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Short breaks inaccessible to severely disabled

1 min read Health
Families with severely disabled children still struggle to access short break services, more than a year after the government announced 370m to transform services, according to research published today (16 April).

The Aiming High for Disabled Children document - instigated by PrimeMinister Gordon Brown and Children's Secretary Ed Balls - found thatshort breaks were the highest priority service for families withdisabled children. Short breaks give parents much-needed respite andprovide disabled children with enjoyable experiences away from home.

Over the past year, 21 pathfinder local authorities have been testingthe best way to provide short breaks after receiving the bulk of thefunding for the first year of the three-year investment for allcouncils.

But a study by campaign group Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) showsthat, while some good models of practice are emerging, the investmenthas not yet produced a consistent service to all disabled children,particularly those with the most complex needs.

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Trainee Social Worker

London (Central), London (Greater)

Head of Growth, Development and Outreach (Maternity Cover)

Home based, with regular travel across the UK for work