Distributed in an e-mail bulletin by Kevin Woods, SEN & Disability Division, DfES

(i) ESPP materials launched

On 14 July, Cathy Ashton announced the expansion of the Early Support Pilot Programme.  The DfES will now fund 35 new Pathfinder areas, to provide a full range of information and support to disabled children from birth to aged three. The Minister also launched support materials for parents and front line services. They include:

 ·        the Family Pack - a resource for parents with a young disabled child, including a family service plan and a wealth of background information

·        the Monitoring protocol for deaf children - a resource that will help parents of a deaf child and the professionals who work with them to observe and record developmental steps 

·        the Service audit tool - a toolkit for professionals to help them assess and monitor the effectiveness of their services for families with a disabled child. 

A fourth support material, a handbook for professionals on how to provide better, more co-ordinated services for disabled children and their families, will be published shortly.

Cathy Ashton said at launch “All children have a right to the best possible start in life. Where they have special needs and disabilities it is particularly important that these are identified as early as possible and that the right structures are put in place to support them. “The expansion of the early support programme will help ensure that disabled children get the support they need, when they need it, enabling them to grow up feeling fully included in society.” 

See item 2 for announcement on longer-term commitment to ESPP.

 For further information please see http://www.espp.org.uk/pilot/news/13/index.html

(ii) Child Poverty Review

The Chancellor published the child poverty review alongside the 2004 Spending Review. The review includes both medium-term plans emerging from the 2004 Spending Review, and an assessment of the longer-term direction which needs to be taken in order to meet the Government's long-term goal of halving and eradicating child poverty.

Chapter five makes three references to disabled children

  “Over the long term the Government will extend early support for disabled children and their families through building on the experiences of the pilot programme, and spreading these tools and the effective strategies to all Local Authorities and Children’s Trusts."

 “The Government will extend support for disabled children and their families by the implementation of the new national standards that will be set in the forthcoming Children’s National Service Framework. The Government will ensure that there is earlier identification of disabilities and better family support services which are responsive to their needs.”

 “The implementation of the Special Educational Needs Strategy published in 2003 will improve support for disabled children by making education more innovative and responsive to the needs of individual children.”

 “In delivering the objective of comprehensive CAMHS services, commissioners and providers will consider local needs and current provision and develop local solutions. These may include for example improving access to specialist care for children and young people who have both a learning disability and a mental health disorder.”

 For the full report see web http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spending_review/spend_sr04/associated_documents/spending_sr04_childpoverty.cfm

(iii) Direct payments

Latest figures. The latest figures for autumn 2003 have identified 875 direct payments being made to parents of disabled children and 125 direct payments being made to 16/17 year olds. This is an increase from the 2002 figures where 270 families with disabled children received direct payments (this figure included nearly 40 disabled 16 and 17 year olds). Although this is a large percentage increase, the numbers are still quite low compared to the numbers receiving support from social services departments. Some local authorities have made great strides this year, whilst others still have a long way to go.  Ministers have made it clear from public statements that they want to see greater use made of direct payments and will be monitoring LAs performance to ensure that they are meeting their statutory requirements.

Further funding boost Health Minister Stephen Ladyman has allocated funding of £4.5 million to 44 charities to create and boost schemes encouraging people to take up direct payments (cash in lieu of social services), including parents of disabled children and 16/17 year old disabled young people. This marks the completion of the second round of successful bids for the Direct Payments Development Fund. Working in partnership with local councils, voluntary organisations over the next 18 months will encourage people to exercise choice and control through the use of direct payments. The partnerships are expected to be up and running by 1 September 2004. For further information and to see successful bids please see http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/PressReleases/PressReleasesNotices/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4083967&chk=jEtAId         

(iv) DfES SEN and Disability Updates

The DfES published Update 15 last month. This edition includes features on expert advisers, P scales, the Early Support Pilot Programme, the Primary Strategy, PLASC, details of the latest publications and much more. You can view the update online or download a hard copy in either word or PDF formats. Alternatively you can order this and copies of previous updates from our publications centre. For further information please see http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen/updates/

 (v) National Early Intervention Centre- Update

 As mentioned last month, Mencap is leading a feasibility study funded by the DfES to set up a centre that could:

 ·       Give information to parents and practitioners about early intervention

·        Carry out or commission research into early intervention

·        Publish key research messages in appropriate formats

·        Develop courses for parents and practitioners

 

 The Early Intervention Planning Day took place on 20 May with contributions at workshops identifying four main functions for the national centre.  To view these functions, read the first edition of their newsletter or have your say log via a new e-forum see  http://www.earlyintervention.org.uk/  

