Aiming High Short Breaks Parents Event Becky Powell Aiming High Project Manager 11 th June 2009
Dec 25, 2015
Aiming High for Disabled Children
The Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme was launched in May 2007, and aims to improve the lives of disabled children and their families.
The primary focus is on SHORT BREAKS
Although there are other work streams:
Childcare (10 pilot sites)
Transition support
Palliative care
What is a short break?
Short breaks are activities that the child or young person …
has fun doing, that helps them develop friendships that allows them to try new things
Short breaks also benefit parents and carers by…
giving them a break from caring giving them time to spend with other children and family
So what options are there currently and what do families want?
Family LinkYouth clubsBefrienders
After school clubsCrofters
White Lodge/ TreetopsContinuing care teamBarnardo’s Spectrum
Direct paymentsCrossroads
Tadworth CourtWarren Park
Range holiday schemesChild minding
Overnights at schoolPlus more
All the existing and more…
Specialist ASD serviceMore school holiday scheme placesJoint activities with siblingsDisability information serviceFlexible support in the homeFun group overnight breaksRange of Individual breaksAccessible mainstream activitiesSupported family holidays
Aiming High Short Breaks Funding
In the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Funding from Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) for Short Breaks in 2008-11.
Revenue funding is £782,600 (£40,000, £175,700, £566,900)
Capital funding is £294,700. (£0, £88,400, £206,300)
The PCT allocation
Revenue funding £40,000, year 1, Years 2 & 3 are to be agreed
Scope of Aiming High short breaks development?
Appropriate and timely information
Appropriate and proportional assessment
Fair and clear allocation of the
funding and resources
Specific focus on some groups
Parent and carer participation
Work force development
Increased quality, choice and capacity
Transparent and equitable eligibility
and funding decisionsMonitoring
And feedback
These are the services we are planning to develop
The commissioning of a specialist ASD service to include group sessions and individual support in the home.
Additional places for disabled children in school holiday schemes to give families confidence that they will be supported during this time.
A specific disability information service.
Additional funding for Crofters to extend their activities to more children and further support existing children.
A ‘core offer’ for all children on the disability register which is likely to be support to access the equivilent of an afterschool club a month.
These are the services we are planning to develop
An individual outreach service into the home for parents and children to be better supported to work towards accessing opportunities in the community.
Additional overnight provision especially for young people on the Autistic Spectrum and young people in transition.
The increase of availability of specialist health training through the recruitment of a nurse trainer
Creation of a user led short break panel to discuss applications for funds for small groups and individuals. (up to £500)
What do we want to achieve through this programme?
We want short breaks to…
be available and easy to access
improve the quality of life for families
not only be offered to families in crisis or experiencing difficulties
be as much a break for the child as the parent
be a mix of specialist and mainstream options
Be appropriate to each family
Disabled information Services offering advice, information, signposting and direct booking of services. Support for families to apply to be on the Disability Register.
If the support option identified requires individual funding compete CAF and forward to lead professional as agreed by parent
Data manager engage with family to gather information
to establish registerability
Data manager return register information to
DCT panel 2 for decision
DCT complete IA or CoreLead professional recommends core offer to panel 1 chaired by Aiming High Project Manager
Agree options (subject to registration),
and review process
Recommendation for registration and for services presented to
Panel 2 chaired by DCT manager
Agree options, identify core offer and review process
Recommendations presented to joint funding panel chaired by PCT children commissioner
Agree options, identify core offer and review process
Draft Aiming High referrals flow for identifying eligibility and core offer
Lead professionals include SENCOs, specialist health visitor, early years team, portage, Youth service, voluntary organisation
Approximate Budget
Name Description Target group Yr 2 Yr 3
Project Manager Staff employed to oversee the project (Budget includes ½ PCT funding)
55,000 58,000
Disability information service
Specific information service for disabled children and their families. Helping families get all their entitlements, register for disability register and information and support to access services including short break services.
All families of disabled children and disabled young people themselves
25,000 60,000
Core offer Development of clear information. Clear searchable web-based information available to all families including children with disabilities. All families with children eligible to be on the disability register will be supported to find and access an afterschool or weekend activity once a month.
All eligible to be on the disability register
8,000 60,000
DCT reorganisation Costs of additional staffing and support across the team to deliver AH targets
Children eligible for DCT 26,600 28,100
Support to mainstream organisations
Advice information and first hand support to learn how best to support disabled children accessing and wanting to access their services
All disabled children 4,000 28,800
ASD befriending service
Specialist service affiliated to NAS recruiting volunteer befrienders to link with ASD children across the spectrum.
All ASD children but focus on higher functioning children
5,000 10,000
ASD Individual/ Outreach service (from the home)
Support to families through contact in the home building up relationships and progressing to support to access activities and the community
ASD children in groups 2 and 3
9,000 40,000
Individual/ outreach service (from the home)
Support to families through contact in the home building up relationships and progressing to support to access activities and the community
Groups 2 and 3 children 10,000 60,000
Additional overnight options
Working with local providers to identify and purchase additional placements overnight for children and families who would benefit but may not have had the opportunity to access overnight support before.
Group 2 and 3 children 10,000 20,000
Nurse trainer Subject to PCT funding this post will help train staff and parents in medical interventions that allow children with more complex needs to be involved in the activities other children take for granted.
All staff 0 45,000
Additional holiday provision
Range of additional holiday provision for disabled children All eligible to be on the disability register
5,000 50,000
YP led Small grants panel
Using youth service model have a small grants panel for children and young people and small voluntary organisations to apply to. The panel will be made up of young people who are support by a voluntary organisation in their panel role.
All eligible to be on the disability register
5,000 10,000
Family breaks (subsidised)
Group family holidays facilitated through AH funding to help support the young people and their family opportunity to spend quality time together.
Children eligible for disability register and lead professionals recommend would benefit
0 18,000
Crofters activities Development of additional activities for children that excite them, challenge them allow them to make friends and their parents have a break. Some of their activities to include overnights, support for specific groups and activities with siblings.
Children eligible for DCT (under review)
35,000 65,000
Early years activities and childminding project (pre 5)
Creation of additional activities and supports for families in children’s centres and other settings.
All disabled children 0 25,000
Play specialist support
Play specialist support and training to existing services to improve quality of support
All disabled children 0 8,000
Recruitment and training
Robust recruitment strategy and training programme for additional sessional workers, befrienders and family link. Training for existing staff and organisations.
5,600 10,000
Total 203,200 595,900
Next steps for the programme
Agreed workforce development plan
Finalisation of Aiming High delivery plan (agreement of cabinet)
Create and promote calendar of parent, carers, children and young people’s events
Commissioning services
Monitoring and measuring outcomes