A young disabled man who progressed from attending our Better Together Through Sports events in Wales to joining Wrexham AFC’s pan-disability team has capped his ascent with an international tournament win in the USA.
22-year-old Cai’s journey began when he joined several of our disability sports events, organised by our team in Wales. Cai joined other disabled children and young people at an event we ran in partnership with Wrexham AFC and its pan-disability team, the Ability Dragons. It was this partnership that encouraged Cai’s mum to connect the EFL Championship club with his special residential college, Derwen. Soon, Cai found himself in the Ability Dragons team.
Sadly in 2025 Cai suffered a stroke and attended some of our Better Together Through Sport events while in recovery. So it is even more remarkable that this summer he travelled with the Ability Dragons to Houston, Texas, to take part in the Genuine Cup. The tournament for learning disabled and autistic players welcomes 50 teams from 50 nations. Representing Wales, the Ability Dragons were crowned joint-champions alongside Egypt of the Rice University League.
Cai’s family’s connection with Contact Cymru goes back even further. Our Wales Manager Kate has known Cai’s mum Marie since he was two years old! Kate and her team provided Marie with expert advice on the Wales education system when trying to secure a place at Derwen. Cai this year completed his second year at Derwen and truly enjoyed his prom night.
For Marie, it was at Contact’s Better Together Through Sports events where “I didn’t see him struggle to fit in. There was a choice of different sports, and Cai enjoyed trying them all. But football was always his favourite. The sessions provided us parents the chance to really find out which sports were suitable for our children. The sessions [Cai joined] also provided an opportunity for conversations, which have then led to something much bigger and his dream to play for Wrexham has been achieved”.
Huge congratulations to Cai and the Ability Dragons!
This advice applies in England only.
Free bus travel for disabled people in England will extend to 24 hours a day, every day, from next April, the government has announced.
Currently, disabled bus passes allow holders to travel for free around the clock on weekends but from 9.30am-11pm on weekdays. Campaigners have argued that this prevents disabled people working or going out late.
Rachel Dixon, Contact’s Research, Policy and Public Affairs Officer and transport lead, says:
“This is very positive news for disabled people and their families. This has been long campaigned for and will improve access to employment and education.
“We are pleased that the government has listened to disabled people and acted. We urge it to go further and extend transport to education for disabled young people over 16. For those who cannot travel independently and need support, this is just as essential.”
The review will examine whether existing laws provide enough protection and support for disabled passengers. The Law Commission will consider whether:
The law should be strengthened and made more consistent.
Complaints and remedies are effective.
Enforcement bodies have sufficient powers to hold transport operators to account.
We want to ensure families with disabled children and young people can contribute to this review in the early stages. This is an opportunity to raise any issues you face, including transport to education.
Contact has joined more than 40 charities calling on the government to protect financial support for disabled young people as it considers how to help more young people into education and employment.
Contact strongly supports better opportunities for disabled young people who want to work. This includes supported internships, better employment support, accessible transport and more inclusive workplaces. All can help tackle the barriers that prevent too many disabled young people from getting jobs.
But creating better opportunities for disabled young people must not be used as a reason to cut financial support from those with the most significant needs.
Young people receiving this support have undergone a Work Capability Assessment. They have been found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity. In other words, their disability or health condition means they are not currently expected to work or prepare for work.
This matters, because the debate about young people who are not in education, employment or training can sometimes obscure the very different circumstances of disabled young people receiving the Universal Credit health element.
Our helpline hears from many families whose disabled young people receive the health element. Many are taking part in education, life-skills programmes or supported work. Others have disabilities and care needs so significant that paid employment may never be realistic.
Removing their financial support would not remove the barriers preventing them from working.
We want to see investment in specialist employment support, supported internships and other meaningful opportunities for young disabled people who can and want to work.
We want disabled young people to be able to try work or volunteering without their benefits being put at risk.
And there must continue to be a strong financial safety net for young people whose disabilities mean employment is not currently possible – or may never be possible.
