News from HCF!
Children in Scotland's Information Briefing on Welfare Reform and Child Welfare
Children in Scotland have shared a briefing paper on the possible effects of proposed Welfare Reform on Child Welfare.
Children in Scotland Briefing Paper
Enable Scotland
Enable Scotland have released their November Bulletin. It contains many articles of interest. A copy can be accessed at the link below
ENABLE BULLETIN
Website for parents of bullied children
A news report by Alison Bennett on the
Children & Young People Now News Report on 4 November 2008
Parentline Plus has launched a social networking site for parents who are concerned their child is being bullied.
The site, Be Someone To Tell, aims to allow parents to share experiences of their child being bullied and to support each other.
The site is also for parents who believe their child may be bullying other children and looks at the different roles involved in bullying.
Lucy Edington, Parentline Plus chief executive, said: "We want to send a strong message to parents who may be in these situations, that they're not alone and they can access help and support from the parents here at Parentline Plus and also from other parents." Patients' Rights: A Public Consultation on a Patients' Rights Bill for users of the NHS in Scotland, 22/09/08 - 16/01/09
This consultation is for anyone who uses the NHS in Scotland in any way and seeks views on the development of a legal framework for what individuals can expect from the NHS in Scotland and what can be expected from them. Consultation to 16 January 2009.
The purpose of this consultation is therefore to seek views on the possible content of a Patients' Rights Bill, and wishes to consider:
why patients' rights are important;
what rights should be included in this legislation;
what difference this will make; and
proposals for improving the effectiveness and independence of redress - what to do if things go wrong.
Responses should be sent to the following address by Friday 16th January 2008.
Patients' Rights Consultation
FREEPOST NATN452
Healthcare Policy and Strategy Directorate
Mailpoint 1
Edinburgh
EH1 0BR
or by email to patientrights@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
For full details read the consultation document Patients' Rights: A Public Consultation on a Patients' Rights Bill for users of the NHS in Scotland which is available from the Scottish Government website.
Further Information
Patients' Rights: A Public Consultation on a Patients' Rights Bill for users of the NHS in Scotland
National Deaf Children's Society launches website
Parents and guardians of deaf children are set to benefit from a new online service, that will help them contact other families with deaf children across the UK.
The new service, called Parent2Parent Network, launched by the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) and the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP) can be accessed at www.parentsnetwork.org.uk
The online facility enables parents and guardians of deaf children to search and contact other families based on specific criteria including geography, age of child, the level of the child’s hearing loss and the preferred language of the parents.
Sean Moran, NDCS director of children and young people and families, said: “90 per cent of deaf children are born to hearing families who have absolutely no experience of deafness. Many parents are challenged when they find out that their child is deaf and can often feel isolated when they don’t know anyone else who is going through the same experiences.
“Parent2Parent provides parents with the opportunity to engage other families with deaf children in their local area or anywhere across the UK. It is these parents who will be able to understand better than anyone else about each others fears, concerns and hopes for their deaf child.”
Charity Times 23.9.08
Children in Scotland highlights results of a consultation on the implementation of the Additional Support for Learning Act
Children in Scotland's news service has alerted members to the attached articles in the Times Educational Supplement and the Glasgow Herald about the outcomes of a consultation into the implementation of the ASL Act.
TES Article
Glasgow Herald Article
The Children's Forum's 2007/08 Annual Report is published.
At the AGM on Tuesday 6th June Isabel paterson Chair of Highland Children's Forum will present the annual report for the past year and issue a challenge on behalf of children and young people in need accross Highland.
"Can you hear it? It used to be a distant murmur, audible only to those with
a keen ear, but these days the voice of children and young people in need across
Highland is coming through loud and clear, through the work of the Children’s Forum.
It’s time that we all really listened to what they have to say.
I invite you to read the various reports published or contributed to by the Children’s
Forum throughout this year and be challenged by what Highland’s children in need have
to say. What can we do to show them that we hear and understand their views and
issues? Actions speak much louder than words. These children and young people are
asking us how their consultation contributions will actually affect the services they use
now and will use in the future.
How shall their question be answered?
With words or with actions?"
Planning for change
Consultation on proposed changes to the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004
New Bulletin released
Click on the link below to obtain the April bulletin from the Children's Forum
April 2008 bulletin
It's My Journey
It's My Journey - a report written from a consultation with young people with additional support needs during the transition from school and children's services in to adulthood, is now available.
