Services for Disabled Children Scrutiny Review 10/11
Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission
The key questions we aimed to answer in this review were:
- Do the services provided reach the communities that need them?
- What are partner agencies doing to include disabled children in the services they offer?
- What support is available for the parents of children with disabilities?
Evidence for this review was collected over a period of four months. At its formal meetings the Commission heard from community group representatives such as Interlink, London Gypsy and Traveller Unit and Hackney Refugee Forum to understand if there are any barriers for families from these communities in using current services for disabled children and organisations in the voluntary and community sector including the Huddleston Centre, Laburnum Boat Club, Resources for Autism and Step by Step, that provide services to disabled children and their families. We also heard from providers of statutory services including the Council's Children's Social Care service, the Learning Trust and City and Hackney Primary Care Trust. Commission Members also attended two site visits to Hackney Ark, Hackney's Children and Young Person's Centre for Development and Disability, and attended an 'Activity for All' event at Britannia Leisure Centre.
The Commission was impressed by the services available for disabled children and their families but found that they are not reaching all those that need them, particularly in certain communities in Hackney. We want there to be better links between community organisations such as Day Mer, a Turkish and Kurdish community centre, and the services available for disabled children and we made a recommendation aimed at improving this.
The Commission was encouraged that some universal youth provisions are accessible to disabled young people but is concerned that not enough universal services are fully accessible. We made recommendations aimed at helping disabled children and young people access the same activities as their peers and recommended further training for all youth workers in the borough so they can provide the support needed for young people to do this.
The uncertainty around funding for services for disabled children in 2011/12 was a recurring topic in the evidence heard during this review. The Commission recognised that the financial situation will be challenging over the next few years and is concerned that services for disabled children will be overlooked when funding is allocated. These points are reflected in the recommendations set out in the Commission's report.
Commission Members talked to parents and carers of disabled children through Hackney Families Together, the largest support group in the borough for parents and carers of children with disabilities, as well as parents involved in Hackney Independent Forum for Parents/Carers of Children with Disabilities (HiP) and In Touch, the parent group for the Orthodox Jewish community.
In addition, Commission Members attended Hackney's Primary and Secondary Disabled Forums to talk to disabled children and young people themselves as part of this review. Members heard about the activities they take part in and the barriers they sometimes face in accessing the services they want.
The Commission's Final Report
The Commission's final report was approved in January 2011.
The Commission made 9 recommendations that aimed to improve access to universal services, increase awareness of the services available for families and ensure families from all community groups in the borough access the support they are entitled to.
Response from the Cabinet Member
Cllr Krishna's response to the recommedations went to Cabinet in June 2011.
The response noted that "the needs of Hackney's disabled children, their families, and carers is of great importance to us as a Council. As this response shows we are committed to ensuring that the vital services and support that respond to individual requirements remain as effective as they can be."
What has happened as a result of the review?
In September 2011the Head of Integrated Services for Disabled Children attended the Commission to provide an update on progress made in implementing the recommendations. The Commission thanked the officer for their contributions and highlighted a number of successful outcomes, including the allocation of Short Breaks provision and closer working between the different forums for parents of disabled children.
Page updated: 22 Nov 2011
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