A survey found that social, emotional, and financial isolation caused almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of families with disabled children to experience poor mental health such as anxiety, depression, or breakdown. Almost one-half (49 per cent) reported feeling so unwell that they had asked their family doctor for medication or to see a counsellor.
Source: Forgotten Families: The impact of isolation on families with disabled children across the UK, Contact a Family
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Dec
A study found that many disabled children failed to reach their full potential because they continued to be marginalized in schools, health, and social care.
Source: Dan Goodley and Katherine Runswick-Cole, Does Every Child Matter, Post-Blair? The interconnections of disabled childhoods, Economic and Social Research Council
Links: Report | ESRC press release | Manchester Metropolitan press release | Nursery World report
Date: 2011-Dec
Researchers examined the impact of a pilot scheme on the provision of childcare for disabled children.
Source: Hayley Cheshire, Victoria Brown, Ivonne Wollny, Clare Blackburn, Janet Read, Susan Purdon, and David Abbott, Impact Evaluation of the Disabled Children s Access to Childcare Pilot (DCATCH), Research Report RR168, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Nov
A report presented the findings of a longitudinal survey into the impact of short breaks on disabled children and their families.
Source: Chris Hatton, Michelle Collins, Vicki Welch, Janet Robertson, Eric Emerson, Susanne Langer, and Emma Wells, The Impact of Short Breaks on Families with a Disabled Child Over Time: The second report from the quantitative study, Research Report RR173, Department for Education
Date: 2011-Nov
A report examined measures taken by companies in Europe to support employees with care responsibilities for disabled children or adults. It concluded that: raising awareness was particularly important; effective approaches combined measures that targeted working carers with measures that the entire workforce could avail themselves of; line managers had a pivotal role to play in supporting working carers; and it was possible to create solutions that either avoided the need for employees to leave the job, or enabled them to return to work.
Source: Kevin Cullen and Karsten Gareis, Company Initiatives for Workers with Care Responsibilities for Disabled Children or Adults, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Links: Report | Summary | Bibliography
Date: 2011-Nov
A report made four key recommendations for addressing poverty in families with disabled children:
• Child poverty statistics should reflect the additional costs of raising a child with a disability.
• The government should ensure that all households with disabled children took up their full entitlement to disability benefits.
• There should be an implementation plan for eradicating poverty among disabled children by 2020.
The government should not cut rates of support for disabled children under the new proposed universal credit.
Source: 4 in Every 10 Disabled Children Living in Poverty, Children s Society
Links: Report | Childrens Society press release | Scope press release | Unite press release | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Oct
An article examined the relationship between the presence of a disabled child in a family and poverty transitions. When compared with other families, families supporting a disabled child were more likely to be exposed to persistent or recurrent poverty, less likely to escape from an episode of poverty, and more likely to descend into poverty. But when compared with other families with similar levels of personal and social resources, families supporting a disabled child were no more likely to escape from or descend into poverty than other families.
Source: Said Shahtahmasebi, Eric Emerson, Damon Berridge, and Gillian Lancaster, ' Child disability and the dynamics of family poverty, hardship and financial strain: evidence from the UK', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 40 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Oct
A report said that the coalition government's reform plan for the National Health Service risked perpetuating a system that left the families of many disabled children and young people struggling to fill the gaps. It highlighted poor co-ordination of appointments and care, poor communication between different parts of the system, and the difficulty of achieving continuity of care or a holistic approach to treatment and support.
Source: Elizabeth Andrews, Disabled Children and Health Reform: Questions, challenges and opportunities, Every Disabled Child Matters
Links: Report | EDCM press release
Date: 2011-Oct
A report examined the experiences of short breaks by parents with disabled children between 2007 and 2011.
Source: Helen Honstvet, Raised Expectations: Parental experiences of short breaks, Every Disabled Child Matters
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Oct
A report provided an overview of the situation of children with intellectual disabilities in 22 European countries, with a particular focus on five areas: protection against abuse, family support and (de-)institutionalization, health, education, and participation. It recommended a range of steps to be taken to remove barriers to their inclusion.
Source: Camille Latimier and Jan Siska, Children s Rights for All! Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child for children with intellectual disabilities, Inclusion Europe
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Oct
A report said that disabled children and young people often faced barriers in accessing advocacy services, even though they had a right to express their wishes and feelings when decisions were made about their lives. Lack of awareness around the role of advocacy meant that many young people did not receive support.
Source: Anita Franklin and Abigail Knight, Someone On Our Side: Advocacy for disabled children and young people, Children?s Society
Links: Report | Summary | Childrens Society press release
Date: 2011-Sep
A report said that public services needed to let families with disabled children lead – building the right kind of supportive relationships that let families control their own destiny with respectful support.
