19 December 2011
Short Breaks Network is delighted to announce that we are
now part of Impact.
Impact is a new partnership between Serco (formerly Together for
Disabled Children) and Short Breaks Network.
Impact will work with local authorities across England, the
Council for Disabled Children, who are the Strategic Partner for
Special Educational Needs and Disability and other organisations to
support a sector led approach to delivering short breaks.
Local Authorities now have a duty to provide a variety of
Short Breaks for disabled children. They also have been asked to
produce a public statement making clear to parents and carers
exactly what is available for disabled children in their
area. Impact will work with local authorities in England to
monitor this work and support local areas to establish good
practice. Impact’s aim is to offer support, advice and examples of
next and best practice to:
* help local authorities deliver their legal obligations to
provide short breaks for disabled children;
* facilitate sector and parent led developments in how short
breaks are provided; and.
* help short breaks providers, particularly Voluntary and
Community organisations, develop their capacity
Visit the Impact home page.
5 October 2011
In April 2011, an historic duty came into force which
required
local authorities to ensure that they provide a short breaks
service for
local disabled children. As part of this duty, local
authorities had to
produce a 'Short Breaks Services Statement' by 1st October
2011.
For more information please visit the EDCM website
here
25 January 2011
New regulations for increased short breaks completed
their passage
through parliament on Tuesday 25 January. They set out that,
from April,
there will be a duty on all local authorities to provide
short breaks
for parents and carers of disabled children. They will also
have to
prepare a statement on what services will be available in
local areas
and what criteria they will be assessed by. These must be
published by 1
October.
Read
more
21 January
2011
"The case of Celyn Vincent and her family highlights
the challenges that many families with disabled children
face. Whilst there has been a significant increase in the
support available in recent years there are still disabled children
who are not getting the support they need. With public sector
funding under pressure there is a real risk of losing momentum.The
Government has announced significant levels of funding for disabled
children’s services for 2011-2015. The funding, however, is not
ring-fenced so it is up to each local area to determine the actual
funding spent on services for these vulnerable families.
We hope that the case of the Vincent family will remind local
authorities that funding for disabled children is vital and they
must ensure they allocate their share of the £800 million where it
is intended to ensure that disabled children get access to engaging
short break services. Short breaks help disabled children and
their families live more ordinary lives and prevent families
reaching crisis point.
Local authorities should be free to shape delivery in line
with the unique circumstances in their area. In the
absence of ring-fenced funding, however, central government must
also ensure that local areas managing tight budgets do not short
change disabled children and their families."
Candy Smith, Chief Executive, Short Breaks Network
20 January
2011
The struggle facing a mother who met David Cameron is front
page news in The Guardian. Read the story here
here.
15 December 2010
The government's early intervention grant will provide 10.9%
less funding that the aggregated 2010-11 funding councils received
from DSCF. While funding is not ringfenced the government has told
councils that Sure Start centres childcare for disadvantaged two
year olds and short breaks for disabled children should be
prioritsed.
Read
Community Care article
11 December 2010
Sarah Teather MP, Children’s Minister announced today
(11December 2010) that the Government will be providing
localauthorities with £800 million over the next four years to
fundshort breaks for families with disabled children over the next
fouryears. This represents approx £200 million per year, a £22
millionyear on year increase on 2010 funding, and sends a clear
message to local authorities that services for disabled children
should be a
high priority.
Highest
ever investment in short breaks announced!
DFES
news release
11 December 2010
A new evaluation of the short breaks programme
shows the positive impact that short breaks can have on
families with
disabled children – with 88 per cent of families surveyed
currently
using some form of short breaks service. But there is more
work to be
done to better target services and make sure all families
have access to
a wide range of support.
Short
Breaks Pathfinder Evaluation
9 December 2010
Twice the number of councils are providing excellent
children's services
compared with last year, according to Ofsted's 2010
children's services
assessments, published today.
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/12/09/115979/twice-as-many-excellent-services-as-last-year-says-ofsted.htm
Legal Right to short breaks to be approved by government.
Read
EDCM news here
22 November 2010
Councils must publish short break information eligibility
criteria by October
Read
the Community Care article here
Government toughens up on duty on councils to provide short
breaks.
Read
the Community Care article
Read
EDCM report here
Funding for short breaks expected to be delivered through
Early Intervention grant.
Read more in this Community Care article
18 November 2010
NEW!! Our new I could do that! recruitment DVD is now available to order and for a limited time only its sister DVD Be The BIG Difference! is available at a special promotional price. For more information and to order yours go to our Recruitment Resources pages.
18 November 2010
Foster carers from across the borough were given the praise and
recognition they deserve at a special annual event held by Barking and
Dagenham Council's Fostering Team.
Click here to read more.
17 November 2010
The Every Disabled Child Matters Campaign are requesting a clear statement from Government to be sent to local authorities and Primary Care Trusts on funding for services for disabled children and their families beyond March 2011. They are asking people to email their mp to support this. For More information click here
17 November 2010
EDCM has produced a guide on what the Spending Review may mean for disabled children. Click here to view. For more information click here.
17 November 2010
We are evaluating the support given through our BIG Recruitment Challenge project (funded through Aiming High for Disabled Children).Your feedback is very important as it will help us evaluate the project so far and find out what support is still needed. The survey should take just over 5 minutes to complete. You can fill it in by clicking here
Participants will be entered into a draw 12 noon on 25th November 2010 and the winner will receive a £75 training voucher.17 November
17 November 2010
National charity Scope is asking for your help to make sure the true costs of being a disabled person in Britain today are brought home to David Cameron and Nick Clegg. Complete the survey by clicking here
17 November 2010
28% per cent of local authorities in England could face legal challenges over the criteria used to asses disabled children's eligibility for short break respite care, according to a survey by Every Disabled Child Matters. Click here to read more. You can also read EDCM article about it here
The report can be downloaded
here
5th November 2010
Parent participation in planning short breaks help prevent disabled young people going into care claims Together for Disabled Children. Read more here
The news Archive can be download here: National news archive march-august 2010.doc
View the reuslts of the survey here Short Breaks Network awareness survey.pdf