Erika Lye from Powys is the mother of three disabled children. Logan is 20 and has cerebral palsy, learning difficulties and autism, while Jack is 18 and is autistic and non-verbal. Logan currently receives the health element of Universal Credit after being supported by Contact to claim it. Jack will soon be applying for the extra support.
Under rules introduced in April 2026, Jack would already receive only half the amount his brother does, even before any further changes if introduced.
Erika says:
“It is great to hear that Alan Milburn wants more supported internships for disabled young people. But for those with learning disabilities like Jack, or those whose combination of conditions together produce profound disability like Logan, there needs to be access to financial support too. This allows them to not face destitution, using food banks and other humiliations or pushing our families to social services.”
Families already facing a financial cliff edge
Anna Bird, Chief Executive of Contact, said:
“Families we support are deeply worried that the government is considering scrapping the health element for disabled young people aged 16-21. More than 2,500 have contacted their MP to raise their concerns.
“Contact’s helpline speaks to large numbers of families with disabled young people getting the Universal Credit health element. Often they are participating in education, life-skills programmes or supported work. Others have disabilities so significant that paid employment may never be realistic.
“The intended purpose of these proposals is to target those not in education, employment or training (NEET). And yet many disabled young people in education and supported work are caught up in this policy. They could face a devastating drop in income of £630 per month.
“Families already face a financial cliff edge as their disabled child reaches adulthood, despite their care needs and extra costs continuing. Cutting their income won’t create opportunities. The government should tackle the barriers that reduce participation – gaps in education, transport and employment support – rather than taking financial security away.”
Take action
Thousands of Contact supporters have already contacted their MPs about the proposed changes.
Supported internships for learning disabled young people should be scaled up to help address the rising numbers out of employment, Alan Milburn has suggested.
Milburn is leading an ongoing review into youth employment. An interim report published in May found that too many young people lack support to move towards employment or education.
This weekend, the Guardian has reported that the review will propose putting these specialist internships on “turbocharge.” While only 5% of some groups of learning disabled young people move into permanent jobs, this figure can rise to as high as 70% among those who have completed supported internship schemes.
Una Summerson, Contact’s Head of Policy, says:
“We strongly welcome Alan Milburn’s call for many more supported internships. Far too many young disabled people who want to work are denied the opportunities and specialist support they need.
“But expanding opportunities for those who can work must not become a justification for taking financial support away from those with the most significant disabilities. Young people receiving the Universal Credit health element have been through a Work Capability Assessment. These assessments have found them to have limited capability for work and work-related activity.
“This is a very different group from disabled young people who could move into employment with the right support. Some young people receiving the health element are already in education, supported employment or developing independent living skills. For others, because of the severity of their disability, paid employment may never be realistic.
“The answer is to invest in supported internships, accessible education, transport and specialist employment support for young disabled people who can and want to work – while maintaining a strong financial safety net for those who cannot.”
Milburn is expected to publish his final report later this year.
Our CEO, Anna Bird, has written in the Guardian about the urgent need for families raising disabled children to receive support early – before exhaustion becomes a crisis.
In her letter, Anna highlights what parent carers tell us every day. Families need timely access to support in the home, short breaks and services that recognise and respond to the needs of parent carers as well as those of their disabled children. Some families are blamed simply for asking for the support their child is entitled to and subjected to unnecessary and unwarranted safeguarding investigations.
We know that, for too many families, support comes too late. Our helpline continues to hear from parent carers experiencing problems with social care, including difficulties getting their needs assessed, reductions in support, delays and shortages of suitable staff and local services. Anna’s letter follows a Guardian investigation into the experience of one family and the devastating consequences of a system that failed to provide the support they needed.
We have also written letters highlighting how the current social care system is failing families to the Children and Families Minister Josh MacAlister and Louise Casy who has been tasked with reviewing the adult social care system as part of the new Prime Minster Andy Burnham’s priorities.
