The National Obesity Observatory has recently produced the following new briefing papers:
• Bariatric surgery for obesity
• Review of dietary assessment methods in public health
• Obesity and life expectancy
All publications may be accessed via the NOO website
IQJ is a quarterly UK subscription Journal in the field of childhood disability. Issue 10 has just been published online and Interconnections are trying to get it more widely known so are offering you free access to this Issue. The free access code is below for you. This gives you access to Issue 10 and all previous issues.
To access IQJ now -
Go to www.icwhatsnew.com
Click on 'Journal'
Look down the page for the flower logo and click on it.
For name type: ben
For password type: nicholson10
This issue includes:
Lecture & Lunch: ‘Towards 21st Century working practices in Early Childhood Intervention’ – Birmingham and Edinburgh
How can therapists and teachers work together better? How can we prevent intervention overload? How can we use limited resources better?
Conference: Autism and the Criminal Justice System
This unique one-day conference from The National Autistic Society (NAS) will provide practical guidance for criminal justice professionals…
2-day Course on the Team Around the Child System (TAC): the family-owned antidote to confusion and time-wasting
London in October 2010. Each child’s TAC is family-owned and creates effective Early Childhood Intervention for children with multifaceted conditions. Places limited
Conference: ICF-CY* as a Common Language in Early Childhood Intervention
Germany in September 2010. * International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, Version for Children and Youth
Deaf Children with Complex Needs: A Virtual Conference
This will be our second virtual conference with a host of international speakers
Disability Voice: An inside view on disability in Europe – monthly newsletter of the European Disability Forum
‘We keep meeting high level decision-makers to ensure that persons with disabilities are taken on board of the EU strategy for the next decade’
‘Guidelines on the Care of People with Learning Disabilities in General Hospital Settings’ – children included
- published by GAIN in Northern Ireland, a team of health and social care professionals working to promote quality in the Health Service
New initiative: The Learning Disabilities and Family Carers project
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Care are working together on a national project funded by the Valuing People Support Team
Virtual edition of Child: Care, Health & Development
Child development and disability - Virtual Issue edited by Matthew Ellis
‘Training for Trainers - Key Working’ 2010
The SNIP (now known as Kindred) Key Worker Training course has been delivered to over 5,000 professionals…
New resource - Baby First!
- designed to assist health care professionals to support families over the first important year of life when their baby has an intellectual disability
Voluntary organisations find a better way of working with shared services
NCB Shared Services provides agencies and voluntary organisations working with children, young people and their families with a wide choice of support services…
Welcome to the latest edition of CAPT News, the newsletter from the Child Accident Prevention Trust which aims to equip you with the knowledge, resources and tools to make a significant contribution to preventing serious childhood accidents in your community.
The Children, Families and Maternity Team produce a monthly e-bulletin for internal and external stakeholder groups designed to provide them with regular updates on activities that are supporting the delivery of the Be Healthy outcome for children, young people and families through the Every Child Matters: Change for Children agenda.
Following various consultations with the playwork sector SkillsActive is working with playworkers, employers, and training providers across the UK to establish the ‘Academy for Play and Playwork’. The Academy for Play and Playwork will be the professional body for the sector and provide recognition and support for the ‘playwork profession'.
Get Involved!
The academy will need a logo which will be used on all marketing material, and would like you to create one for them.
To take part you will need to be:
A playworker
A child or young person
The competition winner will receive a prize:
A child or young person - £25 voucher
A playworker - £50 voucher
The setting will receive - £100 voucher
The Rules are Simple
SkillsActive need a logo created that will appeal to playworkers, people who are committed and working in play but not face to face, employers, students and volunteers who are committed to ensuring children and young people have opportunities to play in safe environments outside of formal education.
The following must feature in your logo somewhere:
The colour orange be it on the words or your image, other than orange you can use any colour you wish
The following words to be displayed somewhere: Academy for Play and Playwork, Part of the SkillsActive Group
Next Steps:
Spread the word and get involved, make use of any opportunities you have working with children and young people, if you are running a Play Day event you could have some material available for children and young people to use.
1. Draw your designs on one piece of A4 paper.
2. Include bottom right of the paper your name, contact email address and phone number
3. Scan it in to a PC and email it to playwork@skillsactive.com or, if that is not possible post it to Playwork, Skills Active, Castlewood House, 77 – 91 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1DG
4. Closing date for submissions is Thursday 12th August. Anything received after this date will not be considered.
The winner will be notified by Friday 20th August either by email or phone from one of the SkillsActive team.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust is looking for feedback on the experiences of this year’s Child Safety Week.
