Contact a Family e-Newsletter - December 2008

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+++Contact a Family e-Newsletter - December 2008.

++Contents.

+01: Christmas cash bonus for disabled children and their carers welcome

but more financial help needed.

+02: Get your Christmas cards from Contact a Family.

+03: Online shopping.

+04: Families with disabled children are carers hardest hit by economic

crisis.

+05: Working parents who care for a disabled child now protected against

discrimination.

+06: Help with mortgage interest via the benefits system - new rules.

+07: New regulations for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs).

+08: More money and a new council for mental health services.

+09: Improved care for young people with mental health problems.

+10: Local authorities to receive funding to improve standards of

transition for young disabled people.

+11: NHS websites merged.

+12: Listening Books.

+13: New good practice guide on short breaks.

+14: Planning for holiday haven needs input from families.

+15: Young people invited to take part in 'My Choices' study

[contents ends].

++Contact a Family News.

+01: Christmas cash bonus for disabled children and their carers welcome

but more financial help needed.

Contact a Family has welcomed the Chancellor's announcement that

disabled children and their carers will receive an additional GBP60. The

payment is on top of the annual GBP10 Christmas bonus given to those in

receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Carer's Allowance.

In the recent Pre-Budget report, the chancellor announced that between

January and March 2009, an extra GBP60 will be paid to disabled children

and carers receiving the qualifying benefits.

Srabani Sen, Chief Executive of Contact a Family, said: " We welcome the

additional Christmas bonus which will help families with disabled

children towards the cost of fuel and shopping bills this winter. We

also welcome the recognition by government that families with disabled

children are particularly vulnerable to living in poverty - something we

have been campaigning on.

" However we hope this is just the first step towards helping families

with disabled children out of poverty. We will continue to campaign for

an increase in Disability Living Allowance to reflect the true cost of

raising a disabled child and a significant rise in Carer's Allowance as

well as a winter fuel payment for families with young disabled children. "

For more information about the Christmas bonus visit Directgov at Web:

http://tinyurl.com/5tzkal or telephone the Contact a Family helpline on

0.

+02: Get your Christmas cards from Contact a Family.

Christmas will soon be upon us and you can help support Contact a Family

by buying our charity Christmas cards.

Available in packs of 10 with five different designs to choose from, the

cards can be purchased from our online shop at Web:

http://www.cafamily.org.uk/shop.html?scat=9

+03: Online shopping.

If like millions of others you plan on doing your Christmas shopping

online, you can help to raise money for Contact a Family at the same

time. By visiting Web: http://www.buy.at/cafamily and using the links to

the online retailers we will receive a small donation from every

purchase you make.

To find out more ways you can give as you shop visit Web:

http://www.cafamily.org.uk/supportus/otherwaystogive/shop.html

[Contact a Family News ends]

++News stories.

+04: Families with disabled children are carers hardest hit by economic

crisis.

Carers UK have launched new research into the financial difficulties

being experienced by carers.

One of the key findings of 'Carers in Crisis' is that families with

disabled children have been hardest hit among carers by the credit crunch.

Key findings from the report included:

- people caring for a disabled child under 18 are among the worst off -

they are most likely to be cutting back on food and to be in debt. This

is particularly worrying since their caring responsibilities are likely

to last for the rest of their lives, making it harder for them to repay

the debt.

- carers on Income Support do worse than any other group according to

all major indicators.

For more information and to read the report in full visit Web:

http://www.carersuk.org/Policyandpractice/Research/Financialimpactofcaring/12283\

18101

+05: Working parents who care for a disabled child now protected against

discrimination.

The Employment Tribunal has ruled to protect parents who combine work

with caring for a disabled child against harassment and discrimination

in the workplace.

The ruling means that parent carers have the right to claim against

employers who treat them unfairly " by association with disability " .

Working parents of disabled children are now protected in law against

discrimination such as a refusal to offer flexible working.

The decision follows a parent carer's legal victory in the European

Court of Justice. Sharon claimed that she was discriminated

against and harassed because she had a disabled son. Sharon

claimed that her former employer, London law firm Attridge Law, accused

her of being " lazy " when she needed to take time off to care for her

child and threatened her with disciplinary action.

