Feb 27, 2023,
Children and Young People Now: DISABLED CHILDREN ‘FAILED AND FORGOTTEN’ BY GOVERNMENT, SURVEY FINDS https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/disabled-children-failed-and-forgotten-by-government-survey-finds
The poll of 2,200 parents and carers of disabled children, released ahead of the government’s response to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) review expected next month, finds that local authorities and education, health and social services are “failing in their duty of care” to support the needs of disabled children.
With three-quarters of parents admitting to giving up their careers to “fill the gaps” in provision and 70 per cent of parents saying that their disabled children’s health is “deteriorating” as a result of ongoing delays in treatment, equipment, mental health support and therapies, the Disabled Children's Partnership has put out “an enormous red flag alert” to government and local authorities in its Failed and Forgotten report.
The poll found that just one in three disabled children is getting enough support from educational settings; just one in five has the correct level of support from health services and one in seven is getting adequate support from social care.
Poverty is a contributing factor, with half of parents of disabled children unable to work due to a lack of support for their children. And more than a third of parents have experienced a marriage or relationship breakdown in the past 12 months, the survey found….
"We hope the government’s expected plan reflects this urgency. We need prioritisation of disabled children’s services across all government departments and in the coming budget.”
The government’s SEND green paper Right Support, Right Place, Right Time highlights that the current system results in poor outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs.
The DCP says the government must ensure the needs of disabled children and their families are prioritised across all parts of the public sector and that SEND reforms “do not make it harder” for parents to get the support their children need.
It is also calling on the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS (England) to ensure that all integrated care systems have clear plans for eliminating the backlogs in assessments and therapies or treatments for disabled children. And it wants the government to support families during the cost-of-living crisis by providing an energy assistance payment for families with seriously ill and disabled children, to cover the cost of running lifesaving medical and disability equipment.
