The government says it wants to push ahead with proposals announced last year that parents should have a “personal budget” for their children.

The changes could also see fewer children in the special needs category.

Children’s minister Sarah Teather said the current system was “outdated and not fit for purpose”.

But head teachers’ leader Brian Lightman warned: “Tightening the criteria for being identified as having a special need must not be a cost cutting exercise.”

The government is setting out its response to last year’s green paper on special educational needs – which warned that too many parents felt frustrated with having to “battle” against the system.

Personalised help
It also said that too many children were being labelled as having special needs – with more than one in five pupils currently in this category.
It called for parents to be given more control over spending the budgets available to help their children.

Ministers now want to press ahead with this proposal, so that by 2014 parents would have the right to buy in services, rather than relying on the options decided by local authorities and support agencies.

This is intended to help parents ensure a more personalised package of support for their child.

But parents would still be able to leave such decisions to the local authority if they preferred.

There will also be a push for more co-ordinated commissioning of support between education, health and other services, to reduce the risk of delays or bureaucracy.

The intention is to remove the sense of a struggle between families and support agencies over assessments and the support available.

A major change will be the scrapping of the current system of statements setting out the extra help that has to be provided for children with severe or multiple learning needs or disabilities.

Rising numbers
A simpler system is promised with the introduction of a single assessment process, for all levels of special need, which would result in an integrated Education, Health and Care Plan.

But children who have statements are only a small proportion of children classified as having special needs.

And the green paper suggested that “too many children are being over-identified” as having a special need, with this label being applied to a very wide variety of problems.

A report from Ofsted in 2010 claimed that the special needs category was being used too widely.

Teachers’ unions have strongly rejected the claim and warned of cuts to support services for special needs.

Within the school population, 2.7% of children have statements – representing those with the greatest physical or mental health needs.

But almost 18% of children are categorised in two lower levels of special need – School Action and School Action Plus – representing about 1.4 million pupils.

This includes difficulties such as persistent emotional, social and behavioural problems, communication difficulties or a sustained inability to make progress.

‘Unacceptable’
The proportion of children identified as having special needs, outside of those with statements, has risen sharply – up by 80% since the mid-1990s.

The green paper identified the rise in some specific areas – behavioural and emotional difficulties rising by almost a quarter in five years.

Speech and communication problems had risen as a special needs problem by 58% over the same period between 2005 and 2010.
Sense, the charity for deaf-blind children, welcomed the proposals as a way of improving the rights of families.

“Presently families are enduring a fraught and complex system and are often subject to significant delays,” said a spokeswoman.

But the National Autistic Society voiced concerns that tightening the criteria for special needs could mean that more children with autism will “fall through the gaps in the education system”.

Labour’s spokeswoman on children, Sharon Hodgson, said that implementing changes would be difficult when councils faced budget cuts.

“Pupil referral units and young offenders institutes are full of young people who have been failed, going through their school lives with undiagnosed disorders and additional needs.

“So for the government to focus on taking arbitrary numbers of pupils off the SEN register is entirely the wrong starting point,” said Ms Hodgson.

The children’s minister said the changes would help remove the delays and confusions facing families who need help for their children.

“Thousands of families have had to battle for months, even years, with different agencies to get the specialist care their children need,” said Ms Teather.

“It is unacceptable they are forced to go from pillar to post, facing agonising delays and bureaucracy to get support, therapy and equipment.”

‘Not about numbers’
She denied the government are bringing in the reforms purely to reduce the number of children recorded as having special educational needs.

“For me this is not about numbers, it is about getting the right children identified and getting the support in place. We do not have a target.”

But the NASUWT teachers’ union said it was not clear that the proposed changes to the system would address parents’ concerns.

The NASUWT said personal budgets amounted to vouchers which were about opening up a market in the provision of SEN care, rather than ensuring children were properly catered for.

General secretary Chris Keates said: “The key message is that the coalition government is seeking to redefine what constitutes SEN, in the context of an economic austerity programme.

“This can only mean that fewer children will qualify for additional support and teachers and parents will be left to pick up the pieces.”

