Learning to Change in Cumbria for Disabled Children

"Dear parents and colleagues

Thankyou for your involvement in the first phase of these locality stakeholder groups of short breaks, and welcome if you have not been involved before.

The first phase was led by Action for Children on behalf of the County Council and the work that took place in the groups was used in the development of the Commissioning Framework, and the Delivery plan for the extra funding that will be received next year. The Commissioning Framework explains what needs to happen over the next few years, and the delivery plan says how we will use the money next year to work towards that. Both were approved by the County Council Cabinet in January this year.

In addition -

•   We have already tendered for organisations to provide group holiday, weekend and after school activities, and for individual support for young children. 4 parents were involved in evaluating the bid that came in – the new activities should start after April.

•   We are in the process of recruiting short breaks inclusion workers in each locality to work with you all to increase the access to mainstream activities.

•   We are developing our family based overnight care service  to include a pilot of specialist carers for specific groups of children.

•   We are planning to work with child minders to increase their involvement, availability and skills to provide short breaks as well as child care.

•   We have a workforce plan in development to ensure that we will have a sufficient and skilled workforce available in the long term. We are also planning a marketing campaign to improve the awareness of the opportunities to become a short breaks carer.

•   We have also developed an eligibility criteria for the new services, but still need to agree the exact processes and level of assessments needed.

•   We have disability champions on all the Local Planning Groups of the Children’s Trust Board.

•   Children and Young People form Mayfield School have worked with an arts group and film project to make a DVD called ‘’’Give us a break…..’ that will be used to promote what they want to do.

•   Some of the capital funds have been given to local areas to use – with very different ideas from each area.

•   A plan to use the rest of the capital funds is currently being developed.


There has been a lot of progress and a lot of work from everyone to achieve this .  

BUT  ........


If we are really going to transform services and to prepare for April 2011 when the funding stops, we have to closely monitor the impact of the new services and the training and systems, to ensure that we are really making a difference, and where we aren’t – decide what to do and what to change.

From April 2011 – the government will make it a duty for local authorities to provide short breaks and are currently consulting on what this should look like. However, they will no longer ‘ringfence’ money to provide them.

We are all aware of the national financial situation and that whatever political party wins the election, there will be cutbacks in spending. We need to be in a position to show that we have made a difference and that any money that is provided has been used effectively. We want to be in a position to decide what services are a priority to continue if there is less money available.

This is where you come in ---

the next phase of stakeholder groups will need to bring together those who can influence and support inclusion; providers, practitioners and parents to monitor the overall provision, identify potential gaps and where services are not really meeting needs, are not making a difference.  You will need to help the inclusion worker to identify where there has been good practice, and where there needs to be more intensive support.

We may be collecting ‘hard’ data an how many hours and how many children are using them, but you will be in a better position to collect the ‘soft; data on what difference it is making. We will ask you to consider the best way to gain that information locally – especially to find those parents who do not come to groups, and who may have the most difficulties and need for service.

You will also be a link through the disability champions to the Local Planning Groups to ensure that the needs of disabled children are considered in any local initiatives - e.g. play provision.

Each stakeholder group will be led by the most appropriate people in each locality, and will link to the County Short Breaks project group. We do need to ensure a consistent approach – but each group can choose to develop other activities as they choose.

The groups will meet every other month and the dates will be set out well in advance so you can get them in your diaries.

If we can get this right than    Together we can…. Aim High for Disabled children.


Yours sincerely
 


Joan Lightfoot
Commissioning Manager
Inclusive Services for Children and Young People with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities

Together we can achieve the best for every child, young person and their family in Cumbria.

"we wonder though whether anyone from the PCT will be attending and whether they would be able to tell us how their allocation has been spent, and if funding continues, what future plans they have .

we understand their funding is not ring fenced but believe there is a requirement for some sort of audit?

also we would still like to know what provision is being made for "emergency respite"

as the facilities at present cannot accommodate children with physical disabilities or more complex medical needs

we want to know what would happen if a family with a child with, for example, cerebral palsy, epilespy and a gastrostomy/feeding tube  phoned SLDC social services saying they were at breaking point and could not look after their child any longer.  Or, if such a family had an emergency, eg the principle carer was suddenly taken into hospital, or had to be away from the family home for a time?

we wonder why a part of the PCT / aiming high funding cannot be set aside for a reciprocal respite arrangement with ajoining counties, who have the appropriate residential facilities and, who might have availability...

Many thanks

val and jol