Partnership honoured for outstanding work in Special Needs and Disabilities

3 mins read

Thursday 13 February 2025

Tags: research, Improving healthcare access, Neurodivergent children and young people, Under represented communities

Contact, the North-West Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF), Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Edge Hill University, have been given special recognition by NHS England for their pioneering project aimed at improving healthcare access for disabled and/or neurodivergent children in under-represented communities.

The project team heard from Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller heritage, Asylum Seekers and Refugee communities, and disabled and neurodivergent parent carers about the significant challenges children and young people with additional needs face accessing health services – and co-produced solutions with them to reduce these inequalities.

Mary Mulvey-Oates from Contact, Kath Bromfield from the NNPCF, and Dr Joann Kiernan of Alder Hey Trust and Edge Hill University accepted the Special Acknowledgement Honour on behalf of partners for the ground-breaking initiative at a special event organised by NHS England to celebrate best practice in SEND.

Contact’s project manager Mary said: “We know that many disabled and neurodivergent children from under-served communities experience limited access to healthcare and poor health outcomes. They often face discrimination, disadvantage, and exclusion, and have less control over their healthcare choices.

“Despite the critical need, research in this area has been scarce. This project offered a rare opportunity to collaborate with community members to address the root causes of healthcare disparities. We are delighted that the project’s unique approach and the determination of everyone involved including the community connectors and groups we worked with, has been recognised in this way.”

Find out more about the research which was made possible thanks to funding by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Kath Bromfield from NNPCF said: “This project has been unique, driven by voice from conception to development and beyond. At every step strategic and individual co-production, engagement and co-design have been crucial to the project. Bringing a range of voices to ensure this was shaped by the communities involved, and having strategic challenge from lived experience has proved essential. This is valuable for all seeking to understand and work around intersectionality and SEND.”

Professor Lucy Bray from Edge Hill University said: “The findings from this research provide important insights into the barriers faced by many families trying to access essential healthcare services. It represents a significant step forward in ensuring that healthcare services are accessible, equitable, and tailored to the needs of all children, regardless of their background, disability or neurodivergence. We are so grateful for all the children, parent carers and community members who worked with us to conduct this research.”

Want to find out more about the project?

You can read more about the project on our website. To continue the conversation and share the project’s findings, free online webinars will be held in March, where anyone interested can learn more and discuss how these valuable lessons can be used to create a more inclusive healthcare system. Details coming soon.

The project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)’s Developing Innovative, Inclusive and Diverse Public Partnerships. NIHR fund, enable and deliver world-leading health and social care research that improves people’s health and wellbeing, and promotes economic growth.