Why we're campaigning

Disabled children's services are under intense pressure. Cuts to local authority and health budgets over the last few years are chipping away at vital services.

What we're seeing is families with disabled children hit from all directions.

Calls to our helpline show families are struggling to get basic help for their children at school, and they are waiting too long for health and care services. What little help that is available to some families is at risk of being cut.

Families tell us:

• They are waiting longer for appointments and assessments; this hampers child development and progress.
• It's harder to get services after assessment; what they do get is being reduced or stopped, sometimes without proper consultation, and families are having to use lawyers and the courts to challenge decisions.
• They are increasingly being charged for services and equipment.
• Accessing support and diagnosis from CAMHS continues to be almost impossible; this is causing long term damage and costly support later on.

This affects family resilience and independence and increases isolation. Sadly this can push families to breaking point, leading to high costs for family life, local authorities and the NHS.

What we want

• It's time for the government to make disabled children a priority and plug the funding gap in disabled children's services.

• Local authorities and health services must stop cutting services for disabled children and their families and to proritise their needs.
• A joined up legal framework across child's health and social care services that offers parents and practitioners clarity over funding, rights and responsibilites.
• Better and early access to parent friendly advice and information from key professionals, such as GPs.
• Families to be at the heart of planning, decisions and commissioning of services.

What you can do

What we're doing