PLEASE NOTE: The Guardian investigation discusses suicide and bereavement. We recognise that this may be distressing for some parent carers. You do not need to read the investigation to understand the issues raised in Anna’s letter.
Ask your MP to act on disabled children’s social care
Disabled children’s social care provides vital practical support, including short breaks (respite), personal care and help at home. The Law Commission has set out a blueprint to fix the outdated system and make it fairer, simpler and kinder for families. The Government is due to respond by 16 September.
Many children and young people in Scotland have already returned to school. Families across the rest of the UK are preparing for the start of the new academic year.
The education advisers on our helpline are receiving an increasing number of calls from parents and carers whose children are still without a school place.
To support families, we have put together guidance on local authority responsibilities in securing a suitable school place. We’ve also included practical steps parents and carers can take if their child is still awaiting a placement.
England
If your child has an education, health, and care (EHC) plan
If a school placement has not yet been secured for September, the local authority remains responsible for meeting your child’s special educational needs (SEN). They will continue to consult suitable schools and education providers to secure an appropriate placement as soon as possible.
You should:
Contact your local authority caseworker to request an update on the progress of securing a placement.
Ask for information about the schools or settings they have consulted and any responses received.
Request details of any interim educational provision arranged if your child is unable to attend school at the start of term.
Keep a record of all communication with the local authority.
Children with an EHC plan should not be left without appropriate educational provision simply because a placement has not yet been identified.
If your child does not have an EHC plan
The local authority still has a duty to ensure that every child of compulsory school age has access to suitable education.
You should:
Contact the school admissions team to confirm that your application has been received and is being processed.
Ask whether your child has been placed on waiting lists for preferred schools.
Request information about alternative schools with available places in your area.
Keep evidence of your application and any correspondence received.
If your child does not have a school place when term starts, continue to stay in regular contact with the local authority. Ask what actions they are taking to secure a placement as quickly as possible.
Northern Ireland
Children with special education needs (SEN) may have a Statement of SEN. The Education Authority must secure the provision set out in the statement and name a suitable school.
If your child is waiting for a placement, the Education Authority still has a duty to ensure your child receives appropriate education.
If your child doesn’t have a confirmed place, the local authority still has a responsibility to provide an appropriate education. Parents can make use of dispute resolution, mediation, or appeal to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal for Scotland.
Local authorities have a duty to secure the additional learning provision set out in an IDP and to name an appropriate school or educational setting. If your child does not have a school place, the local authority remains responsible for ensuring they receive suitable education and the support identified in their IDP.
Need more advice?
If you’re unsure what to do next, our free helpline advisers can talk you through your options. Call us on 0808 808 3555 or visit our education pages for more advice.
For one year only, the 2027 TCS London Marathon will take place over two days from 24 to 25 April 2027. A record-breaking 100,000 runners will make it the biggest marathon ever staged anywhere in the world.
Whether you’re taking on your first marathon, chasing a new personal best (PB), or ticking this iconic race off your bucket list: every mile you run will help support families with disabled children.
So join an incredible team, soak up the unforgettable atmosphere, run past London’s famous landmarks, and make a real difference along the way.
From this September, over 500,000 additional pupils in England will be eligible for free school meals. Different criteria applies in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
The government announced a change to eligibility rules for low-income households in June 2025. Until this summer, children from families getting Universal Credit would get free school meals if their household income was below certain thresholds or they were in certain protected groups.
From September 2026, all children from families getting Universal Credit will receive free school meals, regardless of parental income.
How do I get free school meals?
Most schools will have asked parents to apply before the school year using their National Insurance Number.
Many children have missed out due to dietary requirements, medical absence or because they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan with an education package called EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) settings.
Families might be eligible for help with the costs of school uniform and bursaries and grants. Contact your local authority for details of the help available in your area.
Some children get free school transport because their household gets Universal Credit and they live too far from the nearest suitable school. It is important to be aware that these households still need to meet earnings thresholds.