The trust ran its annual awareness-raising campaign at the end of June. The aim is to highlight the number of accidents that seriously injure or kill children and how to prevent them.
To encourage people to take part and make the process easier, the trust has created an electronic version of the evaluation form for Child Safety Week. And those that submit their feedback stand the chance of winning £50 of vouchers, as well as £50 of trust resources, through a prize draw.
Those that want to take part can fill in the survey by following this link: www.surveymonkey.com/s/csw2010 by Friday, July 30. Details will be entered into the prize draw and winners will receive their prize in August.
A West Midlands-based charity is looking for deserving causes to benefit from the funds it has raised.
The Boparan Charitable Trust provides financial assistance to children and young people, up to the age of 18, across England and Wales who are disadvantaged through poverty, disability or a terminal illness. The Boparan Charitable Trust is now in the position to start helping children and young people who feel they qualify for help.
Alexa Southall, Fundraising Manager, said: “We are really keen to start helping as many children and young people as possible, now we have raised enough funds. We don’t mind how big or small the request is and we do not means test. Visit our website and download an application form today.”
Interested parties should go to www.theboparancharitabletrust.com to download an application, or contact Alexa Southall on 0845 078 6634 for further information.
Government scheme on offer to school-age children with a learning or physical disability who come from a low-income family.
The Home Access has been very successful with only 20,000 grants left to award. Due to the success of the programme Home Access are now inviting applications for computers for children with severe disabilities or Special Educational Needs.
If a child has difficulty using a computer because of a severe disability or a special educational need, they may be eligible for a tailor-made Home Access package based on a simple evaluation of their needs.
The children's commissioner for England is urging teachers, social workers and youth workers to encourage children to take part in the government's review of child protection.
A new review into the funding of palliative care was announced today by the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, in a speech to the International Carers Conference in Leeds.
The coalition government has given responsibility for public health services to local government.
Unveiling the health white paper today, health secretary Andrew Lansley revealed that the brief would be given to councils along with the funding that goes with it. Under the proposals, councils will become the direct employers of directors of public health.
More to follow.
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This free monthly Bulletin comes from Peter Limbrick who set up Interconnections in 1995 to offer independent consultancy to statutory and voluntary services in the field of babies and children who have disabilities / special needs. This Bulletin is part of the Interconnections Information Service.
A green paper on special educational needs (SEN) and the lives of disabled children will be published this autumn, children's minister Sarah Teather has announced.
The latest edition of CAPT News, the newsletter from the Child Accident Prevention Trust aims to equip you with the knowledge, resources and tools to make a significant contribution to preventing serious childhood accidents in your community.
Gloucestershire County Council wanted to trial short break opportunities meeting the identified needs of disabled young people at the same time as offering them new opportunities and giving them time away from their parents. They wanted similar opportunities for those who didn’t want to stay overnight but needed regular chunks of four to five hours away from home at weekends. An important bi-product of the activities was an increase in confidence and self esteem. They have produced two Youtube videos showing their work.
The winners of the Children’s Stars Awards 2010 were announced at a gala dinner held at Gibson Hall in central London on Wednesday 23 June. The ceremony was hosted by BBC Political Correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti, and VIPs in attendance included clinical psychologist and TV Personality Linda Papadopoulos and Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee.
The winner of the Integrated Children’s Team of the Year Award was Sunderland Adaptive Skiers Volunteer Care Workers.
Bliss, the charity for babies born too soon, too small or too sick, has recently re-launched the Families and Carers section of their website as Support for families. This will now be divided into four main sections; Before your baby is born, On the unit, Going home and Older children.
It will also have all new landing pages to help make navigation easier throughout the sections. The colour has also changed to ensure it is as user friendly as possible.
Young Children's Voices Network have launched a new resource; part funded by Participation Works.
This resource is to support early years settings and local authorities to evidence and plan listening to young children and enabling young children’s participation in children’s services.
Over 60 guests from all over the country attended the celebratory event which included presentations from Dr Cathy Hamer, who developed ‘Let’s listen’, and colleagues from Hertfordshire County Council, who shared findings from their young children’s consultation project which explored 3 and 4 year olds’ experiences of the Flexible Free Entitlement.
The government's newly launched Childhood and Families Taskforce will focus on improving support for disabled children, parental leave and tackling family breakdown.
At a lecture event organised by Barnardo's, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg revealed that the taskforce will be chaired by Prime Minister David Cameron and include senior ministers from across government.
The taskforce will also review access to play facilities and emotional support for families and children in the community as well as the sexualisation of children in marketing.