In July of this year, the European Court of Justice found that 's

case amounted to discrimination by association. Last week's tribunal

ruling has clarified the law in England and Wales and paves the way for

parents of disabled children to make immediate claims against their

employers if they are treated unfairly.

+06: Help with mortgage interest via the benefits system - new rules.

If you claim income support, income based job seekers allowance, pension

credit (guarantee credit) or income-related Employment and Support

Allowance, it is possible to get help towards your mortgage interest

payments.

Unless you are aged 60 or above, there is normally a 'waiting period'

before a claimant receives any help with their mortgage. At the moment

the length of the waiting period depends on your personal circumstances

and when your mortgage was taken out. Most claimants have to wait 39

weeks before they get help with their mortgage interest but some people

including many carers, can get help with half of their mortgage interest

after eight weeks and all of their eligible interest after 26 weeks.

However the government have announced that from January 2009, new

working age claimants will be able to get all of their eligible interest

taken into account after 13 weeks.

In addition, the government plans to increase that maximum amount of

loan that they will meet. Currently there is a ceiling of the first

GBP100,000 of any loan - from January 2009 this will be increased to

GBP165,000 for new claims by working age people.

As yet there has been no detailed guidance on these rules. However at

the time of writing it appears that these new more generous rules apply

only to new claims made from January onwards. Because of this anyone

with a large mortgage should seek further advice about whether they

would be better off delaying a claim for one of the above mentioned

benefits until January.

The government has described these new more generous rules as 'temporary

measures', without saying how long they are likely to remain in place.

Alongside these changes, the government has also announced that from

January, new Jobseeker's Allowance claimants will only get help with

mortgage interest for a maximum of two years. This time limit will not

apply to existing claimants.

For further advice on getting help with mortgage interest (and certain

other housing costs) call our helpline on Tel: 0.

+07: New regulations for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs).

A new requirement for SENCOs to be qualified teachers by September 2011

has been introduced.

The Education (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators) (England)

Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/2945) are due to come into effect on 1st

September 2009, so that schools can make any staffing adjustments. Some

of the SENCO functions will still be done by other staff, including

teaching assistants, who will carry on improving the achievement and

well-being of pupils with SEN and disabilities.

To see the regulations go to Teachernet at Web: http://tinyurl.com/6rvudc

+08: More money and a new council for mental health services.

Following the publication of the government's final report of the review

of Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Services (CAMHS), the Department of Health and Department for Children,

Schools and Families have announced GBP20m of extra mental health

support for children in schools from 2009-2011, and another GBP500,000

for some local authorities to provide support for special schools and

pupil referral units.

An additional GBP500,000 will be given to improve helpline support for

parents and carers who are concerned about their child's mental health.

A National Advisory Council on Children's Mental Health and

Psychological Wellbeing has also been established to make sure the

review's recommendations are taken forward and the government is held to

account.

To read the report visit Web: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/CAMHSreview/

More information about the new funding visit Web:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2008_0260

+09: Improved care for young people with mental health problems.

Young people under the age of 16 with mental health issues can no longer

be treated on adult psychiatric wards, as of 1st December 2008.

Improvements to the care of under 18s being treated for a mental

disorder are also being looked at. The National Institute for Mental

Health in England (NIMHE) is raising awareness, self-assessment and

support to help hospitals provide age appropriate environments for those

under 18 with mental health problems.

Their efforts will be helped when in April 2010 Section 31(3) of the

Mental Health Act 2007 becomes active. This places a duty on hospital

managers to ensure that patients under 18 are treated in an environment

suitable for their age, subject to their needs.

For more information on the Mental Health Act visit:

http://www.mhact.csip.org.uk/workstreams/the-mental-health-act-amendment-workstr\

eams/children--young-people.html

+10: Local authorities to receive funding to improve standards of

transition for young disabled people.

As part of the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme, the

government is investing GBP19 million to improve standards of transition

in England.

At the official launch last week, the Minister for Schools and Learners

McCarthy-Fry MP confirmed that every local authority area is

receiving GBP10,000 to assess their current support for transition. This

includes drawing in the views of young people and families and

completing a self assessment questionnaire.

