Carers ticket - is it reasonable

I had this argument for my disabled child elsewhere. The thing is I can easily take out my other 4 children alone, no fuss. My disabled child needs 1:1. I can’t calm her/ chase her/ remove her to a quiet space and safely supervise even one of the others. I need someone with full eyes on her, ready to remove her if needed. Usually this is during queuing situations so it means it’s effectively inaccessible for any other children with me. I pay for five children, none of them actually access a single thing if I’m the only one present. I remember once paying at the science museum for 3 including her. There were schools in the wonderlab, she lasted around 1.5 minutes with the behaviour and noise. I paid for 3 children full price plus an adult for a whole 1.5 minutes, they wouldn’t even allow us to change the date to try a quiet time

It's an abhorrent scheme and is not in place to help any disabled person. My child has a card, I eventually paid as it was time consuming filling out the same form numerous times. It added too much hassle especially when planning trips is stressful enough. Interestingly as soon as I paid I got the +1 but they haven't included the toilet symbol. This caused an awful experience at one venue. I emailed to ask for the toilet symbol after this incident, nimbus said they would for a price! I didn't respond to this. I've also had to get a letter from the hospital to state we need +2. I haven't contacted nimbus as I know they will only ask for more money to add the +2.
This whole scheme is badly managed. Taking a disabled person anywhere is incredibly difficult and this card doesn't help, infact it hinders.
Also I want to add, I may get a free carer ticket but we are regularly at a loss. For example I booked the theatre for December. We got there and my child couldn't manage. There was no help from the theatre, it was a simple case of us walking out meaning I paid for nothing. This isn't an isolated incident but I'm left with the choice of either not trying and staying at home or giving it a go and trying to have some normality. I'm not complaining, I understand the predicament.
Disabled people miss out on so much, my child isn't currently receiving an education, we are never invited to parties, family events or play dates. the least they deserve is an access scheme with their best interests in mind

If said age would need supervision anyway then no of course you shouldn’t be free

Perhaps becsue I was trying, badly, to explain I was not talking about venues that do not ask for a full card. Never mind.

Most people would want a family day out with both parents included anyway, not one member of the family left home. Also loads of single parents manage a SN DC alongside other DC, they often don't have any other option if no support network. I've got a SN child and he couldn't manage on his own at 17 but I wouldn't have left any of my DC without additional needs under 12. I would drive them and be there for them but let them move about a bit on their own.

@premiur I repeated myself because you repeated the question in the post you quoted me on.

The general rule with children, and this applies to dla too, is what they require over and above what would be required for a typical child of their age. Of course a child of 3 needs to be with a caregiver (typically their parent) at an attraction, you only would get a carers concession so young if you need 2 adults/a paid carer as well as the parent or similar. We qualified for carers concessions and dla when dd reached 10 because unlike her peers she needed an adult with her all the time. Dsd has a carers card and hers says plus 2 because she's an adult but needs 2 carers at all times due to severity of disability.

Oh and I did ask OP what the venue was so could double check they needed the full card but she didn't say so I can only post on what she said.

@KeepGoingThomas

I don't really know why you are repeating yourself. I was talking about venues that insist on the cars which is what OP said she had to do.

If you re-read my first post, I was asking you whether you are sure you have to pay for the card and it isn’t just the attraction using Nimbus but their free application rather than for a full card. This is what happens for a RAP for Merlin and for companion tickets for some theatres. For these types of attractions people don’t have to pay for a full card, the venue isn’t insisting on it, although people can choose to do so if they wish.

I think it's a money making scheme for nimbus and a way for businesses to reduce the amount of free carers (money) given as a reasonable adjustment without being accountable and having angry customers blame them.

Ds has +2 without any issue as that's what he needs- complex needs including severe autism. I ended up paying the £15 due to the number of places that require it now. I resented doing that but came round to it being the same cost as the cea card for three years.

