Issue - items at meetings - Children with additional needs

Presentation by Liz Rugg.

56.1    Alison Nuttall; Head of Child Development and Disability Service (Health Lead) and Jenny Brickell; Head of Child Development and Disability Service (Social Care Lead) and Co Chair Children with Disabilities and Complex Needs Strategic Partnership Board presented an Overview of Child Development and Disability Service presentation.

56.2         In answer to a question on whether there are services offered for children with moderate learning disabilities, it was advised that the Child Development and Disability Service was working with partners in the Voluntary and Community Sector to identify service gaps and the potential to commission services to address them.

56.3         In response to a question on how do you make sure disabled children are included in mainstream services and activities, members were informed that the Child Development and Disability Service works very closely with youth services and were involved in checking that policies such as those designed to address bullying are robust. It was recognised that it was important to work towards including disabled children from early years on in their lives so that they grow up with their peers.

56.4         In answer to a question whether the premises at Brighton General Hospital were acceptable, members were informed that Seaside View had been refurbished to a high standard, with a garden and that these improved changes had resulted in the children being able to use therapy sessions much more productively.

56.5         It was noted that Chailey Heritage was utilised for specialist clinical services.

56.6         In relation to a question on home adaptations and whether there was sufficient funding and resources; members were informed that the adaptations budget is not currently under pressure.

56.7         It was noted how the voluntary sector, statutory services and the parent’s carers’ council had worked well together to produce strategic development work and how this cross partnership working model should be used in other contexts.

56.8         RESOLVED –

(1)    The Committee thanked Alison Nuttall and Jennie Brickell for their detailed and informative presentation of the Child Development and Disability Service

(2)    A further report on the changes and improvements of the service to come back to CYPOSC in 9 months time.