FWIW Contact a Family e-Newsletter - January 2009

[Guest guest]

Contact a Family January e-newsletter

++Contents

+01: New report on Disabled Facilities Grants launched.

+02: Contact a Family has produced a new podcast on Special Educational

Needs (SEN).

+03: Look out for 'Health and Well being' questionnaire.

+04: Government announces new measures to improve services for disabled

children.

+05: Action for children with speech, language and communication needs.

+06: Charity launch song to promote awareness of their National Charter

of Rights for Disabled Children and Young People.

+07: Physiotherapy for children with neurological conditions.

[Contents ends].

++Contact a Family news.

+01: New report on Disabled Facilities Grants launched.

Contact a Family Wales, along with Shelter Cymru have launced a new

report on Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG). The report looks at parents'

experiences of getting DFG, a grant which is intended to help all

parents make their homes suitable for their disabled children.

The study was supported by the ph Rowntree Foundation and shows that

over recent years, the grant has become more accessible and is bringing

benefits to families.

Key findings include:

- significant increase in the number of enquiries, approvals and

completions for DFGs for children in Wales

- steady decreases in the average completion time for DFGs for children

since abolition of means testing

- means test abolition has not led to a noticeable increase in costs.

But there are still areas of poor performance:

- insufficient information available on DFGs

- limited progress on more complicated adaptations

- levels of satisfaction with the DFGs process still varies considerably

depending on where you live in Wales.

To read the report in full visit Web:

http://www.cafamily.org.uk/wales/DFG_report.pdf .

+02: Contact a Family has produced a new podcast on Special Educational

Needs (SEN).

A new podcast from Contact a Family has been produced to help explain

the meaning of Special Educational Needs (SEN) and other related terms

like SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator). The podcast also

has more information about what to do if you are concerned your child

has SEN, what schools and the local authority can do to help, how to

request a 'statutory assessment' and the 'statementing' process.

To listen to the podcast visit Web:

http://www.cafamily.org.uk/SEN_England.mp3 .

[Contact a Family news ends]

++News stories.

+03: Look out for 'Health and Well being' questionnaire.

The British Market Research Bureaux will be sending out thousands of

'Health and Well being' questionnaires to families in January on behalf

of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

Information from the questionnaire will be used to find families to take

part in a further survey, in spring, about disabled children's services.

Parents' answers will be used to develop a National Indicator for

disabled children, which will measure the performance of each local

authority's disabled children's services.

The 'Health and Well being' questionnaire is being sent out to make sure

families who are currently not receiving any services are included in

the survey as well as those that are. Families chosen to complete the

survey will be spread across each local area and have children with a

range of disabilities.

- Why is the Disabled Children's Services National Indicator important?

This is the first time there has been a specific indicator for disabled

children's services. Local areas will be able see how they are

performing and compare with others. Areas that perform badly will be

expected to improve their services and are likely to channel money and

resources into meeting National Indicators where they are underperforming.

- What is a National Indicator?

In April 2008, a new system was introduced to measure and compare the

performance of each local authority in England. Every local authority

will now be measured against 198 National Indicators, including the

Disabled Children's Services National Indicator to see how well they are

serving their local community.

- What difference have other National Indicators made?

One National Indicator says that patients should be referred to a health

specialist within 18 weeks of being referred by a GP - the introduction

of this National Indicator has significantly reduced patient waiting times.

- If I receive a survey, why should I complete it?

The Disabled Children's Services National Indicator is a key tool to

ensure services improve in your local area. It will focus education,

health and social care's attention on services for disabled children in

a way that hasn't been seen before. Your experiences are crucial in

measuring local services for families of disabled children. The survey

is a unique chance to have your say - it you get the opportunity to take

part, please do, and encourage other parents to do the same. It will be

initially sent to some parents in the Spring and then to a larger sample

in the summer. After that it will be sent out on a regular basis once a

year.

If you, or anyone else you know about has any problems filling in the

survey, there will be a phone number clearly marked on the questionnaire

that you can call to get assistance.

+04: Government announces new measures to improve services for disabled

children.

The government has announced GBP38 million funding to improve outcomes

for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

The funding was announced as part of The Children's Plan One Year On, a

review of what has been done since its launch. There will be GBP31

million allocated to support pilot programmes to improve outcomes for

pupils with SEN. There will be a further GBP7 million for other measures

including strengthening school leadership and improving online reporting

for parents.