(vi) Department for Education and Skills adopts FRS estimate for disabled population

The DfES has adopted a new estimate of the number of disabled children. The 700,000 figure more accurately reflects the size of the child population covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act. The figure is based on returns from the Family Resources Survey (FRS) which collects information on Limiting Long-standing Illness (LLSI) for adults and children. In the FRS survey for 2002-3 a new DDA measure was introduced into the questions asked in the survey. The 700,000 figure includes all children under 16 years old and ‘dependent children’ who are those aged 16-18 years who are unmarried, in full time non-advanced education and living at home. DWP announced a couple of months ago that it would be using figures from the FRS to estimate the number of disabled adults. The figures will be updated annually. Further information on the FRS returns from 2002/03 can be found at

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/frs/2002_03/

 (vii) Children’s Equipment Virtual Store

The DH National Implementation Team for Integrating Community Equipment Services (ICES), has launched a plot Children’s Equipment Virtual Store. The Audit Commission (AC) report ‘Fully Equipped 2000’ highlighted problems relating to the provision of children’s equipment. Many of the community equipment services (CES) visited in 1999, and since, had racks or piles of children’s equipment, a lot of it virtually brand new. They said much of it would never be re-issued and would probably be written-off, eventually. The idea of a virtual store is that pre-used items of equipment can be bought and sold via the Internet, to reduce unacceptable delays in the provision of equipment to children. Children’s equipment is special but much of it is adjustable and adaptable and therefore not specific to just one child. Often though, there are not many children in any one area with the same needs. But somewhere there is a child who needs the equipment that is currently stored, and who could have it in a matter of days rather than perhaps having to wait months. The website address is www.icesdoh.org/cevs. Equipment is listed under 6 categories: seating, mobility, bathing, toileting, standing and sleeping.

(viii) No 10 Strategy Unit – Improving Disabled People’s Life Chances

The Strategy Unit has been asked to provide supporting analysis and a strategic assessment of disabled people's life chances - the opportunities available to disabled people, both children and adults, to improve their quality of life. The Unit is working with disabled people and their representatives, with other interested organisations and with Government Departments, and reports to the Minister for Disabled People, Maria Eagle. The Unit has published its interim analytical report for comment http://www.strategy.gov.uk/output/Page5999.asp . The closing date for comments is Friday 13th August . We expect to publish responses. The note of the project's second advisory group meeting has also been published http://www.strategy.gov.uk/output/Page5977.asp

(ix) Department for Education and Skills- Five year strategy

The DfES launched their five-year strategy earlier this month. There is a particular focus on services which promote personalisation and choice. Specific areas of interest include a commitment to “improve support for all disadvantaged children, and children with additional needs” and to providing additional support to parents including “extra support for the most vulnerable children and their families (for example disabled children and looked after children)”  

 The full report can be downloaded from http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/5yearstrategy/

(x) Contact a Family New Dad’s Zone

Developed with funding from DfES, Contact a Family, has launched it’s “Dads' Zone” a new part of their website, which provides both information that's specific to fathers of disabled children, and highlights how fathers can use existing services in a way that suits them.  As well as information on support groups, Dads' Zone has material on fathers' rights, employment rights, benefits and money matters, relationships and family life. Further information from http://www.cafamily.org.uk/dads.html

(xi) Social Care Institute for Excellence

 - Funding for new project on transition

 ‘The road ahead’ is a new project that is being funded by the Social Care Institute for Excellence. The project aims to answer common questions on transition such as how to access direct payments, how to use public transport, and how to find work. For further information please see SCIE Spring/Summer 04 newsletter by clicking on http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/corporate.asp

 (xii) SCARE briefings

 SCARE briefings are summaries on particular topics to update practice at the health and social care interface. They consist of a concise document summarising the knowledge base in a particular area to act as a 'launch pad' or signpost to more in-depth material. They are produced through a clear methodology involving identification of a focused question, comprehensive searching of multiple sources and filtering of materials for quality. Two of the most recent briefings are on transition and short term breaks. These and other briefings can be downloaded from http://www.elsc.org.uk/briefings/index.htm

(xiii) NCB/Sure Start Leaflets - Listening as a way of life

The National Children’s Bureau has launched a series of leaflets setting out importance of listening to babies and young children. The Listening as a way of Life leaflets were produced with the DfES Sure Start Unit and include a range of topics covered including supporting parents and carers, listening to babies. You will be particularly interested in the leaflet on listening to young disabled children. To download the leaflets please see web http://www.earlychildhood.org.uk/