Too many children in England are still waiting for a suitable school place, despite it being two weeks into the second term of the school year.
Some children are in school while on a waiting list for something more suitable. Others are not in school as they wait for a school place that can meet their needs.
Parent carers like Robert Martin, who co-chairs the Leicestershire Parent Carer Forum SEND Hub, were forced to give up their careers to look after their children at home because no suitable education options were available locally.
Our Head of Policy and Campaigns, Una Summerson, was interviewed on the radio about the fact that, sadly, this is not an isolated case.
“We hear from many parents who are unable to secure a school place or have to go through a lengthy battle, perhaps going through tribunal to get the right school place for their child,” Una said. “This puts unnecessary extra pressure on families that are already dealing with all sorts of additional pressures in their lives.”
More funding needed to release pressure on specialist school places
Una said: “Without support in place some children with SEND start school refusing, some are put on part-time timetables, are excluded, or develop emotional and mental difficulties.
“As a result, more families are looking to specialist school places, leading to increased pressure. There must be more money put into the SEND system by government to address these issues. We understand that local authorities have been facing unprecedented financial challenges for many years now. But we must do better for disabled children. We would like to see greater accountability for councils who do not meet their legal duties to provide an education for all children.”
Sadly, one of the symptoms of not getting appropriate support is a child might be at risk of suspension or exclusion from school.
That’s why tomorrow we are running a special Facebook Q&A session for families in England with our SEN team at 10am. Join our Facebook group to take part.
The Chancellor must do more to help disabled households
Una Summerson, Head of Campaigns at Contact, said:
“We are deeply concerned that further energy price rises and a withdrawal of the £400 energy discount from April 2023 will have dire consequences for many families with seriously ill children.
“More than a third are already cutting back on life-saving electrical equipment or getting into debt to keep the heating on.
“We, together with other charities, urge theChancellor to do more to help disabled households. This includes consulting on social tariffs as soon as possible.”
What is a social tariff?
A social tariff is a targeted discount energy deal for qualifying consumers. It is a safety net for eligible households who might be struggling to afford their bills. It is typically below the price of the cheapest available energy tariff and targeted at those living in fuel poverty or on a low income.
Our research of 3,893 families with disabled children, exclusively revealed on Channel 4 News, found that households with seriously ill and disabled children are paying on average £1,596 extra a year to run vital equipment.
That’s why we are calling for an energy assistance payment for families of seriously ill and disabled children. This is to cover the cost of running lifesaving medical and disability equipment.
Cameron, who had both Cystic Fibrosis and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, sadly passed away when he was five years old after spending nearly three of those years in hospital.
Every year on 19 June, we celebrate Cameron’s birthday alongside his family with our annual fundraising event, Dinosaur Day, because Cameron loved dinosaurs – his favourite being a green triceratops called Troy.
Why was the Stop the DLA Takeaway in Hospital campaign so important?
Contact supported the Mathieson family’s long and ultimately successful landmark legal challenge that went all the way to the Supreme Court in July 2015.
Because of the Mathieson family’s determination, and with the help of our campaign, hundreds of families with the most disabled and poorly children are no longer denied financial help when they need it most.
What have we achieved thanks to Cameron and his family?
A new law was introduced on 29 June 2016 meaning that no child in hospital would have their DLA suspended if they are in hospital for 84 days (or 28 days if aged 16 or 17 on PIP).
In addition, where a child first makes a claim for DLA when they are in hospital, they no longer have to wait until they are discharged home before those payments can start.
This law continues to benefit hundreds of children and families every year and is definitely something to celebrate on Cameron’s birthday.
Claiming DLA can be tricky, so we are inviting you to a special Q&A over in our closed (private) Facebook group. Join us there on Thursday 24 June between 10am – 12 noon.
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