Nasen, the association for special needs professionals, says it has concerns does about the scrapping of School Action and School Action Plus and says schools will need “advice and support” in implementing this.

The proposals will be included in a Children and Families Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech.

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In a speech on Thursday, Sir Stephen Bubb, head of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, which represents the charity establishment, warns that Britain is becoming a country where the “haves” live increasingly separate lives to the “have nots”.

He says charities have spoken to him about their “concern that public attitudes are hardening, with greater suspicion of those who rely on publicly funded support, be they disabled, mentally ill or unlucky enough to be raised as a child in a ‘feckless’ family”.

There is increasing evidence that the public have hardened their opinion of the poverty-stricken. In last year’s National Centre for Social Research’s British Social Attitudes survey, more than a quarter of those questioned felt poverty was the result of “laziness” or “lack of willpower”. In the mid-1990s, that figure was only 15%.

Bubb says Britain faces a “growing gap between social need in this country and public resources available to spend on it” as unprecedented spending cuts bite hard – costing charities, who deal with those on the fringes of society, “£5bn by the end of the current spending review period”.

The charity leader, who has advised the government on health reforms, also warns of a democracy deficit. Although central government mandates the cuts, he says many decisions are made locally – without effective scrutiny, despite the devastating human consequences.

Bubb says the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found in a sample that only half of local authorities had adopted “protecting the needs of the most vulnerable clients or communities” as a principle guiding budgetary decision-making and only two of the 25 suggested that “protecting deprived neighbourhoods” was a key priority.

This at a time when only 1 in 3 eligible voters bothered to vote in the local elections this month, says Bubb. In the inner cities, turnout was much lower, with just 8% turnout reported in some wards. “Local media is weak, only a third of us vote in local elections, and the quangos like the Audit Commission that once interrogated local decisions have been pared back or abolished,” he says.

“The result is that we are in danger of creating, in the midst of one of the richest countries in the world, a ‘forgotten Britain’ – swaths of our society whose plight is getting worse … The homeless, victims of domestic violence, those with mental health problems, the elderly and alone, children in broken homes – the support for these people looks likely to be eroded over the next decade, without the nation they are part of appearing to notice or care.”

Bubb says the problem has been a timidity over “genuine public service reform”, citing the delay over producing a workable and funded social care white paper in the Queen’s speech as an example of ministerial dithering.

He argues that ministers have simply not filled the vacuum created bybillions of pounds of spending cuts: “There is a brutal logic at play: if you remove billions from public services and do not reform them, the people who rely on them suffer. As one [charity leader] said to me, ‘spending less is not necessarily a disaster. But spending less and trying to do things the same way is’.”

This means thatHe feels charities that operate “below the radar” of the state, reaching some of the hardest cases, find no support when the funding dries up.

Freedom from Torture, a charity that helps refugees who have survived horrendous physical and mental abuse, says the experiences of Gabir, an Iraqi who fled to Britain more than six years ago, are typical. Although given leave to remain and unable to walk, Gabir was denied disability benefits for 11 months and faces eviction after the government capped housing benefit – losing his spot on the housing list after six years and his ties to the local NHS.

Freedom from Torture’s chief executive, Keith Best, said: “Cuts to welfare and housing benefits are leaving people unable to cope and the drastic reduction in government funding to frontline refugee services has left many with nowhere to turn for advice and support – we see people every day who are destitute and street homeless.”

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said, “As yesterday’s Queen’s speech highlighted, we are putting families front and centre of our national life, with unprecedented support for parents and the biggest reform for 30 years of support for children with special needs or disabilities.”

“The government is taking the tough, long-term decisions to restore our country to strength. We are dealing with the deficit, rebalancing our economy and building a society that rewards people who work hard and do the right thing, while protecting the vulnerable.”

The new research reveals that almost half of carers struggle on with their caring role without realizing there is any help available.

Anne Roberts, Chief Executive of Carers Trust said: “As this survey shows many unpaid carers have never accessed any support services to help them in their caring role. We already know that many carers simply don’t have any awareness of the kind of help that is out there and what a huge difference it could make to their lives.”

