A new book examined the ways in which society 'marginalized and institutionalized' disabled children, and placed them in situations of unacceptable risk. It highlighted how – as evidenced in the survivors' narratives – patterns of service delivery could contribute to the problem.
Source: Martina Higgins and John Swain, Disability and Child Sexual Abuse, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (020 7833 2307)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Nov
A report said that families with disabled children faced a 'barrage of bureaucracy' and numerous battles to get the best for their children, which prevented them from enjoying family life.
Source: Our Family, Our Future: 30 families with disabled children tell their stories, Contact a Family (020 7608 8700)
Links: Report | CAF press release | EDCM press release
Date: 2009-Nov
A report examined how disabled teenagers could make a successful transition from childhood to adulthood. It highlighted the work of charities in plugging gaps in government services and helping young people to lead more independent lives. But many disabled teenagers and their families felt isolated and unsupported in the move from child to adult services.
Source: Andrew McGrath and Clare Yeowart, Rights of Passage: Supporting disabled young people through the transition to adulthood, New Philanthropy Capital (0207 401 8080)
Links: Report | NPC press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Nov
A report examined best practice in the provision of health services for disabled children.
Source: Aiming High for Disabled Children: Delivering improved health services, NHS Confederation (020 7959 7272)
Date: 2009-Sep
Researchers examined parental experience of services for disabled children.
Source: Zoe Slade, Alice Coulter and Lucy Joyce, Parental Experience of Services for Disabled Children: Qualitative research, Research Report RR147, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040) | Vicky Campbell-Hall, Alice Coulter and Lucy Joyce, Parental Experience of Services for Disabled Children: Qualitative research (Phase 2) – Exploring the findings from the national survey, RR161, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report 147 | Report 161
Date: 2009-Sep
A survey examined parental satisfaction with services for disabled children. One-third (31 per cent) of those who considered that they had a care and family support need said that they received little or none of the services they required, and 22 per cent rated the service they did receive as poor.
Source: Catherine Grant and Becky Hamlyn, Parental Experience of Services for Disabled Children: National survey, Research Report RR146, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2009-Aug
A report said that disabled children in England who were fostered were at risk of not receiving the care that they needed, due to 'serious gaps' in training and support for foster carers. Nearly 80 per cent of foster carers looking after disabled children were not recruited specifically to foster children with disabilities; and one-half had not received the necessary specialist training to help them care for these children.
Source: Lucy Peake, Caring for Children with Disabilities: The results of a consultation on the learning and support needs of the foster care workforce, Fostering Network (020 7620 6400)
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Aug
A paper examined how transitions for disabled young people from out-of-authority residential schools to adult services were managed. In addition to specific barriers to transition planning faced only by disabled young people in out-of-authority schools, the generic difficulties associated with transitions for all disabled young people appeared magnified for this group.
Source: Bryony Beresford and Judith Cavet, Transitions to Adult Services by Disabled Young People Leaving Out of Authority Residential Schools, Working Paper DH 2292, Social Policy Research Unit/University of York (01904 433608)
Date: 2009-Jul
Campaigners said that the National Health Service was failing to provide basic care to disabled children. Parents were struggling to obtain essential specialist equipment as well as therapy, continence, and short-break services. Some parents reported waiting for years before receiving a wheelchair for their child.
Source: Louise Franklin, Disabled Children and Health, Every Disabled Child Matters (020 7843 6448)
Links: Report | EDCM press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jun
The first survey of its kind examined the levels of satisfaction among parents of disabled children in relation to services provided by health, education, and social care services – including the quality of assessments, and the levels of information provided.
Source: Local Authority Measure of Services to Disabled Children (National Indicator 54): 2008-09, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | CDC press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-May
A survey examined the experiences of families with disabled children. Families with disabled children were more than twice as likely as families with non-disabled children to have little or no 'quality time' together.
Source: Michelle Pyer and Marc Bush, Disabled Families in Flux: Removing barriers to family life, Scope (020 7619 7341)
Links: Report | Scope press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-May
A survey found that families with disabled children felt stigmatized and shut out from society. Almost 70 per cent of respondents said that understanding and acceptance of disability from their community or society was poor or unsatisfactory; and over 60 per cent said that they did not feel listened to by professionals. Support services such as short breaks, a key worker, and childcare were unavailable to almost one-half of families.
Source: What Makes My Family Stronger, Contact a Family (020 7608 8700)
Links: Report | CAF press release | PSLA press release
Date: 2009-May
An interim report said that good practice on short breaks services for disabled children was emerging: but practice development was 'far from consistent'.
Source: Short Breaks Tracking: Interim Report, Every Disabled Child Matters (020 7843 6448)
Links: Report | EDCM press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Apr
A report highlighted a lack of support for older people who cared for adult children with disabilities. More should be done to enhance the development of life skills and employability for disabled adults who were cared for by their parents.
Source: Karola Dillenburger, What the Future Holds: Older people as carers of adult dependant children with disabilities, Changing Ageing Partnership c/o Institute of Governance, Public Policy and Social Research/Queen's University Belfast (028 9097 2549)
Links: QUB press release
Date: 2009-Feb