One in four health and wellbeing boards sign disabled children's charter
Derren Hayes
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Disability campaigners have urged health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) to sign up to a charter to improve services for disabled children after it emerged that just a quarter have done so more than a year after it was launched.
The Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) campaign said 37 HWBs have put their names to the Disabled Children’s Charter, which gives boards seven targets to meet that are key to ensuring the health and care needs of disabled children and young people are a local priority.
EDCM has now written again to those HWBs that haven’t signed up, calling on them to show their “commitment to improving the quality of life and outcomes experienced by disabled children and young people” by backing the charter.
The letter says that meeting the charter’s commitments "will reassure parent carers that their board will use its influence to ensure the health system delivers for disabled children, young people and their families in their area”.
Every council has a HWB, which are forums made up of senior managers from local health and care sector bodies that work collectively to improve the health and wellbeing of their local population and reduce health inequalities.
The charter, launched by EDCM and charity The Children’s Trust in April 2013 at the same time as HWBs started operating, collected 10 signatories in the first three months. For the latest list of signatories to the charter click here
The seven key charter commitments include engaging with local disabled children and their carers and embedding participation in their work; setting strategic outcomes for health and care providers; and promoting early intervention and smooth transition between children's and adult services.
EDCM's campaign manager, Debbie Smith said: "Families with disabled children face significant issues in getting the support they need, when they need it and EDCM believes the reformed health service must not perpetuate a system that has failed too many families.
“We are delighted that 37 HWBs have signed the Disabled Children's Charter in the past year and shown their commitment to meeting these challenges. We hope that the remaining Health and Wellbeing Boards follow suit and make improving the lives of families with disabled children a priority in their area."
EDCM has also written to the 37 boards that have signed up to the charter asking for them to provide evidence of how they are meeting its commitments. These will be published on its website in the future, it said.