It's My Journey was a multi-agency project involving HCF, the Highland Council and Barnardo's.
The consultation for this report was carried out to allow the experience of young people in transition to influence the writing of the new transitions guidelines to accompany the new transitions protocol. The young people involved used a variety of media to tell their personal stories of transition. These stories are powerful and it was felt that they could stand alone in a report as well as influence the guidelines. The report gives insight in to what transition is like for young people but also the young people were able to make clear the things people could do to help that process.
Soft copy will be available on this site shortly. Hard copies can be obtained from the HCF office.
Concerns about the staffing changes in Support for Learning and Pyschological Services raised with Education Committee
HCF has written to all Councillors on the Education, Culture and Sport to raise its concerns about proposals being presented at Thursday's ECS Committee meeting.
"HCF has concerns about the possible effects of the changes on services for children with additional needs. We have attempted to explore these with Donnie MacDonald over the last two days but the business of his diary has prevented us from discussing them.
You may recall that HCF has previously called for appropriate impact assessments of decisions to ensure that all parties are fully aware of the implications of the decisions that are being taken. The previous Council was forced to make cuts in Special Educational Needs budgets without opportunities to fully scope the effect of them on services for young people in the classroom. Donnie’s paper does not appear to have an impact assessment of the proposals.
Although the internal management arrangements of services are not normally high on HCF’s list of considerations we hope that there will be sufficient management capacity to support colleagues and to ensure that best practice is developed and spread across the area. We also have concerns that the Support for Learning Team is being reduced in size and at the same time the breadth of their remit is being increased. We understand that previously they mainly dealt with children in the 5 to 14 age range and now fewer folk are being asked to support children and young people in the 3 to 18 age range. We have grave concerns that appropriate inclusion will be seriously hampered by this reduction in capacity at a time when it is believed that there are increasing demands on schools through the numbers of young people with additional needs in mainstream schools, the impact of the ASL Act on schools and the requirements of the GIRFEC system.
The paper does not indicate whether the changes in the Psychological Services Team will result in a decrease in overall staff numbers. HCF would hope that the staff complement will not be reduced as the team provides immensely valuable support to children and young people, parents and carers and teachers and any reduction in capacity would have a very negative effect on all parties.
HCF looks forward to hearing your views on our concerns and the outcome of your deliberations at the ECS meeting."
Better Health, Better Care Consultation Event in Inverness on 8th November
NHS Highland are hosting a consultation event to discuss ‘Better Health, Better Care’, a discussion document to inform the SNP Government future strategy for improving health and wellbeing in Scotland.
This is a useful opportunity to highlight the concerns relating to health and care of children and young people in rural and urban situations.
The event will take place in Inverness on the evening of Thursday 8th November between 7pm and 9pm in the Centre for Health Sciences at Raigmore Hospital.
Colin Cook, Deputy Director, Healthcare Planning, Scottish Government will be attending to hear views.
Highland Council Intimate Care Policy for Schools
Highland Council has drafted a policy on the delivery of intimate care in schools.
The policy is based on one drawn up for Drummond School in Inverness.
A copy of the draft policy can be accessed from the link below. Highland Council are keen to receive comments from Parents and Carers and if sent to the HCF office Calum will pass them on. Please post them in or use calum.munrohcf@btconnect.com
Carers have also raised concerns about intimate care provision in some schools. HCF would like to hear the experiences of young people and parents/carers. We are keen to hear a full range of stories and especially examples of good practice that can be used to improve practice elsewhere.
Again contact Calum at the HCF office 01463 223000 and leave a message and he will get back to you or e mail on calum.munrohcf@btconnect.com
Carers to earn more without losing out
Carers will be able to earn more money without losing their benefits, Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain has announced.
From 1 October 2007, the maximum amount of money that carers in Great Britain will be allowed to earn without losing their entitlement to Carer's Allowance (CA) will rise from £87 to £95 a week, after expenses such as income tax and national insurance contributions have been taken into account.
The increase in the earnings limit is an interim measure ahead of the government's forthcoming review of the National Carers Strategy. The strategy will look at how CA could be reformed to meet today's needs more effectively.
Carers who employ someone to look after a disabled person or a child aged under 16 while they are at work will continue to be entitled to the allowance while earning significantly more than the normal limit.
