The charity Mencap employed mystery shoppers to test children'sinformation services in 20 local authorities across England. They posedas the parent of a 17-year-old with a learning disability who needed afull-time carer.
Few services were sympathetic and prepared to take action. Only twooffered a potential solution. Others gave wrong or irrelevantinformation. And half told the caller to get in touch with anotherorganisation.
"It shows how unready local authorities are to find childcare for afamily with older disabled children," said Lesley Campbell, Mencap'snational children's officer. Yet in 18 months' time councils must beready to meet a legal duty to provide full information on all servicesfor children and young people up to 19.
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