Every Disabled Child Matters
c/o Council for Disabled Children
National Children's Bureau
8 Wakley Street
London EC1V 7QE
tel +44 (0)20 7843 6082
fax +44 (0)20 7843 6313
[email protected]

Local authorities challenged to make disabled children matter

18 October 2006

Campaign supporters - lobby your council to sign our charter! Click here

The Every Disabled Child Matters campaign is challenging councils to sign up to a new campaign charter, as research is published showing that local authority plans are failing disabled children. Off the Radar, the new campaign briefing, and the Every Disabled Child Matters Local Authority Charter are launching at the Local Government Association / Association of Directors of Social Services Conference today (Wednesday 18th October).

Off the Radar analyses 20 Children and Young People’s Plans to show that:

Three-quarters of local authorities failed to involve and consult with disabled children and their parents when drawing up their plans
Only a quarter of the plans included any level of analysis of the size and characteristics of the population of disabled children in the local authority
Only 1 in 20 plans include any actions on how they are to provide childcare services for disabled children

Regulations require local authorities to consult children, young people and parents, and the guidance to local authorities has a specific focus on consulting with disabled children and young people. The lack of priority for childcare services for disabled children in the plans fails to reflect important new duties on local authorities created by the Childcare Act 2006.

Responding to the findings, Jo Williams, Mencap Chief Executive, comments:
‘Despite most local authorities identifying disabled children as a priority group, there is very little hard evidence to show that these key decision makers have considered the needs of disabled children. Off the Radar highlights the lack of planning, participation and action by local authorities, which would show that every disabled child matters.’

To make disabled children a greater priority for local authorities, Every Disabled Child Matters is also launching a Local Authority Charter. The Charter, produced with the support of Children Now magazine, commits local authorities to providing a range of services for disabled children and their families by January 2008, and also to addressing the needs of disabled children in their strategic planning and local area agreements. Local authorities can find out how to sign up by clicking here.

The growing Every Disabled Child Matters campaign supporters network can lobby their Lead Member for Children’s Services to sign up to the charter. Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children, comments:
‘Our Charter is ambitious but realistic. We want every local authority to show their commitment to disabled children by signing up. Local authorities are already required to address most of the issues in the Charter through law and guidance. We want our supporters to use the Charter to make disabled children a key priority in every local authority’

To lobby your council to sign our charter, click here

Children with Disabilities Strategic Alliance, Northern Ireland

Terms & conditions

� National Children's Bureau 2006 � Reg Charity No. 258825