Funding Opportunity!
Highland Cross is seeking projects to be funded from the June 2008 event.
The midsummer race raises funds for charities undertaking social or medical projects in the Highlands.
Projects looking for large sums of capital - in the £10,000 to £30,000 range - are invited to apply to be considered as major beneficiaries of the 2008 event.
The charity application form and full supporting information can be found on www.highlandcross.co.uk
Applications must be with the Organisers by 31st October 2007.
Applications are then screened and a number are called forward to present their case to the Independent Charity Selection Panel of Highland Cross.
Highland Cross attempts to support between three and five major causes each year.
Charities seeking smaller sums – the smallest ever given was £50 to a charity for digital Dictaphone [!] – can now apply to the Cross for funding from the proceeds of the 2007 event. The five principal beneficiaries from the 2007 event are receiving 4 vehicles – three specialist vans and a specially adapted minibus - and a set of three electric powered cross country scooters. The remaining funds will be allocated to smaller requests.
Highland Cross can only fund capital expenditure; it cannot support revenue or staff costs.
National Christmas Card Design Competition
The Chancellor, Rt Hon Alastair Darling MP, has chosen Every Disabled Child Matters [EDCM] as the charity for the Chancellor's 2007 Christmas card.
EDCM are holding a competition for disabled children and young people to design the Chancellors Christmas card.
The competition will run until Friday 5th October and is open to all disabled children and young people up to the age of 25. The theme for the design is 'Enjoying Christmas'.
EDCM's panel of judges will chose 12 designs to go forward for the Chancellor to choose the winning design for his Christmas card. Two runner-up designs will appear on this year's EDCM and Council for Disabled Children Christmas cards and all the short-listed entries will be posted on their website.
All 12 young people who are short-listed will be invited with their families to a tea party at 11 Downing Street on 30th October 2007, where the winner will be announced.
Please send in your designs to EDCM by email to info@edcm.org.uk or post them to:
Every Disabled Child Matters
c/o Council for Disabled Children
8 Wakley Street
London
EC1V 7QE
North MSPs back HCF campaign!
MSPs from all political parties have backed the HCF campaign to secure additional funding for services in Highland from the additional funds coming to Scotland through the Barnett Formula.
Peter Peacock has written to the First Minister on behalf of the Highland MSPs Labour Group, John Farqhar Munro has also written on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, Rob Gibson and Dave Thompson have also supported the proposal and written to their SNP colleagues in the government and Jamie McGrigor for the Conservative party has tabled a question for the Parliament.
HCF has also sent a question on the subject for Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health, to answer when she is attending a public meeting in Inverness.
HCF has written to the First Minister asking how Scotland intends to use the £34m additional funding allocated to Scotland by Westminster for improving services for children
with disabilities?
Highland Children’s Forum has read that an additional £34 million is to be allocated to Scotland under the Barnet formula following the Westminster decision to provide an additional £340 million to improve services for children with disabilities in England as a result of the “Every Disabled Child Matters” campaign.
HCF is delighted if the Scottish Executive is to have this additional funding for this purpose and looks forward to seeing the benefits appearing in the lives of children in need.
However HCF is concerned that the current funding allocation mechanisms for local councils and NHS Boards do not fully recognise the additional costs of providing viable and appropriate support to children with disabilities in rural Scotland and especially in the Highlands. HCF has appealed to the administration to look at this funding increase as an opportunity to improve services by allocating the funding on a basis that recognises the needs and challenges of services attempting to meet the needs of children with disabilities in rural areas.
The Highland Council appoint a "Youth Convenor" to
take the voice of young people to the Council.
Highland Council have appointed Gillian Slider from Ullapool as the "Youth Convenor" to represent the voice of children and young people at Council meetings and on committees and working parties.
Pablo Mascarenhas, Principal Youth Strategy Officer at The Highland Council, has described Gillian as a "really enthuisiaric person with a good grasp of exclusion".
Arrangements have been made to get Gillian to meet with Gillian Newman, HCF's Consultation Worker, and it is hoped that she will have an early meeting with the HCF Management Committee to discuss her work and how HCF can support her in it.
SIGN guideline – autism spectrum disorders
Rona Membury, an HCF Committee member, has alerted us to the fact that SIGN guideline no 98
"Assessment, diagnosis and clinical interventions for children and young people with autism spectrum disorders” has now been published.