The new school year begins this week in some councils in Scotland and is approaching soon elsewhere. Many families are buying uniforms, packing school bags and getting back into routines. But if your child is disabled or has additional support/learning needs, they can be a lot more to think about.
Whether your child is starting a new school, moving class or simply returning after the summer holiday, taking a little time to prepare now can help make the transition easier.
We’ve put together this back-to-school checklist for families across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Every child is different, so not every point will apply to your family. We hope it helps you feel more prepared for the new term.
1. Check your child’s education support is up-to-date
2. Make contact with the school before the first day
Starting the conversation early can help everyone feel more confident.
It may help to:
Introduce yourself to your child’s new teacher or support staff.
Find out who your main point of contact will be.
Share any important updates from over the summer.
Check you’re signed up to any school communication apps or systems.
If your child is anxious about change, ask whether they can see photos of their classroom or teachers before term starts. Schools often have email addresses on their websites where you can contact someone without needing to call an office. Alternatively, or you can use the dedicated communication app/platform you would normally use.
3. Review medical and healthcare arrangements
If your child has medical needs, it’s important that everyone knows what support they’ll need from day one.
Check that:
Any healthcare plan has been reviewed and shared with relevant staff.
Medication is in date, clearly labelled and ready to be taken into school if needed.
Emergency medication is available where required.
Ask for any old/out of date medication has been handed back to you.
Staff have received any necessary training to support your child safely.
Emergency contact details are up to date.
4. Confirm transport arrangements
If your child receives home-to-school transport, don’t assume everything is unchanged from last year. Check:
Whether your local authority, Education Authority and/or transport provider has confirmed transport arrangements.
Pick-up and drop-off times.
Whether there are any new drivers or escorts.
That transport staff understand your child’s communication, medical or sensory needs.
If something doesn’t feel right, contact your local authority/trust as soon as possible.
5. Check equipment and technology
Summer is a good time to make sure everything is working properly.
This could include:
AAC or communication devices.
Hearing equipment.
Tablets or laptops used for learning.
Wheelchairs or mobility equipment.
Sensory aids such as ear defenders, fidget tools or weighted items.
It’s also worth labelling equipment, clothing and uniform to help prevent items being lost.
Depending on where you live in the UK, schools have legal duties to support disabled pupils and make appropriate or ‘reasonable’ adjustments.
Think about whether your child needs support with things like:
Toileting or personal care.
Eating or drinking.
Rest breaks.
Sensory regulation.
Managing fatigue.
Movement around school.
Exam access arrangements (where relevant).
Flexible timetables or transition support.
Clothing/uniform.
Check the relevant policies relating to your child’s needs on the school website before requesting adjustments that are needed.
If your child’s needs have changed, speak to school before term begins rather than waiting.
7. Prepare for the school routine
Returning after six weeks can be a big adjustment.
To help your child prepare, you could:
Gradually move bedtime and morning routines back towards school hours.
Talk through what the first day will look like.
Use visual timetables or social stories if these help your child. You can find many good social stories on Twinkl’s website, as well as making your own using Canva, for example.
Practise the school journey if they’re starting somewhere new.
Pack school bags and organise uniform a day or two before term starts.
Remember that it can take time to settle back into routine, and that’s OK.
8. Don’t forget the practical things
A few final checks can help avoid last-minute stress.
Have you remembered to:
Label school uniform and PE kit? If you have a child that likes to take their shoes off for example at school, it’s always worth labelling inside the shoes too.
Check whether any clothing or footwear needs replacing?
Update emergency contact details?
Tell school about any changes at home or in your child’s circumstances?
Check dates for inset days, appointments or school events?
9. Benefits and financial support
The start of the school year can be expensive, and disabled children and their families often have extra costs.
It is worth checking your eligibility, if you don’t know it already, for the following:
Whether you will need to budget for replacement sensory items or specialist equipment.