The cea card is also similar as it isn't given to younger children who would require a constant supervision. I must admit we 'benefited' from free carers passes whom my son was younger but I do understand why companies are trying to reduce costs associated with disability.

If you take merlin as an example, they must have given out thousands of free annual passes each year to young children who wouldn't be able to attend a theme park on their own anyway. The rap queues are similar in that now they're are just too many people who qualify for rap to the system workable.

the relevant term their is "a parent" do you realise how many disabled children need their parent just for them or even both parents just to attend to them. You need adults to look after other children in the party. It's reasonable to expect a parent to loook after 3/4 of their own dc alone. So instead of mum or dad taking the dc out you have to pay for an extra adult to come just for that under 12.

It's not great - you have to send realms of personal medical info eg that your child plays with their own faeces to a private company as opposed to showing an attraction a photo of a dla award that gives zero medical info to that company just states the dla award.

No it's an awful money making scheme. Saying you need a parent anyway is irrelevant if you child needs 1-1 care and you have another child/children so you must take two adults. Sending such personal medical information when you have already jumped through dla hoops is unacceptable.

We got +1 for one of our children but not for the other- they both have EHCPs, blue badges etc. Tbf the younger one is more severely impacted so in that sense it is right. We find the queue symbol the most significant as it means both can have the queue jumper type of passes which is a game changer at theme parks.

But lots of those under 12s won't need 1:1 or even 1:2 supervision. My small person will always need someone who is trained in his care, he may only be a preschooler now but there are very few people who could provided his care so if he gets invited out with a friend he can't just go with Jack/Fred/Beryl's mum/dad I (or another trained person) have to go too.

But if they only accept the card which OP had to pay for, which I was pondering?

Maybe it's ok I don't really know but I do object to disabled people have to pay for things they don't need just to satisfy a greedy business.

@Ferraria it's not just about supervision needs........it's about how much that child is able to access and how long for. Often children with disabilities don't get the same 'value for money' out of these places as other children.

Soft play areas etc may he wholly unaccessible, they may not be able to manage staying there as long and will leave after a couple of hours whilst other kids can manage the full day. Why should they pay the same when they're only getting a quarter of an experience ? I mean all attractions should he fully accessible and enjoyable for all, but let's face it that isn't likely to happen any time soon. So the small advantage of free access for carers is fair.

How many DC under about 12 years would be able to go to an attraction without a parent taking them anyway?

@premiur I think the OP does mean she paid for the full access card, I was responding to your points about you shouldn’t have to pay for something to prove disability and venues insisting people pay.

Oh I juts assumed OP meant the full application and card. Maybe not.

Annoying but makes sense TBH

The whole nimbus card system doesn’t sit right with me. It’s adding another level of problems (and cost!) into trips out.

thankfully the places we visit don’t insist on it and use their own policy which is generally at most proof DLA/blue badge

The website explains each symbol https://www.accesscard.online/how-it-works/

In the information about the +1 carers symbol it states:

This symbol is awarded to people for whom it would be significantly difficult to access services without support from another person.

You must be able to show that the support you need is substantial, significant or frequent, and directly related to your needs as a disabled person, and that without extra support you would receive a lesser service. It may mean an essential companion ticket, or it may mean a provider will offer additional support from their own staff. The support needed must exceed what could be reasonably expected of family/friends already accompanying you, and must be due to disability-related needs.

For children, we do not question that your child may need a certain amount of support when out and about, but we are unlikely to award the +1 symbol where they would already be in direct supervision and guidance by a parent or other family member.

So yes, it sounds like it wouldn’t be awarded for a young child who was at an age where children would typically be supported by parents anyway, assuming the support needs weren’t hugely above and beyond what a single parent were able to manage. I would hope there are situations where a child can be offered the symbol though, for example if the child had very complex medical needs or displayed a high level of challenging behaviour where they might require the support of two people or very close/ intensive support at all times.