As well as the full guideline, there is a handy 'Quick reference guide'. Work is now ongoing for a parent/carer version and a young person version. Copies are available online at www.sign.ac.uk or for a hard copy call SIGN on 0131 718 5108.
The Highland Council Administration add HCF
proposal to their work programme
As announced earlier HCF has lobbied The Highland Council to have the voice of children represented on the Education, Culture and Sport Committee. Although the initial proposal was not adopted by the Council the Director of ECS was instructed to bring forward proposals to the Committee on how the voice of children could be represented directly at meetings. HCF has submitted preliminary proposals to Councillor Roddy Balfour, Chair of the ECS Committee and to Hugh Fraser, Director of ECS.
Subsequently the Administration’s published programme stated:
“We have already commenced an examination of involvement of young people in the decision making process and are committed to acting upon the findings”
We will be monitoring the development of the officials' proposals paper and its implementation.
MENTAL WELL-BEING MAGAZINE FOCUSES
ON YOUNG PEOPLE
The latest edition of Well?, the Scottish Executive’s free six-monthly magazine on mental health and well-being, focuses on children and young people. Published on 18 June (2007), the magazine features comments and contributions from young people across Scotland on issues close to their hearts, such as building confidence by “getting involved”, the importance of being listened to, the negative effects of media stereotyping and being judged by how they feel – not how they look.
Articles also include contributions by young people on their understanding of emotional health and mental well-being and how they think, feel and relate to each other through friends and family, online networking and at school, college and university. Features from key national figures in children and young people’s issues include Scotland’s commissioner for children and young people Kathleen Marshall, and Alan Sinclair from The Work Foundation think-tank.
Well? will be published on 18 June 2007 and is available free to the general public and circulated widely throughout local libraries, GP surgeries, health centres, schools, colleges, universities and partner children and young people organisations.
To join the free Well? mailing list, contact The Scottish Executive Mental Health Division: Branch 2, St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG or email: well@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or visit www.wellscotland.info
A child’s question brings about changes in Education practice!
HCF was approached by a member after her child, who has additional needs, queried why their “new teacher treated him differently from his usual one?”. The parent then discovered that a supply teacher was covering the class. However the supply teacher did not have access to information about the special needs of children in the class. This information was held on a computer database that supply teachers were not allowed to access.
A similar case had been highlighted by HCF last year and the topic was previously raised in our “Inclusion” Report. HCF took up the matter with senior education managers who carried out a review of practice in schools. They discovered that there was not a robust policy on the issue and practice across schools varied widely. A best practice document is now to be written.
A wonderful example of how the voice of children brings insight to policy and practice!
HCF calls for the voice of children and young people to be represented at the Education, Culture and Sport [ECS] Committee.
At the full Highland Council meeting on 31st May HCF lobbied Councillors to overturn an officials' recommendation to have only Councillors and Religious Representatives on the ECS Committee. The legislation allows for children, carers and others to be included.
Although the officals' recommendation was accepted many Councillors from all the political groupings supported the HCF proposal to have the voice of children heard at the Committee. The Director of ECS was instructed to bring forward proposals to the Committee on how the voice of children could be represented directly at meetings. HCF has submitted preliminary proposals to Councillor Roddy Balfour, Chair of the ECS Committee and to Hugh Fraser, Director of ECS. We will be monitoring the development of the officials' proposals paper.
AGM sees Consultation Contributions by Young People and re-elects the Management Committee
The 2005/06 AGM took place at Inshes Church, Inverness on the evening of Tuesday 5th June.
The audience of members and guests received the Annual report for Isabel Paterson HCF Chair and Katie Adam Treasurer.
Isabel drew attention to the Forum's very active year in consultations with children and young people, including the publication of the first year's report of the "Are we there yet?" three year research project, a commercial contract to contribute to the public consultation for the "Action framework for children and young person's health in Scotland" and a major contribution to the multi agency Transitions into adulthood project. She also commented on the number of strategic committes where the voice of children in need was being represented and on the Forum gaining a seat at the National Children's Voluntary Organisations Forum which meets with the Deputy Minister for Education.
Isabel commented on the unrealistic timescales set by some organisations wanting to consult young people. HCF has taken the decision that it will not involve itself in consultations with unrealistic timescales as they do not do justice to the voice of children in need.
