Equipment and Resources
New resources to support families with personal budgets
KIDS, a charity for disabled children and young people, has launched a free suite of resources to support families in the move to personal budgets.
Personal budgets will give families flexibility and control over the support they need
The Government is keen that all families with disabled children have access to a personal budget by 2014, so that parents can use the funding they receive to choose they support they need tailored to their personal circumstances.
The charity says that many families have a limited understanding of what a personal budget is, how it can be accessed and what it could be used for.
The handbook for parents and carers of disabled children contains information and advice about what personal budgets are and how they can be used. Guidance for commissioners on how to commission for personalisation has also been published.
A complementary eLearning package for parents and carers is also under development and will be released in March, alongside support from regional events.
OPM, Disability Rights UK, In Control, NAFIS and the Daycare Trust have all worked together with KIDS to help create the resources for parents, carers, commissioners and others in children’s services.
KIDS has developed the resources as part of the of the ‘Making it Personal’ project, which is sponsored by the Department of Education.
The work was developed as a response to the Department for Education’s 2011 Green Paper, Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability.
Julie Hathaway, director of the National Development Department and South West region, said, ‘This guide will mark the beginning of a journey for many families and young people facing significant changes as a result of Government reforms. ‘Supporting families through an evolving process over the coming months, KIDS welcomes the opportunity to share information and help them make the most of the new opportunities available.’
KIDS is a national charity that works with disabled children, young people and their families. The charity has also pioneered a range of approaches for working with disabled children including Portage (home learning), Direct Short Breaks and England’s first inclusive adventure playground.
Download:
- The handbook for parents and carers. Copies are also available by post.
- The ‘Making it Personal’ Project
