Latest News for Parents & Carers

Vickie and Victoria speak in glowing terms about their apprentice, Lizzie Allen, a young woman, who was born with Down Syndrome, and who is inspiring others with learning disabilities to start earning and learning. Lizzie, 22, is midway through an apprenticeship at Juniper – a store where people can do their bit for the environment by filling up with reusable jars and containers.

Councils in England have been urged to crack down on the misuse of blue badge parking permits – legitimate and counterfeit – as the proportion of people holding them has reached one in 15. The AA called for more to be done to detect offences such as people using fake or stolen badges.

Erika Lye says she’s “the sunshine” in her house, always smiling for her sons Logan, 20, and Jack, 16. But behind closed doors, she is terrified about money. She fears that a new change to the health element of Universal Credit could send her family over a financial “cliff edge”.

Parents of children with special needs in England feel alienated from their schools if they don’t have legal protection, according to the biggest representative survey of its kind. Only 38% of parents without care plans felt teachers in mainstream schools had the tools to deal with special needs.

The Government has published this guide for how to claim for disability discrimination in schools. It includes practical guidance about common complaints. It is not legal advice, and the tribunal will consider each case individually.