The UK's first National Child Obesity Week will take place next month. The week of campaigning and lobbying will start on 5 July and has been organised by the National Obesity Forum (NOF) and Mend, which provides after-school healthy lifestyle programmes for children. It will urge the government to set out a clear plan of action and new targets regarding childhood obesity. Mend will also stage physical activity events in the 350 areas where it runs its afterschool programmes.
The vetting and barring scheme for people working with children and vulnerable adults has been shelved. Registration was due to get underway next month but Home Secretary Theresa May has announced that the initiative will be put on hold and subject to a full review.
CHILDREN and young people with severe disabilities and complex health needs across the county have been given an extra boost, thanks to Worcestershire County Council.
A total of 27 additional new short break services are being commissioned throughout Worcestershire by the council's Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme. These are in addition to the 14 services already being commissioned by AHDC since autumn 2009.
Animal Assisted Therapy or AAT is a recognised way to facilitate healing and rehabilitiaion and the gentle farm animals make a difference to the Brambles visitors who meet them. Blood pressure, tension and anxiety can be reduced while at the same time visitors gain self confidence and learn empathy.
Worcestershire County Council’s Aiming High for Disabled Children programme now subsidise a number of activity places for children and young people at Brambles at weekends and school holidays.
The farm’s work continues to grow and expand. There is a polytunnel where their visitors can grow fruit, flowers and vegetables and plans for a sensory garden.
FAMILIES with disabled children from across Bristol will be benefiting from short breaks this half-term.
Aiming High for Disabled Children is a national project to invest in services for children with disabilities. Bristol City Council and NHS Bristol are working with families and short break providers to transform services and increase opportunities for disabled children and teenagers.
During this school holiday, 26 young people are travelling to Avon Tyrell in the New Forest for a long weekend at a residential centre. Activities will include archery, swimming and canoeing.
Update on the new Government from Every Disabled Child Matters.
A £400,000 funding package has been set aside to help improve the lives of disabled children in Northamptonshire.
Northamptonshire County Council has pledged the cash for which individuals, organisations and community groups can bid to buy equipment or buildings that will increase the range and number of short breaks available in the county.
They will be awarded to successful applicants who will improve the quantity, quality and range of the available provision for families in areas such as after-school clubs, transport for short breaks and childminding.
A flagship adventure playground in Bestwood officially opened this weekend.
The innovative play space for 5 to 13 years old features a striking 13 metre pyramid tower, bridge and tunnel slides and for the more adventurous, a two seated cable slide and wild tangle climbing frame. A large sand area allows children to play freely and a fire pit doubles as a meeting point.
A SPECIAL bed has been bought for a disabled children’s centre.
Henley Lions Club donated £1,500 to enable the Chiltern Centre in Greys Road, Henley, to buy the hydraulic bed.
The centre already has three, including one donated by the Lions about three years ago. The beds, which have special mattresses and sides which can be raised, are suitable for children with or without mobility problems.
The Family Fund, the largest charitable grant-maker for families with disabled children, has changed the way it looks at income to help more families on the lowest of incomes.
From 1 April 2010, the Family Fund will consider a grant application where a family’s total income from all sources, including net income and benefits, is below £25,000 in England and £27,000 in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Previously a limit was imposed on working families but not on families in receipt of benefits.
A Bristol man is giving his allotment to a school for disabled children in memory of his wife. Arthur Barker from Shirehampton created Maureen's Garden from recycled materials and designed it to allow wheelchair access. Bristol City Council has allowed Arthur to gift the allotment to St Christopher's School.
There are some 770,000 children with disabilities in the UK who, up until now, have had few role models in literature. A recent survey of families with disabled children at nursery revealed the children's frustration at the lack of images of them in books.
By identifying with the characters in stories, of course, young children learn about themselves and the world around them. So I've always felt that the more wide-ranging books for nursery children are, the better. Otherwise, as research shows, children as young as three can form prejudices against someone who is 'different'.
A new study has raised concerns about a lack of understanding of autism among the general public.
A survey carried out by autism charity Treehouse found that 58 per cent of parents or carers of autistic children had been criticised by passers-by for their child's behaviour...
Meanwhile, more than a quarter believed that autistic children are just naughty and only 14 per cent are aware that 1 in 100 children have autism.
A WILDLIFE charity is celebrating after winning funds to install a host of natural play features for youngsters in its grounds.
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has scooped £30,000 from the Aiming High For Disabled Children programme, and £10,000 from the Government's Playbuilder scheme, which are both administered by Staffordshire County Council.
Young disabled people in Bristol are giving medical students the low-down on how to provide the best services for patients with disabilities this week.
