We share Graham Allen's concerns and support his early intervention strategy.
It will, however, be a challenge to find enough funding for Mr Allen's proposals. Creative thinking will be needed to motivate private funders to invest. Donors have to be brave because the long-term results of interventions may take a long time. But if we think creatively about monitoring and evaluating programmes we can create interim measures to capture the effects of programmes along the timeline. People will invest in social causes when they have a vision for what it is achieving.
At Impetus we invest in charities and social enterprises that are working to break the cycle of disadvantage. We will look for whether these interventions are really effective, whether they tackle the root cause of the problem and whether they are enabling that beneficiary to lead an independent life.
Daniela Barone Soares, chief executive, venture philanthropy organisation Impetus
Speech therapists on strike
We recognise there will be situations, as in Southwark, which result in our members feeling they have no choice but to resort to strike action. Speech and language therapists rarely take this type of action but this situation shows the extent of concern they have for the future of children's services.
Cutting services now at this critical time is a false economy, as we know - particularly in light of the Graham Allen and Frank Field reports - that if children do not enter school with the necessary communication skills, they will cost the system much more in the long term. Once these services are lost it will take years to rebuild them.
Our Giving Voice campaign will support our members in bringing to the attention of decision makers, the human and economic value of speech and language therapy. Visit www.givingvoiceuk.org.
Kamini Gadhok, chief executive, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
Save disability transport cash
Plans to scrap the transport allowance for severely disabled students are deeply concerning. One of the key pledges made by David Cameron prior to the general election was that parents of disabled children would have a genuine choice as to where they send their children to school. These cuts undermine this pledge by preventing some parents from sending their children to special schools.
At Treloar, a number of our students with complex disabilities travel some distance. Without the mobility allowance, some of these students would have to be placed in local schools and colleges that are completely unsuitable for their needs.
Amanda Quincey, principal, Treloar School and College
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