Aiming High for Disabled Children and Families

Aiming High for Disabled Children and their families is a three year national programme designed to transform services for disabled children and their families.  In Staffordshire we want to ensure that we meet the requirements of the Aiming High programme and continue to improve the services which we provide.

An Aiming High Strategic Management Board is overseeing the work to meet the aims of the programme by 31 March 2011.  The Board is made up of people from adult social care and health, children's social care and education services, a special school headteacher, University Hospital of North Staffordshire, the voluntary and community sector and both Staffordshire Primary Care Trusts.

Aiming High Funded Services

A summary of Aiming High funded services is available in our Newsletter and Activities Brochure which can be found at the link below:

 Newsletter and Activities Brochure (PDF 582 KB)

Information about other Aiming High services is available on the New Services page.  Other services and activities for disabled children, young people and their families can be found in the What's On In Your Area section of the Staffordshire County Council website.

Listening To Parents and Carers 

At the start of Aiming High in Staffordshire, parents and carers of disabled children were asked about their views on services for disabled children.   Four events took place in January and February 2009 where parents and carers of disabled children told us about their experiences and what they would like to see happen in Staffordshire.  A summary of what was said at these events can be found by clicking on the Aiming High Consultation Events Report link below:

 Aiming High Consultation Events Report (PDF 1.53 MB)

Thank you again to all the parents who took part in our consultation events.  We hope you will continue to be involved.  If you are a parent or carer of a disabled child and you would like to get involved in Aiming High please telephone 01785 278072 or email aiminghigh@staffordshire.gov.uk

Working Together to Help Disabled Children

Aiming High for Disabled Children requires Primary Care Trust's, Local Authorities and other key partners to work together to deliver:

• A Core Offer to disabled children and families - a series of national expectations have been issued about information, transparency, participation, assessment and feedback. In Staffordshire we are looking at these expectations to ensure we are meeting them and if not how we can work together to do so.

• Responsive services and timely support - all professionals responsible for planning services for children, both locally and nationally, must focus on the services disabled children and young people need, particularly at key life stages such as early years and in the move to adulthood.

• Full Service Offer - All Local Authorities must deliver a Full Service Offer for short breaks by 31 March 2011.  We want to increase the number of short breaks and help some of the most disabled children to access them.  Short breaks are not limited to residential provision but cover a range of activities in the community, at home, approved carers homes, school and residential settings.

In response to Aiming High and feedback from parents, children and young people, we have produced a strategy and action plan for delivering Aiming High in Staffordshire. 

Latest Updates

Information about the latest developments in the Aiming High programme in Staffordshire can be found in the Aiming High Update below:

 Aiming High Update (PDF 3.68 MB)

Information about the national Aiming High programme can be found at:

www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/AHDC

'Staffordshire Children's Trust is not responsible for the content of external websites linked from this page.'

Last Modified: 16/08/2010 12:16:22
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