Conference assesses AHDC progress

Thursday 18 June 2009

Government ministers and officials, and professionals who work with disabled children gathered at a joint Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families conference on 3 June to take stock of the progress made to date within the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme.

AHDC, the government's transformation programme for disabled children's services, commenced in April 2008 with a funding package of £430m (subsequently scaling up to £770m in February 2009) to be spent by local authorities on services for disabled children during 2008-2011.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls highlighted improvements to services that have been made since the programme was launched, including significant growth in short breaks provision, the transformation in parental engagement and the launch of the disabled children's services national services indicator.

Christine Lenehan, director of the Council for Disabled Children at NCB, welcomed the progress but said this is only the beginning. "Real celebration will only be possible when we have truly made a difference to the lives of children and families. We still have a long way to go."