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Challenging Perceptions of Disabled
Children and Young People
Amanda Harvey-Assistant Director
Council for Disabled Children
Council for Disabled Children
• The Council
• DfE Strategic Reform Partner
• With National Children’s Bureau – Department of Health
Strategic Partner
• Young people at the centre of what we do
• Work with parents
• Work with practitioners, clinicians, teachers
• Work with researchers
• Work with commissioners
This presentation will
•Look at perceptions and impact
•Think about how we understand disability
•Talk a lot about importance of cyp voice and participation
•Ask you to think about how professionals in your area can
work together to improve the lives of disabled cyp
Perceptions of Disabled CYP
• (67%) of the British public feel uncomfortable talking to
disabled people.
• Over a third of people tend to think of disabled people as not
as productive as everyone else.
• A quarter of disabled people have experienced attitudes or
behaviours where other people expected less of them because
of their disability.
• (21%) of 18 – 34 years old admit that they have actually
avoided talking to a disabled person because they weren’t
sure how to communicate with them.
Impact- Disabled Children and Young People report that:
•People underestimated their ability and held limited
expectations and aspirations
•Too often they find it hard to get their views heard and taken
seriously.
•Equally often, they have little autonomy over decisions that
affect their lives.
•They face barriers to communicating with others including
professionals and service providers
•They are less likely than their peers to be involved in
mainstream participation opportunities.
•They grow up experiencing societies negative views about
disabled children and young people.
Medical Model of Disability
Special Bus
Special Services
Who is the expert?
Aspirations and Outcomes for Disabled CYP
Social Model of Disability
What are the differences?
My disabled child
My non disabled child
Has a placement
Uses special transport
Accesses a mainstream
activity
Is in transition
Has annual reviews
Has siblings
Requires intervention
Has peers
Goes to school
Gets the bus
Goes swimming
Is moving up to college
Has parent’s evenings
Has brothers and sisters
Requires help and support
Has friends
Quick Quiz! Medical or Social Model?
1. Charlie is a young person with a disability
2. Society creates barriers which results in disabled children
having unequal life chances
3. Levi needs a disabled toilet
4. Anna cant read the book because she is blind
5. Helen has needs a special bus to get to school
Why does voice
matter?
What happens if you don’t listen?
What about Rebecca?
Rebecca is…
•13 years old
•Has complex health needs
•Has a package of support including a day center,
weekend respite, physio and occupational therapy
•Police have been called to the family home by
neighbours with reports of physical fights between
parents
Children and Families Act 2014 The vision
•Section 19 principles
•Early identification and support
•Trained and equipped workforce
•Easily accessible information
•Clear focus on outcomes
•Assessment and EHC Plan from birth to 25
The culture change, s19
Local authority functions: supporting and involving
children and young people
A local authority in England must have regard to…
(a) The views, wishes and feelings of the child… or the young
person…
(b) The importance of the child… or the young person
participating as fully as possible in decisions…
(c) The importance of the child… or the young person being
provided with the information and support necessary to
enable participation in those decisions
Why does voice and participation matter?
• Individual children and young people receive the right
additional support in the right way to safeguard them when
required and enable them to reach their goals and potential
• Ensures that those planning services and opportunities for
disabled young people are informed by disabled young
people and develop services fit for purpose
• Challenges disablism, low expectations, and the
accompanying complacency about the little it’s OK to do at
a societal level
Safeguarding disabled children and young people
•Review the barriers
•Remove the barriers
•An individual responsibility for being part of the solution
•Agree an agenda for change
•Build on existing good practice
How can we improve the lives of disabled
children and young people?
•Focus on value not impairment
•Hate crime strategy
•Campaign focused on changing general attitudes towards
disabled children and young people
•Review adequacy of support for disabled cyp
•Advocacy
•Workforce development
•Accessibility
•Safeguarding
•Transitions to Adulthood
•Aspirations, Opportunities and Outcomes
CDC-Vision and Values
CDC's vision is a society in which disabled children's life
chances are assured, their needs met, their aspirations
supported and their rights respected.
We believe that:
Disabled children and young people should enjoy the same
rights and opportunities as other children
All disabled children and young people communicate and have a
right to have their views heard
The views of disabled children, young people and their families
are vital to the development of an inclusive society
All disabled children and young people should be fully included
in every aspect of society
CDC and Participation
•VIPER
•CHUMS
•EPIC
•Our Rights, Our Voice
•CDC Young Ambassadors
•Making Ourselves Heard
Final thoughts
Disabled children are not victims, but individuals in their own
right with hopes and dreams
Safeguarding is about recognising children and young people’s
humanity, not losing sight of it and then applying exactly the
same procedures we do for all children and young people in
that position
Today’s conference makes a very good start !!!
Want to know more ?
About our current work on safeguarding and
social care … new toolkit available
January 2015
More information at
[email protected]
See CDC website at
www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk
Get in touch
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www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk
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