10. Lunch, snacks and dietary needs
This can be a huge issue for many families. Especially those with children living with ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). Check the school’s policy online, especially where a child needs a specific drink, in their water bottle but the school has a water-only policy. Consider the following:
Does school know about any allergies?
Have safe foods changed over the summer?
Is a packed lunch agreed if needed?
Are feeding plans up to date?
Does your child need support at lunchtime?
11. Friendships and well-being
Returning to school can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Children may worry about making friends again, coping with change or moving into a new class or school.
Parent carers could think about:
Arranging a playdate before school starts.
Looking at photos of school.
Talking positively about familiar adults.
Recognising that settling in may take time.
12. Changes over the summer
Has anything changed since last term?
For example:
New diagnosis.
Medication changes.
Mobility changes.
Behaviour changes.
Communication changes.
Puberty.
Sleep difficulties.
Schools won’t automatically know unless someone tells them. If things have changed, it’s worth getting in touch.
13. If it’s not perfect, don’t panic
The first few weeks of term are often a settling-in period for everyone. Even with careful planning, things may not go exactly as expected.
If something isn’t working, try speaking to school/college as early as possible. Small adjustments made early can often prevent bigger problems later.
Every child settles at their own pace, and it’s perfectly normal for routines to take a little while to fall back into place.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has recently announced plans for a National Care service. At the same time, publication of a review of social care being carried out Baroness Casey has been brought forward to next summer. Burnham has pledged to work with the Lib Dem and Conservative parties to put plans into action.
Disabled children’s social care needs reform
Speaking about the announcement, Contact’s CEO Anna Bird says:
“The families we support welcome the government’s focus on adult social care, looking at ways to build a National Care Service. Many of today’s children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities will use the service as they reach adulthood. Families welcome the opportunity to create a better system.
“During these important cross-party discussions, we implore the government to not forget disabled children’s social care. This needs reform with equal urgency. It too is fragmented, outdated, unfair and not fit for purpose. More children are living with complex needs and disabilities than ever before, but support hasn’t kept pace.
“The systemic issues – such as failing to assess needs, cuts to support provided, delays and shortages of suitable staff and local services – leads to increased needs and more expense for adult social care. Parent carers, like carers of older people, are exhausted. They are being pushed into crisis because help in the home, short breaks and direct payments are often not at hand. Some families feel blamed simply asking for support, at times subjected to unnecessary and unwarranted safeguarding investigations.
“Contact’s By Your Side team, works in the country’s biggest children’s hospitals. They see day in and day out the consequences of this broken system. There are thousands of children stuck in hospital waiting for a package of care to allow them to be safely discharged home. Last year they supported 2,220 families whose disabled children need hospital care. Some of those have been in hospital for months or even years.
We urge the government to adopt Law Commission recommendations
“That’s why it’s imperative to consider children as part of this care conversation too. The Government has a real opportunity to create a fairer, simpler social care system for disabled children to enable them to thrive. There is a blueprint on the table in the form of the Law Commission’s recommendations to improve the system. We urge the government to adopt these proposals in full when it responds on 16 September.
In addition, as a short-term measure, we’d like to see the Working Together Guidance include a distinct support-led assessment. This would ensure families asking for help are supported rather than met with suspicion. These actions would ensure that a new National Care Service for adults is not hampered by a system failing children before they reach it.”
The review follows concerns the Transport Select Committee raised in 2025. The committee found that longstanding accessibility failings are having a significant negative impact on disabled people’s lives. These failings are seen across all forms of transport.
The review will examine whether existing laws provide enough protection and support for disabled passengers. The Law Commission will consider whether:
The law should be strengthened and made more consistent.
Complaints and remedies are effective.
Enforcement bodies have sufficient powers to hold transport operators to account.
The review, commissioned by the Department for Transport, began in Spring 2026 and is due to report in Spring 2029. It will place the lived experiences of disabled people at its heart.
