanne said: ‘Would we have got away with it if we had taken it to the States today? No, I don’t think we would have, but I think we did exactly the right thing by making sure that this building would last for the next 15 years.

‘We have got a building we can be proud of.’