Latest News for Parents & Carers

A mum has said finding childcare for her son, who has additional needs, in the summer holidays causes “financial and emotional anxiety”. The charity Sense said there was a shortage of accessible holiday clubs in England.

Contact’s calls to reform a distressing application process for Personal Independent Payment (PIP) are recognised in a new report. The Timms review into PIP’s steering group has published its interim report, which ultimately finds that the disability benefit is “highly-valued” but “no longer fit-for-purpose”.

It has been a busy few months for Renegade Zoo, a band formed through a creative arts project for young adults with learning disabilities in Londonderry. A debut album showcasing their brand of alt-pop launched earlier this year, a summer performance at the Foyle Maritime Festival followed, before taking to the stage at this year’s Stendhal Festival.

A blind woman felt compelled to leave a Wetherspoons pub after staff demanded proof that her guide dog, Rosie, was a genuine guide dog. Joanne Hewitson, 31, said she was “livid” and “shaking” after her experience going for breakfast at a pub in Hartlepool.

Learning Disability England is inviting signatories to support its open letter to the government, urging it to prioritise the health of people with learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities continue to face significant health inequalities and poorer health outcomes. The open letter to the Prime Minister sets out what needs to change to help people live longer, healthier lives.