Tell us about the transport barriers you face
We want to ensure families with disabled children and young people can contribute to this review in the early stages. This is an opportunity to raise any issues you face, including transport to education.
We’ll use your feedback to identify the issues that matter most to families. We’ll share anonymous evidence and common themes with the Law Commission to shapee its review recommendations. But we will not share your personal details.
All children and young people feel worried sometimes; it is a normal part of growing up. But anxiety can become a problem when a young person feels stuck in it.
We’re pleased to share with you two new resources to help you support your disabled child with anxiety.
Latest Department for Education (DfE) data shows that permanent exclusions and suspensions in schools in England have decreased overall. However, there has been an increase in children being suspended or excluded from primary school.
Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) continue to have higher rates of suspension and permanent exclusion. Children with education health and care (EHC) plans remain three times more likely to be suspended or permanently excluded. Those on SEN support are four times more likely.
This reflects what Contact hears on our helpline, where we continue to receive calls from parents when disabled children are suspended or permanently excluded. This includes enquiries from parents of younger children, including reception and years one and two. We also hear from parent carers who feel under pressure to remove their child, find another school or are “advised” to keep a child at home for part of the day.
Exclusions must be legal and proportionate
Angie Fenn, Contact’s Head of Information and Advice, said:
“Schools must follow the law. Permanent exclusions must be for disciplinary reasons, be fair and proportionate. A decision to permanently exclude must be a last resort. Statutory guidance includes details on steps to take before making a decision to suspend or exclude a disabled child, such as increasing their SEN support or considering alternative disciplinary measures.
“We speak to parent carers who are concerned about what the exclusion means for their child’s education and future. Many tell us that their disabled child has not received the identified support they need, prior to the exclusion. Our helpline can advise on next steps and school and local authority duties.”
Contact’s website has lots of information for what to do if your child is at risk of suspension or exclusion or they are put on a part-time timetable against your wishes. Our expert parent advisers on our helpline are also on hand to talk through these issues.
DfE updates exclusion guidance
The DfE has published updated guidance on suspension and permanent exclusion for local authority-maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units. We welcome the focus on off-rolling and safeguarding in schools.
The update follows the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act receiving Royal Assent in April.
Changes to the guidance, which came into force from 26 July, relate to a setting’s legal right to direct pupils off-site to improve behaviour; how settings can manage moves to another school; and instructions around separating pupils for safeguarding reasons.
The guidance also expands the list of examples of “off-rolling”. This is where schools pressure parents to take their child off the school roll, either to home education or another setting.
Contact Cymru’s Wellbeing Programme has helped many parent carers across Wales get much-needed support and make connections with other families in the same boat.
This October, we’re bringing the eight-week programme to Wrexham. The course is open to families of disabled children and those with additional needs across North and Mid-Wales.
It’s a chance for parent carers to get some respite, focus on their own wellbeing, and meet other parent carers in a small, friendly setting.
The workshops are fun and relaxed and facilitated by Contact Cymru’s Parent Adviser, Sophie. Each two-hour session will cover topics such as:
Building your confidence, assertiveness and self-esteem.
How to handle meetings with schools and professionals.
Practical ways to manage stress and anxiety.
Where you can find ongoing support.
A free lunch buffet and hot drinks will also be provided during each session.
The programme is for parents and carers of children with disabilities or additional needs (with or without a diagnosis) who live in Wales.
This programme is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund in Wales as part of Contact Cymru’s Building Resilience programme. The programme also includes parent carer online chats and our Wales Listening Ear service.
Mae lleoedd bellach ar gael ar gyfer rhaglen lles wyth wythnos Contact Cymru yn Wrecsam.
Mae Rhaglen Les Contact Cymru wedi helpu llawer o rieni sy’n ofalwyr ledled Cymru i gael cymorth sydd ei angen yn fawr ac i gysylltu â theuluoedd eraill sydd yn yr un sefyllfa.
