Personal Budget

The head lines in todays BBC news 

Special needs budgets to be controlled by parents ... 

Parents are to be given more financial control over support for children with special educational needs, in a major shake-up of the system in England.

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Children's minister Sarah Teather said the current system was "outdated and not fit for purpose".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."

I know what my thoughts are ... that it may be "too good too be true" .. I hope I`m wrong ,and it will be beneficial to families of children with needs ... what are your thoughts ??
There is more information on the BBC website :-
               http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18061348

Marathon

well it`s Sunday ,a day of relaxation for some ,and here I am watching the London Marathon from the comfort of my arm chair.No way could I run 26 miles ,I love walking and often enjoy a 10 mile stroll.
But in some ways we all run a marathon ,but of a different kind.For me it started with the birth of my daughter ,I`m on the start line and told she will be severely disabled after suffering oxygen starvation at birth, but I`m fired up and ready for the longest race of my life.You get your pace going and then the first hurdle ..school .. you very often don`t have a "special needs school " on your doorstep so the search begins.So then you settle down again and having a steady pace and then adult hood hurdle is in sight and "Transition " begins.You are in mid race now ,the stress kicks in and you are flagging again,but eventually you sort things out and the adrenaline gives you a boost to carry on with the rest of your journey.My journey came to an premature finish ... but it was the toughest race of my life and my daughters.
So as much as I admire the people who can physically run 26 miles we are all running our own marathons.

Carer`s Assessment

 something not all carers are aware of is that they them selves can be assessed for thier needs as well as the person they care for.I`ve taken this information and hope it maybe of use to you.

Getting a carer's assessment

Most carers will benefit if the person they look after gets some help and support. In some cases though it is the carer themselves who can benefit from a support service. The way to access this sort of help is through a carer's assessment.
Even if the person you care for refuses help and will not be assessed by a social worker, you can still have a carer's assessment in your own right.
What does the law say?
The law says that anyone who provides or intends to provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis can have a carer’s assessment. No definition of ‘substantial’ is given. Most people contemplating seeking support are likely to eligible for an assessment.
It's not just the amount of time you spend caring. Caring for someone with mental ill health, for example, may require a lot of supervision without much hands on caring. What's important to consider is the impact it has on your life - such as your health, your work, your relationships with family and friends - and what caring prevents you from doing.
If you share caring responsibilities with another person, or more than one person, you can each have a carer’s assessment so long as you are each providing a substantial amount of care on a regular basis.
The assessment is not linked in anyway to Carer’s Allowance.
Who can get an assessment?
You can have a carer’s assessment if you:

• live with the person you are looking after
• live away from the person you are looking after
• care for someone full time
• care for someone as well as working full or part time.

What will be covered by an assessment?
A carer's assessment will look at your role as a carer: how being a carer affects you, how much caring you can realistically do while still allowing you to be involved in other activities outside caring, and any help you may need.
How do I get an assessment?
Carers’ assessments are the responsibility of the social services or social work department of the disabled person’s local council/trust.  So, for example, if you do not live in the same local council/trust area as the disabled person, you will need to contact the disabled person's local council/trust to request your carer's assessment.
You can have a carer’s assessment even if the disabled person does not want to have a community care assessment to look at the help that they need.
You can ask for an assessment before you take up caring or at any point when you are already caring for someone. It is up to you to ask for a carer’s assessment, but all local councils/trusts must inform carers of their right to an assessment.
The best way to request a carer’s assessment is to write to or email the social services department responsible for the disabled person . You can also request a carer’s assessment by phone, but it is a good idea to follow up this request in writing.

Back to Transition Matters

The joys and perils of adolescence, in traditional societies, the passage from childhood to adult life is marked in a variety of ways but all of them recognise that the young person has now to take on new duties and responsibilities, that process of transition is often more complicated, because of the vast range of opportunities and choices now available to young people.
There are, however, increasing numbers of young people who face much greater challenges when making this transition - those who have long-term health problems which they will take with them as they grow up and become adults. There has been some spectacular advances in medical progress which has allowed many children to survive and become adults. These young people frequently have to negotiate many more hurdles and obstacles than their peers when making plans and decisions about further education, employment opportunities, mobility, independence and relationships.
Their task is frequently made more difficult than it needs to be, because health professionals do not adequately plan and manage the one aspect of transition which is within their control, the process of handover from childrens services to adult systems. All too often, there is an abrupt transfer from one service to another . Some young people have difficulty in finding an interested and competent service which is able and willing to provide continuity of medical care.
 I think the importance of a wider perspective that takes into account the many other aspects of transition planning, which may be as important - and often as important as  health care, and in particular highlight current thinking on the concept of 'person-centred planning'.
A few years before our daughter left school I listened to options that other families were taking up and (with the help of the internet ) searched on the web to see what was available out there ,and through this did find a placement for her.It is very difficult because you have to commit to your choice but you never know if it is fully going to work untill you start and sometimes it is hard to then start again.

Charity Tax Relief

After reading reports about the proposed changes for charity tax relief I do hope that the government will do a "u" turn if this proves to harm charitable funds.Charities are finding it hard enough in today's financial climate and my fear is this will make their situation worse.With all the council cuts of late more and more people in crisis will be turning to charities for help.In our own experience we had and still have support from a children's hospice which is almost fully funded by public donations and fund raising, I have always thought it short sighted of social services and councils to underestimate how much money these organisations do save them.It may turn out to be a good thing .. but my gut instinct thinks not for the charities ... I hope I`m wrong.

Entitled Too ...

As you may or maynot know this weekend saw big changes to the benefit system.I have found a good website that is helpful and informative so thought I would share it with you.I do hope that you find the information available of help to you.

Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through our partner organisations.
Our free, accessible website – www.turn2us.org.uk – has been designed to help people find appropriate sources of financial support, quickly and easily, based on their particular needs and circumstances. It brings together an easy to use Benefits Checker and a Grants Search database giving access to over 3,000 charitable funds.
Features of our service include:

• A Benefits Calculator that helps people ensure that they are receiving all the welfare benefits they are entitled to
• A Grants Search section containing the details of hundreds of grant-giving charities (national, regional and local) that may be able to provide financial support and other services 
• A confidential ‘My Turn2us’ account that can be used to make online enquiries and applications to grant-giving charities
• Information and interactive tools covering a wide range of subjects on welfare benefits, grants and managing money.

Our service is:

• Free
• Comprehensive and reliable
• All in one place
• Based on highly credible sources
• Confidential
• Secure

                                                              http://www.turn2us.org.uk

Happy Easter

wishing you all a lovely Easter and thankyou for visiting my Blog :):)