Disabled Children (Family Support) Bill

ePolitix.com Stakeholders comments on the Disabled Children (Family Support) Bill which is being debated in Parliament on Friday.

The Bill will place a duty on local authorities and primary care trusts in England and Wales to provide appropriate short breaks for families with disabled children who require a substantial level of ongoing care.

 

Stakeholder Response: Disability Rights Commission

To send a comment to the DRC click here

The DRC said: "The Disability Rights Commission believes that:

• All disabled children and young people should enjoy the same substantive opportunities to participate in education, family life, play and community life as their non-disabled peers. 
  
  
• Support from the health, social care and other agencies for disabled children and their families must be based on the principles of independent living. This means that a short break service should be geared towards ensuring that disabled children have the same freedom, choice, control and dignity as all other children.

"Unfortunately, as the recent report from the Commission for Social Care Inspection (2005) found, support services for disabled children and their families fall far short of these standards. This leads directly to huge inequalities, preventable poverty, social exclusion and family breakdown. Two facts illustrate this point:

"Families with a disabled child earn 17 per cent less than other families, are 50 per cent more likely to be in debt and 50 per cent more likely to live in poor accommodation

"Research for the government found that 15.8 per cent of lone parents have a disabled child compared to 10.8 per cent of couples."

"Implementing the provisions of the Disabled Children (Family Support) Bill would improve the life chances of disabled children by providing greater support to them and their family.

"Communities will benefit from the contribution which disabled children can make by harnessing their talent as well as building a society of greater tolerance and understanding."