Programme for Change for Children and Young People with Additional Needs and their Families

This is a long term programme which aims to ensure that all support and services provided to children and young people with additional needs and their families are delivered in an integrated, multi-agency way.

This means that the planning and delivery of services and support:

• seeks and takes into account the wishes and views of children and families and involves them in making decisions that affect them
• is fair and understandable to families
• is co-ordinated and involves all relevant services and agencies, including the independent, voluntary and community sectors.

The first year of this programme has been completed and has now been extended to ensure the delivery of the Aiming High for Disabled Children’s core offer which is a statement of the standards which families with disabled children can expect from across the county from local services.

In order to achieve this we have established seven strands of work as follows:

• Integration of services will bring together elements of the existing Inclusion and Engagement Division with Social Care disability teams within Nottinghamshire County Council’s Children and Young People’s Services
• Pathways to Provision will implement the outcomes of the review of SEN and Inclusion and extend the Early Support approach to families of disabled children aged over 5
• Palliative Care will provide comprehensive packages of care for children with life limiting conditions and their families
• Transitions will ensure comprehensive and integrated support at every transitional stage throughout childhood and into adult services
• Short Breaks and Childcare Pathfinders will continue to develop a flexible range of leisure activities and opportunities and also child care provision for working parents of disabled children
• Specialist equipment will rationalise the assessment and allocation of equipment including seating, positioning, alternative communication methods and other inclusive information technology
• Information/advice services will ensure that families of disabled children are able to access the services they need from a single contact

The involvement and participation of children and young people and their carers will underpin every strand.

If you have any questions or require any further information please contact alison.holloway@nottscc.gov.uk or ruth.hardy@nottscc.gov.uk.