Ym mis Hydref, rydym yn dod â’r rhaglen wyth wythnos i Wrecsam, ar gyfer teuluoedd plant ag anableddau ac anghenion ychwanegol ledled Gogledd a Chanolbarth Cymru.
Mae’n gyfle i rieni sy’n ofalwyr ac yn brysur gael seibiant, canolbwyntio ar eu lles eu hunain, a chwrdd â rhieni eraill sy’n ofalwyr mewn awyrgylch bach a chyfeillgar.
Mae’r gweithdai yn hwyl, yn hamddenol ac yn anffurfiol, ac yn cael eu hwyluso gan Sophie, Cynghorydd Rhieni Contact Cymru. Bydd pob sesiwn dwy awr yn ymdrin â phynciau fel:
Adeiladu eich hyder, eich gallu i sefyll dros eich hun a’ch hunan-barch.
Sut i ymdrin â chyfarfodydd gydag ysgolion a gweithwyr proffesiynol.
Ffyrdd ymarferol o reoli straen a phryder.
Ble gallwch ddod o hyd i gymorth parhaus.
Darperir bwffe cinio am ddim a diodydd poeth hefyd yn ystod pob sesiwn.
Mae’r rhaglen ar gyfer rhieni a gofalwyr plant ag anableddau neu anghenion ychwanegol (gyda diagnosis neu hebddo) sy’n byw yng Nghymru.
Ariennir y rhaglen hon gan Gronfa Gymunedol y Loteri Genedlaethol yng Nghymru fel rhan o raglen Adeiladu Gwydnwch (Building Resilience) Contact Cymru, sydd hefyd yn cynnwys cyfarfodydd ar-lein i rieni sy’n ofalwyr a’n gwasanaeth ‘Listening Ear’ yng Nghymru.
This summer we are delighted to launch our new Memory Garden.
When we lose someone special, the memories they leave behind continue to shape our lives. Their love and impact bloom in the stories we tell.
Our Memory Garden is a special online space where you can remember and celebrate the life of someone you love. It’s a place to share your cherished memories, honour their legacy, and leave a lasting dedication that family and friends can visit for years to come.
How to create a lasting dedication and help our garden grow
Sharing in our Memory Garden is simple. Tell their story, post a photo or write a few words about what made them so special.
Whether you’re remembering a parent, grandparent, child, sibling, partner, friend or colleague, our Memory Garden is here whenever you want to pause, reflect and celebrate someone who will always hold a special place in your heart.
Every memory you share becomes part of our growing garden of remembrance.
Thank you for helping to make your memories blossom into love.
Donate in memory to Contact
If you would like to, you can also make a donation to Contact in memory when you share your tribute.
Every gift, no matter the size, helps us continue supporting families raising children with additional needs. It’s a meaningful way to celebrate the life of someone special by helping other families get the support, information and community they need.
The new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has appointed a new ministerial team. Some familiar faces appear likely to continue in areas that matter to families.
Here’s who we’ll be working with and what we’ll be asking them to prioritise.
Department for Education
The Department for Education (DfE) will continue to lead work on (SEND), school inclusion and children’s social care.
Minister of State Georgia Gould is widely expected to continue leading the government’s work to improve the SEND system. This would provide valuable continuity as the government takes forward the proposals set out in its SEND White Paper.
Josh MacAlister MP has also been reappointed to the department. We expect him to continue leading work on children’s social care.
Continuity has its advantages. Ministers who have already engaged with stakeholders have a head start in understanding the challenges facing disabled children and their families.
However, there is also much more to do.
Contact has consistently called for disabled children’s social care to receive greater attention. While progress has been made in other areas of children’s social care, disabled children have too often been overlooked.
The Department of Health and Social Care has a vital role to play in improving support for disabled children and young people, particularly those with complex health needs.
We’ll be looking to build relationships with the new ministerial team and continue pressing for:
Better access to children’s continuing care.
Shorter waits for therapies and community health services.
Stronger partnership working between health, education and social care.
