Think Family: Getting the Whole Picture6 February 2008

Dame Jo Williams Chief Executive

Mencap

Families and Learning Disability

Key issues

Importance of support at all life stages Whole family approach Joined up between children’s and

adults Early support Multi-agency Person-centred/Personalisation Inclusive

Government Context

Every Child Matters/Every Disabled

Child Matters campaign

Aiming High for Disabled Children

Aiming High for Young People

Valuing People Now

Putting People First

Taking the long view

Beginning the journey

Family Support in the early years

Support during school years

Transition to adulthood

Becoming a parent

Taking the wide view Support for the whole family

Person with a learning disability –

children and adults

Parents and carers

Siblings

Role of the wider community – not just

about services

Beginning the journey

Beginning the journey

Getting it Right from the Start

Valuing the child

Valuing the parents and family network

Family support in the early years

Family Support in the early years

Early intervention

Well co-ordinated, multi-agency

support that is family focussed, flexible,

offers practical support and

underpinned by better information

Real choice about returning to work:

Accessible childcare

Support during the school years

Support during school years

Getting the right school

Inclusion – access to every aspect of

life in school

Disability equality schemes

Statementing

Bully free zones

Life outside of school

Life Outside of school

Life outside of the family – clubs

Extended school services – need full

range of services to disabled children

Short breaks – 8 out of 10 families at

breaking point

Transition to adult life

Transition to adult life

Ambitions and aspirations

Early multi-agency planning

Improved links between children and adults

services

Person-centred support

Transition Support programme

Equal chances

Individual budgets – more choice and control

Becoming Parents

Becoming parents

250,000 parents with a learning disability in

the UK

More likely to have their children removed

Lack of appropriate support

Need for accessible information and support

Independent advocates

Conclusions

Whole family approach

Preventative work – preventing children entering the care system

So what can councillors do? Prioritise disabled children and take advantage of

Aiming High funding in CSR

Include national indicators for disabled children and adults with a learning disability in Local Area Agreements for 2008

Comprehensive Area Assessments in 2009 – opportunities for working with the 3rd sector

Respond to action in Valuing People Now

Key questions for group discussion

Children and Adult Services

How do we effectively manage boundaries between children and adult services?

Is the third sector playing its part?

How does your council respond to parents who have a learning disability?