Extra funding for children with learning difficulties

9:01am Thursday 31st January 2008

By Tamash Lal

Children with learning disabilities in Gloucestershire will soon have improved short break support, after Gloucestershire County Council and Primary Care Trust (PCT) were awarded extra funding from the government.

The county has been named as one of 21 Pathfinder authorities for improving short breaks for children and young people with disabilities. This means the county will get a total of £718,000 extra funding for the year from April 2008 to invest in short breaks.

Gloucestershire was chosen because the council has already reviewed its short breaks and has been working with parents and children and young people to work out what changes we need to make and how to make the best use of resources.

Alison Cathles, children and young people with disabilities project manager at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "Parents of children with complex needs have told us they want more flexibility, choice and control and more families having short breaks. Young people have told us they want opportunities to meet friends, do activities of their choice and be supported by people they like."

Cllr Paul McLain, Cabinet Member for Young People, said: "Sometimes parents and children benefit from a time out'. For most families this happens quite naturally when a child visits friends or relatives, goes out to play, or simply when a babysitter comes round so parents can get an evening out. For children with learning disabilities and their families these options aren't usually available.

"That's why the county has developed specialist services for children with complex needs. It includes overnight stays in specialised children's accommodation, a family link' to care for a child in the day or overnight, support staff to take them to activities and events in the school holidays. But these lifeline services are expensive. I'm pleased that the government has supported our bid.The funding will give us the opportunity to develop much greater choice and support to our Gloucestershire families."

Alison said: "This funding is very welcome and we will use it to work with organisations to develop a wider range of short breaks to give families more choice and to increase the number of families having a short break. We will continue our successful work to open up more community activities to children and young people with disabilities. We will continue to work with parents and young people, as well as community sports and leisure facilities and with providers of short break services."

Nick Breakwell from the PCT said: "This is excellent news for Gloucestershire and reflects the efforts we have all put into working together - the PCT, the County Council, parents and those who provide short breaks."

Parents were involved in the Pathfinder application. They have welcomed the extra funding, saying: "Now we have resources to make the changes we want to make; it is an encouraging start."

"We are encouraged that the effort we have made in the county to beginning to improve short breaks has been recognised."

All councils nationally will get extra funding for short breaks for children with disabilities from April 2009.

ENDS Notes for News Editors The Pathfinder funding for Gloucestershire for 2008/09 is broken down as £489,000 revenue funding to increase short breaks and £228,000 capital funding to invest in buildings.

Gloucestershire County Council and PCT currently work with a number of providers of short breaks, from very small local voluntary groups through to big national organisations. Gloucestershire County Council also runs a successful Family Link service, which links children with disabilities with local families for regular breaks.