Useful news from Contact a Family
Contact a Family’s A guide to claiming Disability Living Allowance for children
Newly updated Disability Living Allowance (DLA) guide includes information on how to fill out new DLA form
Contact a Family’s A guide to claiming Disability Living Allowance for children has been updated to reflect changes in the new DLA form, now being rolled out across the UK.
The guide is packed with information on how to fill out the new form.
http://www.cafamily.org.uk/pdfs/DLA_factsheet.pdf
Other recently revised guides include:
December 2011 Newsletter
Find attached below a link to the most recent NAS Greenwich branch newsletter.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader or another PDF reader to open it.
Results of Recent KIDS and Mencap Survey
Holiday childcare crisis for parents of disabled children.
Thank you very much to all the parents of Greenwich NAS who filled in this survey by KIDS and Mencap.
Main survey findings
• One in 10 disabled children were refused a place in childcare provision in summer 2011.
• One in three parents of disabled children received no childcare over the summer
holidays.
• One in five families pay more than twice as much for their childcare than the national
average.
• Two in three families found it difficult or very difficult to find appropriate childcare for
KIDS and Mencap Holiday Childcare Survey
Mencap know that childcare is essential for families with disabled children and young people, to allow parents and carers to work, to give short breaks and to provide opportunities for children and young people to socialise and have fun with their peers.
Some parents have contacted both KIDS and Mencap over the summer holidays to talk about difficulties they have had accessing childcare for their disabled children. This is not OK.
We hope that this survey will help us to find out what the picture is nationally for families with disabled children and young people in relation to their access to holiday play and childcare provision, and highlight any challenges that exist. We want families’ stories to be listened to and acted upon, and so once the results are collected, KIDS and Mencap will be producing and publicising a short briefing paper containing the main findings.
This survey contains a maximum of 25 questions, should take 5 -10 minutes to complete and can be accessed via the following methods:
- Web link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2011summerchildcare
- Emailing or printing and posting the attached document and info below this post
- Paper survey that we can send in the post.
NOTE: To assist in collecting local data for this survey, would you please tick London in the 'Where do you live' section and write Greenwich in the 'Other' box.
Please complete the survey by October 7th
If you have any questions, please contact coe@kids.org.uk
Remploy
If you have a disability or health condition and want to start or return to work, Remploy can help you make the most of your ability.
They have a range of employment services to help you get the job which is right for you.
www.remploy.co.uk/jobseekers or 0845 155 2700
Local Government Ombudsman
They can investigate complaints that a council failed to deal properly with a child’s SEN, including delays in assessing a child or issuing a statement; failing to implement a statement or carry out an annual review.
The Ombudsman cannot investigate when the matter can be appealed through the Tribunal process.
Factsheets and further information on www.lgo.org.uk or telephone 0300 061 0614
Email Addresses
NAS Greenwich now has a mailing list of around 700 families so sending out a newsletter is labour intensive (all that envelope stuffing!) and expensive £250 in postage alone.
It would be quicker and cheaper to communicate by email.
Please email nasgreenwich@hotmail.com so that we have your email address, or register with this site.
NAS Prospects
NAS PROSPECTS is an employment and training service for people with ASD who want to work.
They offer training and support in the workplace and they also offer help to employers.
Call 7704 7450 or email prospects@nas.org.uk
NAS Community Care Service
Kiran Rehal is the new Community Care Case Worker on the NAS Autism Helpline.
She can help with anything relating to Social Services eg respite, care plans, getting help from social services, complaints, direct payments, disabled facilities grants etc.
Ring 0808 800 4104
Free Phone Numbers for NAS Helplines
Education Rights Service 0808 800 4102
Autism Helpline 0808 800 4104 (inc Welfare Rights Service & Community Care Service)
Calls to these helplines are free from landlines and most mobiles – 3; O2; Orange; T-mobile; Virgin and Vodaphone.