And 13 local authorities will receive an additional GBP37,500 to extend

their practice in the following areas:

- engagement with disabled young people and also their families

- personalisation

- joint assessment processes in children's and adult services

- education, employment and training options at 16 plus

- strategic partnership working

The 13 areas receiving additional funding have been named as Birmingham,

Cornwall, Coventry, Devon, London Borough of Redbridge, London Borough

of Richmond, Leicester City, Medway, North East Lincolnshire, North

Tyneside, Nottinghamshire, Oldham, and Suffolk.

The Council for Disabled Children is to be the national transition

support team and will work with local authorities to help them improve

standards of transition.

For more information about the Transition Support Programme visit Web:

http://www.transitionsupportprogramme.org.uk/

[News stories ends]

++New resources for families.

+11: NHS websites merged.

Previously, the NHS had two national websites - NHS Choices and NHS

Direct. Now both these websites have been combined into one - NHS

Choices - making online information about health and health services

available from one site.

The site will include popular features like the self help guide, a

health encyclopaedia and the online enquiry service. There will be

directories of services, comparative hospital performance data and

guides to common long-term conditions.

Web: http://www.nhs.uk

+12: Listening Books.

Visually and print impaired children and young people can now benefit

from the expanded content of Listening Books, an audiobook charity. The

Listening Books Sound Learning service includes over 650 titles - both

classics and contemporary fiction.

Users log onto the Listening Books website then choose which audiobook

they want to listen to and press play. Their full range includes leisure

and learning from Key Stage 2 to A-Level. Listening Books is currently

offering a limited free trial.

Web: http://www.listening-books.org.uk/

[New resources for families ends]

++New resources for professionals.

+13: New good practice guide on short breaks.

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), supported by the

Council for Disabled Children and Aiming High Implementation Group, has

published a good practice guide to short breaks, called 'Having a break:

good practice in short breaks for families with children who have

complex health needs and disabilities'

This is in response to the new duty on local authorities to provide

short breaks for disabled children introduced in March 2008.

The guide has been compiled following research with a wide range of

networks and includes many examples of innovative family-friendly

practice. It is aimed at commissioners and service providers for

children with complex health care needs and their families.

Web: http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/resourceguides/rg14/index.asp

[New resources for professionals ends]

++ Consultations and surveys.

+14: Planning for holiday haven needs input from families.

Ellie's Haven, a charity in Cornwall needs help from families to ensure

it delivers the best type of holiday for them and their disabled child.

It's calling on families to provide input by completing a short online

questionnaire.

Ellie's Haven was launched in November 2007 by a couple in Cornwall

whose little girl, Ellie, has a life-limiting medical condition. The

charity plans to build a special centre on the outskirts of Looe to

offer short breaks and holidays to families with disabled children.

In its first year, Ellie's Haven has raised more than GBP100,000 and has

acquired some land. The next step is designing the facility and Ellie's

Haven needs input from families to make sure it's built to suit their

needs.

Web: http://www.ellieshaven.org.uk

To fill in the questionnaire visit Web:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=NnQ_2fcA2zQiUgYWsGRcvjqg_3d_3d

+15: Young people invited to take part in 'My Choices' study

The Welsh Assembly Government has made palliative care and support to

families a priority. Current provision is known to be fragmented and

children frequently have few choices. Very little is known about the

experiences of children with palliative care needs and their families.

The 'My Choices' study has been planned in collaboration between The

Association for Children's Palliative Care (ACT), Children's Hospices UK

and Contact a Family, along with colleagues from the 'Lifetime Service'

in Bath.

If you are a young person aged 16-21 years with complex health needs, or

a parent (over 16 years) of a child with complex health needs you can

help by filling in an online booklet about the type of services and care

you prefer, and where you would like to be looked after in different

situations.

The results will be used to write a report and they will use published

information on costs to build up a complete picture.

The study is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and they have

permission from the North West Wales Research Ethics Committee.

For further information visit

Web: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/healthcaresciences//research/mychoices or

if you'd like to speak with a member of the team contact Tel: 01248 383

150, mailto:n.d.hulme@...

[Consultations and surveys ends]

++ Subscription details.