The survey of 500 unpaid adult carers also finds that long term caring without support can cause serious problems in carers’ lives. Almost 6 in 10 said that being a carer had a negative impact on their working life. Over half said that their mental health has suffered due to their caring role, and over a quarter said both their physical and mental health has been negatively impacted by their caring role.

Film and TV stars Helen Mirren, Dame Judi Dench and Joanna Lumley are among the well-known names supporting Carers Trust. Dame Judi Dench said: ‘There are almost six million carers in the UK and the number is rising. Many of those carers are unaware of the support that is available to them and continue looking after their family or friends without any help and often at a cost to their own health and wellbeing.’

Carers Trust, recently formed by the merger of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Care, works to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who has agreed to be President of Carers Trust said: ‘Carers Trust will provide a united and stronger voice for unpaid carers which will enable us to continue to raise awareness of carers’ issues with Government, other policy makers and the general public and hopefully increase funding opportunities to develop and deliver the services so needed by carers and those they care for.’

The research was conducted by Yougov on behalf of Carers Trust.

Please list any concerns you have and take this sheet with you to the doctor. Note: This list is for information only and not a substitute for a consultation with a qualified professional.

• Memory loss that disrupts daily life. One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s, especially in the early stages, is forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; relying on memory aides (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own. What’s typical? Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.
• Challenges in planning or solving problems. Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before. What’s typical? Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook.
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure. People with Alzheimer’s often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game. What’s typical? Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show.
• Confusion with time or place. People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there. What’s typical? Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room. They may not recognize their own reflection. What’s typical? Vision changes related to cataracts.
• New problems with words in speaking or writing. People with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things by the wrong name (e.g., calling a watch a “hand clock”). What’s typical? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.
• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time. What’s typical? Misplacing things from time to time, such as a pair of glasses or the remote control.
• Decreased or poor judgment. People with Alzheimer’s may experience changes in judgment or decision making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean. What’s typical? Making a bad decision once in a while.
• Withdrawal from work or social activities. A person with Alzheimer’s may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced. What’s typical? Sometimes feeling weary of work, family and social obligations.
• Changes in mood and personality. The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer’s can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone. What’s typical? Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.

If you have questions about any of these warning signs, the Alzheimer’s Association recommends consulting a physician. Early diagnosis provides the best opportunities for treatment, support and future planning.

Gardening has many benefits: it is great physical exercise, you feel a sense of achievement, it helps to maintain routine plus there is the social aspect of meeting and engaging with new people. Gardening is also creative, fun and a great therapeutic tool.

If you are interested in this volunteering opportunity, then please contact Ros, Health and Wellbeing Officer or Wendy, Project Development Manager on 020 7708 4556

The innovative designs will be a large step forward in achieving some of the commitments the Prime Minister recently announced in his challenge on dementia. The Design Council, together with the Department of Health, ran a national competition that was open to designers and experts, in order to develop new ideas to help improve the lives of people suffering from dementia.

Five teams designed innovative product concepts and services under the guidance of in-depth research and people affected by dementia. The results are prototypes that will undergo further testing so they can be developed with commercial partners so that some or all of these designs will be widely available as soon as possible.

The new designs introduced at the Design Council are:

• The buddiband – a discrete wristband personal alarm, which is comfortable and waterproof, and is fitted with the most powerful possible rechargeable battery to avoid constant replacement and the need to be charged on a daily basis. It contains cutting edge technology to keep care-takers informed of the wearer’s welfare and respond if needed. It features a manual emergency alert that enables responses handled by buddi’s 24/7 emergency response center and has an automatic fall alert, which means if a user has a fall, the wristband detects it and calls for assistance.

