It is a paradox that everyone working with children and families appears to support policies of inclusion for disabled children, yet when one speaks to parents and disabled children themselves, stories abound of inaccessibility and negative attitudes.

What accounts for the gap between good intentions and good practice?

Frequently, a lack of resources is blamed. There is no money to pay for a dedicated support person or for specialised equipment or adaptations.

But this approach is not inclusive: it regards the disabled child as separate from other children.

Inclusion should include everybody. It should not be the sole responsibility of one member of the team. Inclusion is fundamental to good practice and therefore general indicators for inclusion are required to guide the setting towards practice, which is not solely about disabled children but about all children. Such indicators would demonstrate the features of inclusive provision. They'd provide benchmarks whereby organisations can measure how they are doing.

For example, when people visit a children's setting it should be clear that no one makes a song and dance about the presence of a number of disabled children. In an inclusive provision, each child is treated with respect.

For the leader or manager, inclusion indicators would demonstrate the extent of adjustments for better physical access. Regular meetings would enable staff to reflect on their practice and links with outside bodies involved in disability issues.

The true indicators of whether inclusion policies are working are the responses of the children themselves. Do they feel welcome and valued?

Are they consulted about how best to meet their needs?

Kidsactive is developing such a set of inclusion indicators, based on feedback from around the country. These show that the creation of an inclusive ethos has to be central to the setting's work.

If policies and mission statements are to become reality, then children's facilities and services must overcome their anxieties. The inclusion of disabled children will be best achieved if everybody involved starts working inclusively - now.

- Lisa Harker will be back next week.