The Disability Rights Commission responded to the government's consultation on children's services. It set out recommendations aimed at redressing the 'severe inequalities and social exclusion' faced by many disabled children and their families. It said the government should set explicit targets to bridge the attainment gap between disabled and non-disabled children
Source: Disability Rights Commission Response to the Government Consultation Every Child Matters , Disability Rights Commission (08457 622633)
Links: Response (Word file) | DRC press release
Date: 2003-Dec
A briefing examined evidence on support services for families with disabled children. It concluded that there was no single blueprint for an effective service.
Source: Greg Khine (ed.), Meeting the Needs of Families with Disabled Children: What works and what s promising?, Centre for Evidence Based Policy and Practice/University of London (020 7882 7657)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
A briefing paper said that tackling poverty in families with a disabled child would have direct benefits for the community and the economy, by reducing the incidence of family breakdown and because parents (and children) would pay back the cost of enhanced family support through tax and pension contributions.
Source: Disabled Children, their Families and Child Poverty, End Child Poverty (020 7843 1913) and Council for Disabled Children
Links: Briefing (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
A report summarised a national consultation (commissioned by the Welsh Assembly) of disabled children and young people to find out their views of the services they used, and recommendations for change to health, education, social care and leisure services across Wales. The attitudes and behaviour of staff were found to have by far the greatest impact on disabled children and young people s experiences of accessing services: they placed significant importance on being listened to, talked to and treated with understanding and respect.
Source: Claire Turner, Are you Listening? What disabled children and young people in Wales think about the services they use, NCH Wales (029 2022 2127) and Barnardo s Cymru
Links: Report part 1 (pdf) | Part 2 (pdf) | Part 3 (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
A report said that disabled children were nearly four times more likely to be abused than other children: but the government was failing to protect them. Abuse often went unrecognised, and disabled children rarely got justice because they were often not considered to be credible witnesses.
Source: National Working Group on Child Protection and Disability, 'It Doesn't Happen to Disabled Children': Child protection and disabled children, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (0207 825 2775)
Links: Report (pdf) | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Nov
New government guidance was published, aimed at making play areas more accessible for disabled children.
Source: Karen Dunn, Michele Moore and Pippa Murray, Developing Accessible Play Space: Good practice guide, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Guide | Summary (pdf) | ODPM press release
Date: 2003-Nov
A report said that, in a relatively short time-span, multi-agency services for disabled children with complex health needs had brought about significant changes in terms of better support at home and improved access to education. What appeared to be missing, however, was a wider appreciation of what still needed to be achieved in terms of social and emotional support for families, and facilitating basic human rights for children and young people.
Source: Ruth Townsley, David Abbott and Debby Watson, Making a Difference?: Exploring the impact of multi-agency working on disabled children with complex health care needs, their families and the professionals who support them, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
An Audit Commission report said that services for disabled children in England and Wales were a 'lottery', dependent largely on where they lived and how hard their parents were able to push for change. Disabled children were missing out on leading ordinary lives because public services were failing to meet their real needs.
Source: Services for Disabled Children: Review of services for disabled children and their families, Audit Commission (0800 502030)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Audit Commission press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Sep
A survey found that the more disabled a child was, the less likely they were to receive short-break care. Children with complex healthcare needs were not being referred to schemes by social workers as there was so little likelihood of them receiving a service. Schemes struggled due to a shortage of short-break carers, and a lack of funding to adapt properties or pay for equipment and training, as well as issues concerning manual handling.
Source: Too Disabled for Care?, Shared Care Network (0117 941 5361)
Links: Report (Word file) | Community Care report
Date: 2003-Sep
Researchers studied the experiences of 36 families of technology-dependent children who used one or more medical devices (such as feeding pumps and dialysis machines) on a daily basis. They examined what the care routines relating to the devices involved, and how they impacted on the children, their parents and siblings.
Source: Janet Heaton, Jane Noyes, Patricia Sloper and Robina Shah, Technology-dependent Children and Family Life, Research Findings 2003 02, Social Policy Research Unit/University of York (01904 433608)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
A report described a project which developed a range of activities to help young disabled people develop their confidence and skills as they moved into independent adulthood.
Source: Julie Bethell with Mark Harrison, Our Life, Our Say! : Good-practice guide to young disabled people s peer mentoring/support, Pavilion Publishing (0870 161 3505) for Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: JRF Findings 813
Date: 2003-Aug
A report described the levels of use of community equipment by disabled children and their families, and the extent of met and unmet need. (Community equipment consists of those items which assist or enable a disabled person and/or their carer with everyday living and activities.)
Source: Bryony Beresford, The Community Equipment Needs of Disabled Children and their Families, Research Findings 2003-01, Social Policy Research Unit/University of York (01904 433608)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
A study examined the issues relating to disabled children aged 16-17 managing direct payments, and the information and services that existed in this area.
Source: 'Living it Up!', Norah Fry Research Centre (0117 923 8137)
Links: JRF Findings 553
Date: 2003-May
A report said that local authorities are failing to provide adequate inclusive play facilities, even though these are known to reduce the isolation experienced by disabled children and their families.
Source: Pat Petrie, Pamela Storey and Mano Candappa, Inclusive Play: Supporting provision for disabled children, Institute of Education/University of London (020 7612 6050)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Feb