The report highlights additional developments of particular relevance to

disabled children and their families, including:

- Parent Panels

These panels will provide direct advice to Ministers on a range of

issues that affect parents in England and will include parents of

disabled children.

- Children's health

The report confirms the Child Health Strategy 'Healthy Lives, Brighter

Futures' will be published shortly, which is expected to confirm the

level of funding available to PCTs for disabled children's services.

- Children's workforce

Disabled children are identified as a vulnerable group needing support

from the children's workforce. Their needs will be a priority for the

new National Children and Young People's Workforce Partnership as set

out in the new 2020 Children and Young People's Workforce Strategy. One

of the key objectives will be ensuring that everyone receives

appropriate training in meeting the needs of disabled children and young

people, and about their role in supporting children and young people

with speech, language and communication needs.

For more information about the Children's Plan One Year On: a progress

report, visit Web: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/oneyearon/ .

For more information about the Children and Young People's Workforce

Strategy, visit Web:

http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/deliveringservices/childrenandyoungpeopleswo\

rkforce/

..

+05: Action for children with speech, language and communication needs.

The government have published an action plan for children with speech,

language and communication needs (SLCN).

The action plan follows on from The Bercow Review, a recent review of

services for children with SLCN by Bercow MP. The government has

announced it would invest up to GBP12 million to take forward its

recommendations.

The action plan, called 'Better communication: an action plan to improve

services for children and young people with speech, language and

communication needs' has a range of initiatives to improve services for

children and young people with SLCN and includes:

- up to 20 local area pathfinders to develop good practice guidance and

a supplemental joint commissioning framework on SLCN

- up to GBP1.5 million invested in grants to the alternative and

augmentative communication sector

- up to GBP1.5 million invested in a research programme looking at SLCN

over the next three years.

The government will form a Communication Council and appoint a

Communication Champion early in 2009, to give ongoing advice and support

on developing effective services for children with SLCN. There will also

be a National Year of Speech, Language and Communication in 2011-2012.

For more information see Web: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/bercowreview/ .

+06: Charity launch song to promote awareness of their National Charter

of Rights for Disabled Children and Young People.

Include Me Too, a charity supporting disabled children and young people

and their families, have launched a song to raise awareness of the

rights of disabled children.

The song was created in April 2005 when disabled children and young

people got together to produce the 'Include Me Too' and to raise

awareness of their National Charter of Rights for Disabled Children and

Young People, and now the song has been officially released.

The video of the song can be viewed on the Children's Commissioner's 11

Million website at Web: http://tinyurl.com/59raby .

A CD of the song is available at GBP2.99 and includes three versions of

the song, the new 2008 version, the original 2005 version and the

instrumental. A video CD includes a signed version of the song and is

available at GBP4.99.

The song can be bought directly from Include Me TOO and all proceeds

will go to ensuring the rights of disabled children are supported and

promoted. Include Me TOO hopes the song will help promote the rights of

disabled children and reach everyone, not just those who are aware of

disability issues.

For more information on Include Me TOO and how to order, go to Web:

http://www.includemetoo.org.uk/ or Tel: 01902 711604.

+07: Physiotherapy for children with neurological conditions.

Children with conditions such as cerebral palsy, cancer, stroke and

brain damage could be taking their first steps with the help of an

Oxfordshire local charity Footsteps Foundation.

Private therapy is difficult for most families to afford, so this

charity has been launched to help children by paying for physiotherapy

at the Footsteps Centre. The Centre provides intensive physiotherapy

for disabled children with neurological conditions.

Families come from all over the UK can attend daily physiotherapy for

three week programmes at a time. Equipment at the centre includes the

Spider, which enables therapists to implement a full course of exercises

in any chosen position and to align the body by using a series of

elastic ropes.

The charity aims to raise GBP500,000 and needs the support of local

individuals, clubs, groups and businesses to help even more children

learn to walk.

Do you know a child who could benefit from intensive physiotherapy?

Visit Web: http://www.footstepsfoundation.com or contact e-mail:

pip@... or Tel: 01865 858 382 for more information.

[News stories ends]

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