We also want disabled children’s needs to be fully reflected in future NHS policy not just an add on.
Department for Work and Pensions
Sir Stephen Timms continues as Minister for Social Security and Disability.
We’ll continue working constructively with ministers to ensure disabled children, young people and parent carers receive the financial support they need.
Ministry of Justice
The Ministry of Justice has seen a change in leadership. We are grateful for outgoing Baroness Levitt’s leadership in bringing together ministers, officials, financial institutions, charities and parent carers to explore solutions to the Child Trust Fund issue.
Sarah Sackman KC MP remains a Justice Minister. She has already engaged with Contact and parent campaigner Andrew Turner on our Child Trust Fund campaign. We have already written to Ms Sackman to emphasise the importance of maintaining the campaign’s momentum. We hope the new ministerial team will build on progress so families can finally see the changes they have been campaigning for.
What happens next?
Over the coming weeks, Contact will continue building relationships with ministers across government as portfolios are confirmed. As the new government settles in, we’ll be watching closely for:
Confirmation of junior minister portfolios.
Early engagement with disabled children, young people and family organisations.
The government’s response to the Law Commission’s recommendations on disabled children’s social care.
Progress on Child Trust Fund and Junior ISA access.
How the Government takes forward the proposals in the SEND White Paper.
The Government’s response to the disability benefits and carers’ benefits reviews.
A change of ministers always brings fresh opportunities, but lasting change depends on sustained commitment.
Over the coming months, we’ll continue working constructively with ministers, officials, parliamentarians and partners. We’ll also continue creating opportunities for families to share their experiences directly with government, the media and in Parliament. It’s vital that disabled children, young people and parent carers are at the heart of decisions that affect their lives.
Featured image photo credit: www.number10.gov.uk
The government is consulting on proposals to improve Carer’s Allowance, the main benefit for carers.
The Carer’s Allowance call for evidence is particularly looking at whether to introduce an earnings taper, alongside changes to rules that cap how many hours a claimant can work.
The government says that Carer’s Allowance has become outdated and does not reflect modern work and care patterns. It was first introduced half a century ago.
We have long called for the government to review the Carer’s Allowance earnings cliff-edge. Carer’s Allowance rules mean carers lose the entirety of their financial support if they earn even one penny too much.
The action plan aims to improve the lives of unpaid carers. The plan concentrates on three themes: recognising the role unpaid carers play; ensuring they can access the support they need; and helping them to reach their full potential.
We’re delighted to announce that we’ve secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to launch our By YourSide service in Northern Ireland for the first time.
By Your Side is Contact’s hospital support service for families with disabled, seriously ill, and additional needs children. We provide support whatever the health condition and whether a diagnosis is in place or not.
Our By Your Side Advisers offer free drop-in support at participating hospitals, giving parent carers the opportunity to talk through anything that is affecting them. From benefits and finances to education, diagnosis, health services and emotional wellbeing.
Where you can find us
Our Northern Ireland service launches this summer in Belfast and Antrim, and you can find us at the following hospitals. You don’t need an appointment; simply drop in during our service hours.
Antrim Area hospital between 10.30am-1.30pm on the following dates:
Tuesday 28 July
Thursday 17 September
Tuesday 13 October
And we’re at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, between10.30am-1.30pm on Thursday 20 August.
Susan Walls, Head of Programmes for Northern Ireland says:
“We’re incredibly grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund for funding By Your Side in Northern Ireland. We know how overwhelming and stressful a hospital stay or appointment can be for families, and so having someone independent who can listen, offer practical advice and provide emotional support makes a real difference.
“This is a significant milestone for Contact. By Your Side is now available in three of the UK’s four nations: England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It means we can reach and support more families than ever during some of their most challenging moments.”
Visit our Contact NI page to see our full offer for families in Northern Ireland. Visit our By Your Side page for more information on our service and participating hospitals around the UK.
Are you a parent carer looking for extra support?
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