The sessions will form part of the week-long ‘3D' workshop, which hopes to teach Bristol University's future doctors about the three Ds: disability, disadvantage and diversity.
EASTER gifts were the order of the day at an adventurous charity for children.
The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT) has been given £6,000 from Northwich’s Roberts Bakery, which also donated the goodies for an Easter gingerbread biscuit hunt.
CAFT, in Millington, provides holidays, respite care and activity days for terminally ill, disabled and disadvantaged children from across the north west.
The Children’s Mutual, a leading Child Trust Fund (CTF) provider, has revealed that over £700,000 a day, or £5 million a week, is currently being invested in Child Trust Funds.
As the UK’s first universal childrens savings product reached its fifth birthday in April 2010, these figures give a clear indication that over the last five years the actions of parents, families and friends have changed the savings habits in the UK, for the better.
It can sometimes be difficult for parents of disabled children to find time to themselves, or even to do simple tasks like grocery shopping - but now a new website has been launched designed to help give families a bit of respite.
The new online facility, www.time-for-me.org.uk, has been developed with parents and families in Norfolk to help them to find short break services to suit their needs in an easy-to-use way.
A Bristol mum is launching a series of children's books, following her experiences bringing up her disabled son.
Maxine Grantham's five year old son, Sammy was born 11 weeks early with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. Sammy weighed just 3lbs when he was born.
Her experience raising him has inspired her to write several child-friendly books to help youngsters understand more about disability. It is to make sure they do not grow up to develop a negative attitude.
Health professionals working with children with disabilities can access specialised support with the launch of a resource pack next week.
My Health My Choice, an initiative led by the Children's Society, aims to encourage health professionals to involve young people with disabilities in the provision of their own healthcare.
The resource pack contains the views and experiences of young people and their healthcare while also directly outlining what they want and need from health professionals.
CHORLEY Council is to boost its activities for children with disabilities after securing nearly £22,000 in specialist funding.
The money means that staff will be trained specifically to ensure full access to a range of activities by youngsters aged up to 18 years with physical or severe learning disabilities, challenging behaviour, complex health needs and those receiving palliative care.
With news from qualifications, focus groups, training web pages and the chance to enter the prestigious Social Care Accolades:
For children with disabilities, the hours spent outside school can be the most harrowing. But one scheme is changing that.
Get Out There (GOT), is a pioneering group for young people aged 11 to 19 in Cornwall with visual impairment and significant additional needs, including deafblindness. Run by Sense, a charity focused on deafblindness, the project aims to break down the barriers that prevent young people from accessing leisure activities – and help them try new activities, make new friends and gain a sense of independence.
The pilot, commissioned by Cornwall County Council, was only set up eight months ago, following two successful open days at theme parks in the county. With funding from a variety of sources, it provides regular activities and events for visually impaired young people who would otherwise have no life outside school or home. The project is already being hailed as an excellent example of a project that meets the government's "Aiming High" policy, launched in May 2007 with a view to improving the lives of disabled children.
Children with autism have very complex needs, so planning and delivering appropriate services has always been a challenge. Many local authorities do not hold accurate data on the numbers of children with autism in their area, meaning provision of services is often patchy. But as diagnostic services improve, more children are being diagnosed as autistic – and so the number of families not receiving the support they need is rising.
Thankfully, this should be about to change. Under new guidance in the Children and Young People's Plan, to be published this month, local authorities will be required to collate and share data on disabled children with other agencies within the Children's Trust.
As part of the Whizz Kidz charity the Ambassador Clubs plan, prepare, organise and deliver local clubs, centred on young wheelchair users that provide them with an outlet to socialize and make new friends.
The clubs run from 10am -3pm in a venue that is a suitable central location. They are flexible regarding delivery times, rolling out these during school holidays or at weekends, depending on the area. The other activities during these days include Drama and Music, film making and sports and games.
Acting as a ‘voice’ for disabled young people in the UK, the Ambassador Clubs support and provide the opportunity for these young people to come together as a forum and examine real issues that affect them and plan and organise their campaign. For example some campaigns that are already in full swing are looking at the quality of disabled toilets and another at disabled transport.
So far there have been 14 clubs established around the UK including Birmingham, Canterbury, Exeter, Guildford, Harlesden in London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, Tower Hamlets in London, Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff. In the second year a further 25 clubs will open and in the third year, 12 more added. With over 500 young people participating in these clubs so far this makes it is the biggest network of young disabled people in the UK!
To find out more, contact:
Pete Webster (National Coordinator: Ambassador Clubs)
Whizz Kidz
E-mail: p.webster@whizz-kidz.org.uk