The wristband has lifestyle monitoring, which detects variances in typical activity levels; for instance, if a user’s activity levels drop considerably, the system alerts the user or carer. In addition to a host of other features, the buddiband also allows carers to keep an eye on activity levels without being present.
• Grouple – a secure, private, online, social network that assists families to plan and share care the responsibilities of caring for someone with dementia, including visits, appointments, observations and questions. Each grouple hub’s centre has a timeline, where members can post items like visits, appointments, observations and questions, and quickly sees and fills in any gaps in the schedule. It allows for care decisions to easily being discussed and become informed by everyone’s observations. The system allows for reports to be created and printed based on the content of the timeline, which helps medical professionals and updates ‘offline’ family members. Given that many caretakers are not completely computer literate, grouple is based on the most simple, attractive and intuitive possible design. Grouple allows members of a care network to easily post their care-schedules, ideas and experiences, share responsibilities and coordinate efforts to offer consistent and regular care without overburdening one single person.
• Dementia Dog – a new approach, whereby specially selected assistance dogs are trained to help and protect the wellbeing of those with dementia so they can lead a more fulfilled, independent and stress-free life.
Dogs will be trained to support existing patterns of waking, sleeping and eating for people with dementia by responding to sound alerts. They will be able to assist with regular hydration, medication and toilet use and can be trained to provide orientation outside the home. Given that people with dementia can have widely differing needs, depending both on their symptoms and their individual lifestyles, the training can be adapted to accommodate each individual’s needs, so that ultimately, each dog will be trained with the person with dementia and their care taker, so all three operate as one team.
• Trading Times – a website that assists care takers in finding flexible employment, connecting carers with local businesses for flexible paid work. The service is free to carers, with employers paying on a transactional basis. The Trading Times website will provide a full range of tools and templates to help both carers and employers, including carer chat forums, an email helpline, a database with guidance as well as success stories. Carers will have to complete a simple profile that lists their work skills and name the number of hours they wish to work. Each new carer will be welcomed by telephone by a local community manager to help them get started. Employers will either post short job adverts or search for local carers with relevant profiles, whilst both carers and employers will also be able to add performance-related feedback to each other’s profiles.
• Ode – A fragrance-release system that helps to stimulate appetite in those with dementia by releasing three food fragrances a day via a mains-powered unit, which can be adjusted to coincide with the user’s mealtimes. Leading fragrance laboratories have developed the scents especially for ode in response to workshop feedback, with users being able to select which scent they prefer at installation. The fragrances are released in short sharp bursts and strongly trigger the person’s appetite, dissipating rapidly so users will not become inured to the effect. The device communicates when the fragrances need to be refilled and a subtle light indicates when the device is in operation.

The Design Council will showcase the new prototypes in a purpose-built exhibition on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 April 2012.

Paul Burstow, Care Services Minister, explained:

“Fear of dementia can leave people feeling powerless and trapped, leaving them isolated and unsupported. That is why we have worked with the Design Council to drive innovation in dementia care. The five winning ideas have the potential to make a big difference for people with dementia and their families. The Design Council work is part of our wider drive to make our country dementia friendly. Today we go further with our partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society to challenge cities, towns and villages up and down the land to lead a revolution in how people think about dementia.

Working with businesses, Councils, the local NHS and community groups our immediate goal is a network of 20 dementia friendly cities, towns and villages to lead the way.”

Chief Executive of the Design Council David Kester, added:

“A consequence of an ageing population is a threefold increase in dementia over the past twenty years. That means there are many millions of people who need new products and services designed to meet their changing needs. This project demonstrates that if you put the people who are living with dementia, including carers, at the centre of the design process, you end up with rapid and inspiring innovation. It’s just what we need right now – both for our local communities and for UK enterprise.”

Professor Alistair Burns, The National Clinical Director for Dementia, commented:

“We’re tackling dementia on a variety of levels, and whilst research into effective treatments is progressing, it’s vital that we develop new ways to improve key aspects of life for those with the condition, and their carers. I have no doubt that the prototypes shown today could have a major positive impact on quality of life, continuity of care and the wellbeing of those with dementia.”

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society, declared:

“These innovative products have the potential to make a big difference to the quality of life of people with dementia and their carers. They could help people feel supported and enable them to live independently for longer. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister threw down the gauntlet to all of us to help improve the picture for people with dementia. This competition provides one example of how this can be done. We now need to rally more people behind the cause. From the boardroom to bus drivers we all have a role to play.”

New figures from the Department of Health show that the total number of days patients have been delayed in hospital has increased by 10 per cent in the last month.