Katie reviewed the Forum's finances and asked members to note their generally healthy state and the fact that the deficit from 2004/05 had been brought under control and that a three year grant had been won from the Scottish Executive that would underpin office costs until 2010.
The pre-AGM nomination process saw all members of the Management Committee being nominated for re-election and returned to office at the meeting. Isabel was re-elected as Chair of the Forum and Katie was re-elected Treasurer. Both elections were unanimous.
With the business finished the audience was treated to presentations by young people. Gillian Newman, the Children's Consultation Worker, introduced Daryl Sinclair who had made a video about his life since leaving school. Daryl has also contributed to the Orchard Respite study and the transitions project. Gillian also showed examples of the artwork created by young people contributing to the "Are we there yet?" project and the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland peer review of services for children with learning disabilities. Monea Menses and Alishia King who have contributed to "Are we there yet?" project answered questions on the experience of being involved.
Click here to Download the Annual Report
Family Fund grants now available to 16 year olds in Scotland!
Following an additional grant from the Scottish Executive the Family Fund have been able to increase the age band for accepting applications from families where youngsters have turned 16 years but have not yest had their 17th birthday.
Scotland is the first area in the UK to get this increase.
The Fund gives grants to families caring for a disabled or seriously ill child to help relieve the stresses of everyday life. Some examples of the kinds of things bought include specialist toys, driving lessons, family holidys or a new washing machine.
The funding is now available so if your disabled child is under 17 and you think that the Fund can help contact them on 0845 130 4542 or visit www.familyfund.org.uk
This report from the Scottish Executive can be accessed from their website http://www.scotland.gov.uk
HCF were so concerned about the low levels of consultation with children and young people during the preparation of the report that we negotiated a contract with the Executive's commercial consultation company to involve more young people and children in Highland.
HCF will be working with the NHS's consultation group of young people to review the document.
HCF's work acknowledged by Ed Balls MP, Economic Secretary to the Treaury!
Ed Balls, Economic Secretary to the Treasury has responded to HCF's recent challenge to him about funding for services for children with disabilities.
Mr Balls appeared on Radio 4's "You and Yours" programme announcing a review of services and by implication funding.
HCF contacted him with a selection of our reports and stressed the effect of tight funding on services and the importance of engaging with children and young people.
In his response he states that:
"You have raised some very poignant issues around disabled children's engagement in the process of planning and delivering services."
He goes on to assure us that the block grant funds to the Scottish Executive have not been cut - indicating that funding decisions are of the Executive's own making.
He also states that the HCF reports are to be taken into the national review as evidence.
"Listening to children - speaking with policy makers!" is HCF's driving statement and once again it is trying to live up to that challenge!
"Are we there yet?"
The latest report from HCF has been published and was presented to the Joint Committee on Children and Young People by Gillian on 6th October 2006.
257 Children and Young People [C&YP] mainly from Primary classes 6 and 7 and Secondary year 1 in 24 schools in Highland took part in the project and contributed their views three times in the first year of this three year study asking children and young people of their experience of services in
Highland.
The report is being widely circulated to policy makers, Robin Harper MSP, Convenor of the Cross Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Children and Young People wrote: “This is a first class initiative and an exemplar in including young people in consultation. The next step is to involve young people in the decisions that affect them still further!!”
The full report can be downloaded, as a PDF, from the Reports & Publications section of this website or a copy can be obtained from the office.
Ministerial Visit
On 30th August George Lyon MSP, the Deputy Minister for Finance, Public Service Reform and Parliamentary Business, was in our office meeting parent carers and seeking their views on integrated services in
Highland. He was at pains to explain to them how their views were needed and value
d.
In a letter following the meeting the Deputy Minister states:
“… I very much appreciated the candour and positive approach shown during the discussion we ha
d. As I said at the time, our ambition is to ensure the delivery of world class services built around the people who use them and need them: the opportunity to engage with the Forum has helped that understanding greatly.”
During the discussions we strongly raised the issue of resourcing for services in
Highland.
Given the degree of engagement with the Executive’s integration agenda that
Highland has undertaken it seems perverse that they have had such large cuts in their budgets. Carers stressed the importance of having adequate staff at the frontline to deliver services – especially in a diverse area such as
Highland.
We also raised with him the issue of “survey fatigue” and the necessity for carers to receive appropriately designed material and genuine feedback if they are to feel that consultation is genuine and worth their while contributing to.
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