Latest News for Parents & Carers

The charity, Contact, ran a Covid-19 vaccination survey that shows that almost 70% of parents want their disabled children aged under 16 to have a vaccine when it has been through trials and is licensed for use by children. And 10% would like it off-licence right now, but only 3 in 200 families have been successful in getting the jab for their child vulnerable child so far. Read our full survey findings here.

There is a growing desire to have a unique identifier to ensure efficiency and accuracy of data sharing across Social Care and Education. The use of the NHS number as a unique identifier (as enabled by the Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015) is well established between adult health and social care settings, but is more complicated for those under 18 as the Act does not cover children’s social care and education services data.

Great Minds Together and the PDA Society are also going to be working on the NHS Health Education England Autism Peer Education programme. They hope to make a real difference in raising awareness of PDA to prevent escalation of mental health needs resulting in hospitalisation for autistic people.

The government is keen to hear from disabled people, their carers, friends and family but views from the wider public are also very welcome. All views will be used to shape the delivery of the plans set out in the forthcoming Strategy. The survey will remain open until 23 April.

The Disabled Children’s Partnership has launched a new campaign asking you to ask your MP to write to government about the impact of the pandemic on disabled children and their families. Some disabled children have gone a whole year without vital therapies which they could only access at school. They need your help to get those in power to listen.