Programme news
These updates provide information about the most recent progress made with
the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme. Items are listed in
date order, with the most recent first.
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Programme headlines
Better Communication Action Plan published
The Government has published Better
Communication: An Action Plan to Improve Services for Children and Young
People with Speech, Language and Communication Needs in response to the Bercow
Review of services for children and young people with speech, language and
communication needs (SLCN). For more information visit the SLCN web
pages.
DCSF Minister launches Transition Support Programme
Sarah McCarthy-Fry, Minister for Schools and Learners, formally
launched the Aiming High for Disabled Children Transition Support Programme
(TSP) for disabled young people aged 14-19 on 2 December 2008. During the
launch the Minister confirmed that every local authority area is receiving
£10,000 to assess their current support for transition, including drawing
in the views of young people and families and completing a self-assessment
questionnaire. In addition, 13 LAs are receiving an extra £37,500 to
develop their existing good practice. For more information on the programme,
visit the AHDC
transition support page or Transition
Support Programme website.
Invitation to tender for research on disabled children's short
break provision
The Department for Children, Schools & Families (DCSF) intends to
commission a cost benefit analysis of disabled children's short break
provision, incorporating: an evaluation of the impact of short break provision
in promoting severely disabled children's wellbeing; and an evaluation of
the financial costs and financial benefits of short break provision for
disabled children. The research accompanies a major increase in expenditure by
Government on disabled children's short break provision through the Aiming
High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme. The closing date for
submissions is 2 January 2009. For more information visit the DCSF
research pages.
Individual Budgets scoping report published
The DCSF has published the Individual
Budgets (IB) for Families with Disabled Children scoping report. As part of
the AHDC programme, the DCSF commissioned a scoping study to inform the
development of the IB pilot programme, which is due to commence in late
2008/early 2009. For more information, go to the IB programme section found
under Other
areas of work.
National transition support team announced
The Council for Disabled Children and partners will act as the
national transition support team for the AHDC Transition Support Programme. The
programme will seek to raise the standards of transition in all local areas.
For more information on the programme, visit the AHDC
transition support page or the Transition
Support Programme website.
Consultation on a National Framework for Assessing Children's
Continuing Care published
The consultation
on a National Framework for Assessing Children's Continuing Care has
been published. The framework is intended to help Primary Care Trusts (PCTs)
apply a consistent and transparent approach to assessing the healthcare needs
of children and young people, and to work jointly with local authorities (LAs)
to provide services in the light of those needs. This framework will apply to
children and young people under the age of 18 years who have complex health
needs because of disability, accident or illness.
Deadline for responses is December 31 2008.
Parent Participation Grants Programme Launched
As part of the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme the
Government committed £5 million to support parent involvement over the
next three years. The Parent Participation Grants Programme has now been
launched by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Over the first
two years of the programme (2008 to 2010), £3 million will be available
through a programme of grants and support from Together for Disabled Children
to develop parent participation activities in each local authority area across
England. For further information visit the Together
for Disabled Children website.
Childcare Pilot Launch
On Friday, 5 September 2008, the Childcare Division hosted the first
meeting of the National Learning Set for the Disabled Children's Access to
Childcare (DCATCH) programme. Nine of the local authorities from the first wave
of pilots attended. Introductory presentations from the Childcare and Special
Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Division, and group discussions around
proposed 'success criteria' for the pilots took place on the day. For
more information on the childcare pilots visit the AHDC
childcare pages.
AHDC: Short Breaks Implementation Guidance
The Department for Children Schools and Families and Department of
Health have issued joint AHDC short
breaks implementation guidance for Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and
local authorities. The guidance informs the transformation of short-break
provision over the next three years and should be read in conjunction with
other AHDC resources. PCTs should also consider this guidance in shaping their
response to the 2008-09 NHS Operating Framework priorities. For further
information, please read the cover
letter regarding associated funding announcements.
AHDC: Transforming Services Conference Materials
These
materials, from the conference held on 15 May 2008, include a conference
report, PowerPoint presentations, the speech by Ed Balls MP, Secretary of
State for Children, Schools and Families, and the DCSF press release.
National Support Body Announced
Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families,
recently announced Together
for Disabled Children as the national support body for the Aiming High for
Disabled Children programme. Together for Disabled Children is a coalition
between Serco and Contact a Family. The body will support local authorities and
PCTs in transforming their short break provision for disabled children and
their families and in securing excellent parental engagement in disabled
children's service design and delivery through parent forums and other
forms of participation.
Transforming Services Conference
At a major national conference in London on 15 May 2008, Ed Balls MP,
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, made a series of
important announcements on the delivery of the Aiming High for Disabled
Children programme. For further information, read the DCSF
press release and the Secretary
of State's speech.
Joint APPG Meeting
On Tuesday 6 May 2008, DCSF Minister Andrew Adonis addressed a parliamentary
meeting led by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Children to give an update
on progress towards implementing the Aiming High for Disabled Children
programme. For further information, read the speech on
the DCSF website.
Extending Inclusion
The Council for Disabled Children has published Extending
Inclusion, a good practice guide designed to support managers, staff and
their partners working to improve access to children's centres and extended
schools for disabled children and young people. This project was funded by
DCSF.
Bercow Review Publishes Interim Report
The interim report from the Bercow
review, the review of speech, language and communication services being led
by John Bercow MP, has been published. The interim report highlights key themes
for further consideration by the review. The final report, with recommendations
to government, will be published in July 2008.
Transition: moving on well
The Department of Health has published Transition:
moving on well, good practice guidance for health professionals and their
partners on transition planning for young people with neurodisabilities moving
into adulthood.
New Strategy for Children's Palliative Care
The Department of Health has launched a
new strategy for children's palliative care services, backed with a
£20 million grant from 2009-11 for hospices and hospice-at-home
care.
This page was last updated on 17 December 2008
