Aiming High for Disabled Children

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Aiming High for Disabled Children
October 2008
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• Aiming High for Disabled Children is a government
  initiative to transform services for disabled
  children and young people and their families
  jointly delivered by DCSF and DH.
• The vision behind Aiming High for Disabled
  Children is for all families with disabled
  children to have the support they need to live
  ordinary family lives

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• Substantial financial commitments have been made
  to improve services. The following through local
  authority funding
• short breaks 370 million (capital and revenue)?
• transition support 19 million
• accessible childcare 35 million
• support for parental engagement 5 million
• Additional funding to PCT baselines is also
  being put in place but this is not ring fenced.
  However the NHS Operating Framework sets out a
  clear framework to improve the health, well being
  and experience of services for young
  disabled people. Overall funding levels to PCTs
  to support improvements in services for disabled
  children will be set out in the Child Health
  Strategy to be published September 2008.
• wheelchairs and equipment
• palliative and continuing care   also
  receive specific funding

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Delivering national transformation Change of
culture Use of language Raising expectation and
understanding It is much more than discrete pots
of money but whole system improvement supported
by Setting a national expectations (NI
54)? Performance management Participation in
service design and delivery.  Short break
services will be statutory,through inclusion in
Children and Young Persons Bill (April 2011)?
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Short breaks is a major area for
investment Feedback from parents and carers and
research Short breaks replaces the traditional
view of respite and has an emphasis on positive
activities 'Short break' can describe
activities based in and out of the home. It may
represent a few hours or a number of
overnights Choice is a key element and no child
should be too disabled to receive a short break
service. This represents a challenge to all
service providers Does not replace DDA
responsibilities
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Progress so far...... Readiness Criteria have
been designed to establish activity which needs
to take place before the initial funding can be
drawn down from DCSF (next April). Vision,
partnership, commissioning, workforce and market
readiness Needs of specific groups of children
have also been highlighted including ASD, complex
health needs and older children with moving and
handling requirements  Start-up funding has been
provided to enable this preparatory work to take
place. Full Service Offer must be in place by
April 2011
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We have 21 pathfinders Since May 2008
Together for Disabled Children is a partnership
between Serco and Contact a Family to support the
short break and parent participation agenda. We
are working closely with Council for Disabled
Children. Support to local areas through an
allocated Local Programme Advisor On a regional
basis there is a Regional Strategic Lead  who is
working with pathfinders and regional bodies