The Cutbacks have affected us already. Have they affected you?

[donkeyderby]

Inclusive afterschool club we've relied on is going to have to 'rationalise' places due to lack of funding. Probably reduce to 2.5 hours per week (no restrictions for NS kids as they don't require 1:1).

Heard that Direct Payments are being freezed.

Charges for previously free LA and voluntary services.

Chip, chip, chip....

This is before the 25% cut in services demanded by the coalition government

Feeling a bit gloomy...Are you?

Don't We don't get anything in terms of respite yet, it will be cut before we get it.

DS2's 1:1 time has been cut by 2.5 hours a week. This is despite the fact that he needs constant supervision . In fact school have been quite creative about it and have worked out a solution which doesn't impact on him too much. But it's the principle...

When you say DPs are to be frozen, does that mean we won't get them any more or there's no chance of increased hours? (not that I'm asking for more - just grateful to have any tbh).

not yet
respite as far as I know not affected.
youth scheme got the days I wanted,
so ok so far

oh although my respite is ok, no chance of an increase(good thing I got a biggie last year)

DP's are - allegedly - being frozen locally sphil - not sure what is happening elsewhere.

2shoes - Not sure what will happen with youth scheme beyond next year as Aiming High money is not around. Fingers crossed.

dd did you get my email>?

doesn't affect us directly as dd3 is now in school but here daycare have had their funding cut. They pay for the preschool 1:1 support before the statements kick in or dcs go into school nursery. It's ok apparently because the dcs aren't yet compulsory school age this is an excuse I'm hearing more and more, so much for early intervention!

Bugger were waiting see about Dp

Lots of the extra money for extended schools has already been cut. sn school summer playscheme will still run with the school footing the bill instead. Of course this then threatens future ones even with parental contributions.

2shoes - I've got very behind on my emails .Will trawl through.

Nymph, our playscheme isn't funded by the school and it's going the way of lots of charities hit by recession, with a double whammy of Local Authority cuts.

I always find it exasperating that the costs of provision for SN children are always focussed on, rather than looking at the huge range of activities and childcare that exists for NT kids compared to ours - very little if they have severe learning disabilities. We are expected just to exist in a perpetual struggle, not have any quality of life

the coalition have said they are increasing respite for families of children with SN - so worth complaining to the council for freezing dp's I think. Esp if you have a tory or lib MP

sphil- how on earth are they cutting ds2's 1:1? Isn't it statemented as full time 1:1?

We've never had access to after school clubs so nothing to cut there

Trouble is last assesment was told ds did not meet critera for dp they asked cross roads to provide couple hrs a week but cross roads had no one available

Ds was not considered disabled enough and yes compaired to some he is not and because ds displays no challenging behaviour no help either from ss

yet some days i'm so tired want to cry but don't have time to spare for it

but with cuts I'll be lucky to eve. Get a caters assesment done here me thinks

had a phone call on friday but i wasnt in, dh took call and apparently SS are cancelling the 12 hours respite they had promised us for over the holidays, i dont know how i will cope.......they are ringing back tomorrow and i will be fighting tooth and nail. all forms are signed and it has been agreed so i dont understand how they can just cancel.

Nothing going on here. I get 4 hours every Saturday for two of my autistic sons. If they take that away I don't know how I will cope. I get two carers. The carer that looks after my 7 year old has said she can't cope alone with him, and needs another carer to join her, or else she can't continue. (sad) Oh no, almost too afraid to ask now......

I got told well ds goes to nursery twice a week for 10 hrs in total oh and since ds gods to Sn club twice a month that's another 4 .this is despite the Sn club he goes to I pay for abs 1-1 is provided by mencap staff

Oh and the nursery 1-1 is provided by mencap not lea or ss

Riven, quelle surprise indeed. Same rule applies to our afterschool provision (started by parents of disabled children btw saintly as they were fed up of not having childcare like all the Norms get). Non-disableds = no cuts, disableds = cuts.

bonkerz - forgot to say, that's really shit

Time to pick them up on it then - it was on the BBC news website last week - money for respite for parents of disabled kids increased. I can't search as am on iPod so can't cut & paste anyway.

Of course their idea for how it would work might be completely impractical anyway - an increase in short break provision is hopeless for us as ds1 can't cops with the change in routine. He needs regular respite ag a predictable time.

That's pretty poor donkey. Time for the local papers? They're keen on everyone working - cutting an after school club is hardly going to help.

from the bbc on 24th May re:respite care:-

"Chief secretary to the Treasury David Laws said Child Trust Fund payments would be axed by January.

He said halting these £250 payments to newborns from the end of the year - and the £250 top-up payments at age seven from August - would save £320m during the current year.

He said Child Trust Fund money which would have gone to disabled children would instead be used to provide respite care - amounting to 8,000 week-long breaks for severely disabled children. "

news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/uk_politics/8699522.stm

possibly this is what saintlydame was referring to:-

"Dismantling barriers'

A new body, to be chaired by Prime Minister David Cameron, will identify a "small number" of proposals by the end of the year to reduce the burden on parents and to improve childrens' lives.

Areas of focus include encouraging shared parenting, extending flexible working to all, greater availability of mediation for couples to help children in the event of family breakdown and increased funding for respite care for families of disabled children. "

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/politics/10338049.stm

I live in dread of loosing the youth scheme(I think my respite is safe) It is what makes school holidays berable.
surely better to stop some breakfast/ after school clubs for nt kids who can play out, go to the park, make thier own breakfast.