Integrating Services for Disabled Children, Young People and their Families

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This section of the website tells you about our plans to integrate services for disabled children, young people and their families and our progress so far.

The government wants services for children, young people and their families that are provided by health, schools, the council and voluntary organisations to be integrated by 2008.   These organisations will be known as Children's Trusts.

In summer 2005, a project was set up to develop a strategy to integrate disabled children and young people's services.  A project director was appointed to lead this work and to develop a draft strategy in partnership with parents, carers, children, young people and professionals. The draft strategy was published for consultation in September 2006.

A Project Steering Group was set up at the start of the project to oversee the work and make decisions about the strategy as it developed. The membership of the Project Steering Group includes representatives from health, education, social care services and voluntary organisations. Six parents and carers, who are members of the Parent & Carer Panel, sit on the group.

Newsletters have been sent out once a term to parents and carers of children and young people on the Register for Children & Young People with Disabilities/Special Needs, as well as professionals and all stakeholders involved in the integration of services.

Consultation on the Draft Integration Strategy

The draft integration strategy was published for consultation in September 2006.  157 people, including 91 parents and carers, took part in the consultation either by completing a questionnaire or by coming to one of the consultation meetings. People mostly agreed with the recommendations in the strategy, and thought that things were moving in the right direction.

Key messages were:

• People thought integrating services was a good idea, however it may not be possible for all professionals who work with disabled children to be in one building.
• People thought the most important part of integrating services would be good communication and professionals working together. They thought this was more important than professionals being in the same building.
• People thought that sharing information and having a shared database was crucial. However, parents and carers should have the right to stop information about their child being shared.
• People wanted to see more information and advice for parents and carers, and training for parents and carers.
• People thought the meeting was very useful, and wanted to have more meetings like it.

The concerns raised in five or more groups were:

• There should be more resources to increase therapy capacity, especially speech and language therapy.
• People did not want money for exisiting services to be diverted to fund integration. People were concerned that it was not clear where the funding for integration would come from.
• Age boundaries for age-based services must be flexible.
• The new building should be centrally located and accessible by car and public transport.
• The central telephone number should be well staffed and continue out of hours.

Full details of all the consultation feedback are given in the Feedback Report. There is also a summary version. (See links below).

The strategy gives a complete overview of the work that has been undertaken to develop the recommendations and action plan. It provides information about legislation and guidance, information about the number of disabled children and young people who live in Kingston and the progress that has already been made towards integrating services. The strategy recommends that specialist multi disciplinary teams are co-located in one place and are organised by age group: an early support service for children up to the age of 5 years; a service for children aged 6-12 years and a young people's service from 13 years. Family support services including nursing will be integrated. The therapies - speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy will be managed as one service. The new integrated service will be managed by one manager from the beginning of April 2007.  

The strategy is now confirmed as the right way forward and work has started to implement the new service. This work will take account of the wide range of views and opinions contained in the full feedback report.

An independent consultation has taken place with disabled children and young people.  Jigsaw4u, a local charity, met children and young people to hear their views on what would make their life better. An action plan to take forward recommendations will be agreed with the Project Steering Group and then included here.