Source: Pippa Murray, Developing Family Leadership, Centre for Welfare Reform
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jul
Researchers examined the outcome of a series of pilots that were commissioned to test whether the individual budgets (IB) concept and approach worked in practice for families with disabled children, and the extent to which the approach was cost-effective.
Source: Meera Prabhakar, Graham Thom, and Rhian Johnson, Individual Budgets for Families with Disabled Children: Final Evaluation Report – The IB Process, Research Report RR145, Department for Education
Links: Report | Associated documents (links)
Date: 2011-Jul
A report presented the findings of two qualitative studies related to a pilot aimed at improving childcare provision for disabled children.
Source: David Abbott, Mehul Kotecha, Sara Scott, Patricia Jessiman, Anne Kazimirski, Janet Read, and Clare Blackburn, Disabled Children s Access to Childcare (DCATCH): A Qualitative Evaluation, Research Report RR146, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jul
A think-tank report made recommendations aimed at improving disabled children's financial resilience, smoothing the transition into adulthood, and improving the opportunities for young disabled people to realize their potential.
Source: Samuel Middleton and Sandra Gruescu, Asset Building for Children with Disabilities, ResPublica
Date: 2011-Jul
A survey found that a shortage of affordable and accessible childcare, a lack of financial support, and not enough flexibility in the workplace were preventing parents of disabled children from getting back into employment.
Source: Helen Honstvet, Breaking Down the Barriers: Making work pay for families with disabled children , Every Disabled Child Matters
Links: Family Fund press release | Children & Young People Now report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Jul
A report summarized research into decision-making about services and support by disabled young people with degenerative conditions.
Source: Wendy Mitchell, Jane Maddison, and Bryony Beresford, Choice and Change: How disabled young people with degenerative conditions and their parents make choices about care and services, Research Works 2011-05, Social Policy Research Unit (University of York)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jun
A report examined the transition of young adults with disabilities from school to tertiary education and work in developed countries. Access to tertiary education had improved significantly over the previous decade: but it was still harder than it was for other young adults. Students with disabilities were also less likely than their non-disabled peers to successfully complete their studies, or to access employment.
Source: Education and Training Policy Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Tertiary Education and Employment, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-May
Two linked reports examined a pilot that offered to pay families with disabled children the standard 80 per cent of childcare support, but with payment up to higher limits than under the existing tax credits system.
Source: Suzanne Hall, Katrina Leary, Graham Bukowski, and Ruth Lightfoot, Qualitative Research Into Families Experiences and Behaviours in the Childcare Affordability Pilots (CAP09): Disabled Children s Pilot, Research Report RR103 , Department for Education | Kevin Goodman, Childcare Affordability Pilots (CAP09): Disabled Children s Pilot – The importance of cost as a driver of family decisions about work and childcare – a data analysis report, Research Report RR102 , Department for Education
Links: Report 103 | Appendices (103) | Report 102
Date: 2011-Apr
The High Court ruled that local councils were not entitled to withhold support from certain disabled children after they reached the age of 18. The council concerned had claimed that because the child lived in a specialist residential school funded by the education department of the council, they were not deemed to be 'looked after' – and were therefore not entitled to continuing support.
Source: RO, R (on the Application of) v East Riding of Yorkshire Council & Anor, High Court 2 March 2011
Links: Judgement | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined services for disabled children in Scotland. It set out recommendations designed to deliver practical improvements to the well-being of disabled children, and to that of their siblings, parents, and carers.
Source: Report of the National Review of Services for Disabled Children, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Scottish Government press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Feb
Researchers examined evidence of what worked in developing and implementing multi-agency co-ordinated transition services for disabled young people and those with complex health needs, and their families.
Source: Patricia Sloper et al., Models of Multi-Agency Services for Transition to Adult Services for Disabled Young People and Those with Complex Health Needs: Impact and costs, Social Policy Research Unit (University of York)
Date: 2011-Jan
A report brought together findings from a survey of grandparents looking after disabled children, and studies of grandparent carers. More than one-half of respondents had given up work or reduced their hours to provide care, and four-fifths said that they needed more financial help.
Source: 'I Wish I Could Just Be Grandma': Parenting again when you have a grandchild with a disability, Family Fund
Links: Report | Family Fund press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2011-Jan
A think-tank report said that play and leisure services for disabled children and young people in Wales were 'poor'. There was simply not enough to do; and where activities were available, they were often not accessible or children's enjoyment of them was marred by negative attitudes.
Source: Victoria Winckler, Fair Play for Disabled Children and Young People in Wales, Bevan Foundation
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jan