Teather announces green paper on SEN and disabled children
08/07/2010
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.
Childhood taskforce to review wide range of children's policies
17/06/2010
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.
Funding helps Horsham project for disabled children
08/12/2009
FOLLOWING a successful bid by Horsham District Council for more than £60,000 in funding, a co-ordinator has been employed to oversee a project for disabled children in the area.
The council recently gained more than £60,000 of funding from the Department of Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health to develop seven out of school activities for children with additional needs and their siblings, entitled 'Aiming High for Disabled Children'.
Council to launch homecare service for disabled children
20/11/2009
The London Borough of Ealing is launching a specialist homecare service for children and young people who are disabled, seriously ill or recovering from illness.
Child homecare is currently provided through the adults’ domiciliary care contract, but the new service aims to be more suited to children and young people’s individual requirements.
The service will be available to under-18s who have been assessed by children’s social services as needing homecare support. Children and young people will receive help with basic homecare needs, such as washing and getting dressed, and will be accompanied on any play or social activities.
Manchester City Council Takes Steps To Transform Special Needs Education In the City
22/10/2009
Proposals that will further transform special education teaching and learning in Manchester and give more choice and better outcomes for young people have been agreed by the Council's Executive earlier this week.
The city wide proposals will see a continuum of provision developed for children and young people who have special educational needs from pre-school through to school leaving age and beyond.
The £28 million package of proposals includes early assessment through designated Sure Start centres and associated early years providers, and specially resourced provision at six mainstream primary schools and three mainstream high schools.
More UK children with learning disabilities ‘sent away’ now than in the bad old days of long-stay hospitals.
07/10/2009
The Summer issue of ‘Challenge’ is now available, this issue focusing on education for children and young adults with severe learning disabilities.
Policy and practice regarding children with learning disabilities have changed radically in the past 40 years. In the main feature, ‘Home or away’, Peter McGill (University of Kent Tizard Centre) examines recent research and issues for future provision, coming to the surprising conclusion that, despite the move away from long-stay hospitals and policies of inclusion, we are now excluding from their local communities nearly as many children with learning disabilities as we did in the 1970s.
In accompanying articles, a parent and an independent special needs education provider debate whether out of area residential school placements are a “scandal” or “solution” for families. Peter McGill sets out three recommendations for change if we are to reduce the need for residential school and other residential placements: “it would clearly be much better if far fewer children and young people had to leave their families and travel halfway round the country in order to access specialist knowledge and experience.”
Balls commissions review into SEN teacher training
28/09/2009
Children's Secretary Ed Balls has commissioned an independent review into the supply of teachers trained to meet the needs of children with severe learning difficulties.
Toby Salt, deputy chief executive of the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services, will look into the supply of teachers trained to meet the needs of children with severe learning difficulties (SLD) and profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).
The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust will also be running a £550,000 project to share good practice in teaching and learning for children with the most complex learning difficulties.
Children’s Charity ACT launches new guide to support the development of children’s palliative care services
30/04/2009
Leading UK children’s palliative care charity ACT has today (30 April 2009) launched a new and updated edition of A Guide to the Development of Children’s Palliative Care Services. This new resource, now in its third edition, has been described as an invaluable tool for professionals who are concerned with developing, providing or commissioning services for children who have life-limiting or life-threatening health conditions.
Think Research
15/07/2008
The Task Force has produced this guide for commissioners to be able to identify the services that are best able to meet vulnerable people's needs, and are proved to work. The guide is aimed at professionals who have direct responsibility for designing, commissioning, providing or managing services for vulnerable groups, in order to make informed decisions when commissioning projects