Government announces national vision for disabled children

7th July 2010

Campaign welcomes confirmation of coalition policy for improving services for disabled children

Last night, Sarah Teather MP, Minister of State for Children and Families, set out the Government’s vision for disabled children’s policy in a speech at the launch of the latest campaign briefing from the Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) campaign.

   The event, which was hosted by Lord Rix CBE DL and the Viscount Tenby, and sponsored by the Family Fund, marked the launch of EDCM’s new briefing ‘Disabled children: an agenda for the new Government’. This briefing brings together current evidence of what disabled children and their families want local areas and central Government to do to ensure they can lead ordinary lives. It calls upon Government to make an early commitment to a national vision for disabled children and their families.

Speaking at the event, Gail Hanrahan, who is the mother of a disabled child said: “My vision for disabled children’s services is that the focus is on ordinary lives and empowered families and is based on real partnership with parents. Families need a clear entitlement to a minimum level of support and a passport through the system. All we want is a level playing field with other families.”

Nathan Giles, a young disabled person added: “Nelson said when he was standing on his battleship – ‘Britain expects every man to do his duty’ – well, disabled children expect every MP to do their duty now!”

Responding to the briefing, Sarah Teather MP confirmed that disabled children would be a significant policy priority for Government saying ‘Disabled children are at the heart of this coalition Government. We want to make sure that the most vulnerable children get the best quality of support and care. Children with special educational needs and disabilities should have the same opportunities as their peers. The system needs to be more family friendly so that parents don’t feel they have to battle to get the support their child needs.’

She went on to announce that:

* A Green Paper on Special Educational Needs and the lives of disabled children will be published this autumn, based on work with parents, young people and the disabled children’s sector over the summer;

* Regulations setting out details of the local authority duty to provide breaks from caring under the Children and Young Person’s Act 2008 will be published in autumn 2010.

Christine Lenehan, EDCM Board Member and Director of the Council for Disabled Children, who chaired the event, said: “We warmly welcome the Government vision set out today, and the confirmation we have been given that funding to local authorities under the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme will continue to be ring-fenced in 2010/11. We are delighted that Sarah Teather MP has said that she will work in partnership with the disabled children and young people, their families and the disabled children’s sector over the summer to develop a Green Paper looking at both Special Educational Needs and the lives of disabled children outside school.”

A statement from Sarah Teather MP is available on the Department for Education website.

A copy of Sarah Teather MP's speech is available here