For disabled children and their families sometimes the simplest tasks – going to the park or shopping – can be the hardest. These are the secret challenges that most people don’t see.
And it’s made harder because the right support is simply not in place.
Families tell us that there are not enough services, many of those that exist are not good enough, they cannot access them easily, and that services do not always work together and communicate well with each other.
That’s why, on the 29th November, we launched the next phase of the #SecretLifeofUs campaign in Parliament with a five step plan to address this growing crisis. We want the Government to take steps to ensure health and social care services work for disabled children and their families.
We believe that disabled children and their families should have the same opportunities as everyone else. Health and social care services are vital in helping to make this a reality.
Five changes are needed:
Step 1: Make disabled children a priority
We want the Government to…Provide ministerial leadership to ensure a cross-departmental approach to improving outcomes for disabled children and their families.
Step 2: Review current funding
We want the Government to…Review funding of short breaks provision for disabled children and families.
Step 3: Clarify existing rights
We want the Government to…Clarify current rights and entitlements by co-producing with families guidance for local authorities and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) on their existing statutory obligations.
Step 4: Create a Fund
We want the Government to…Improve health and social care services for disabled children by providing an early intervention and family resilience fund.
Step 5: Change the system
We want the Government to…Commission a review of health and social care law, to strengthen and clarify rights and entitlements for disabled children and their families.
Click here to read our five-step plan in full.