News & Events

EDCM is a campaign by four leading organisations working with disabled children and their families – Contact a Family, Council for Disabled Children, Mencap and the Special Educational Consortium. We will challenge politicians and policy-makers to make good on the Government’s commitment that every child matters.

EDCM is an inclusive campaign. We support and represent thousands of disabled children, young people and families. Through the Council for Disabled Children and the Special Education Consortium, the campaign has direct access to hundreds of organisations, professionals, and disabled people working with and for disabled children, young people and their families.

EDCM is focused on England, reflecting devolution, but will be supporting campaigning activity in the other UK nations, as well as campaigning on non-devolved issues such as benefits.

EDCM is led by a campaign management board representing the partner organisations:

Francine Bates – Chief Executive, Contact a Family
David Congdon – Head of Policy and Campaigns, Mencap
Brian Lamb – Chair, Special Educational Consortium
Christine Lenehan – Director, Council for Disabled Children

Understanding the entitlements and the processes involved in getting a child's special educational needs met can be confusing and complex and many parents struggle to get the right kind of educational provision for a child with autism.

In order to assist parents the National Autistic Society provides an Advocacy for Education Service. This is a free, telephone-based service delivered by volunteers providing quality advice and advocacy on special educational needs provision and entitlement. The service is being delivered across Scotland in order to assist parents with the new system of Additional Support Needs Tribunals introduced by the Scottish Executive.

By empowering and encouraging parents to be confident partners in their child's education, the service enables them to make informed choices and decisions. The aim of the service is to resolve issues at a local level however advice is given on preparing for tribunal, and representation at tribunal is provided where appropriate.

A parent who used the helpline commented, “"It is an excellent service. I suddenly felt connected to somebody who genuinely shared my frustration, and who wanted to, and did help, in a very practical way."

This group meets at 7.30pm on the last Monday of every month at the Kings Arms hotel in Melrose. If you would like more information about the group, please contact the Group Chair, Derek Purvis, tel. 01896 668961, email admin@baags.co.uk, website www.baags.co.uk

SNIP Director Claire Edwards has written a useful guide to the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act, which gives an overview of the Act as well as describing some of the new rights for parents contained in it. Click here to read the guide.

Did you know that there is a disability reduction to your council tax? To qualify for the reduction, households must include a child or adult who is substantially or permanently disabled. They must also either:

The disability reduction moves council tax bills down by one band, regardless of income or savings, and claims can be backdated indefinitely if applicants can prove that they met the criteria in the past.

To check whether you are eligible for a council tax reduction, or for other benefits advice, telephone Contact a Family's helpline on 0808 808 3555.

Child Bereavement Trust

The Child Bereavement Trust has launched its new redesigned website. The site has a forum for bereaved families as well as a discussion forum for professionals, and is at www.childbereavement.org.uk

Single parents are not alone

More than a quarter of lone parents have a disabled or ill child. One Parent Families has published a free guide “The Lone Parent Guide to Caring for a Child with Additional Needs” which includes sections about accessing support and financial help. They have also worked with Contact a Family to develop a telephone advice service. The advice service can be contacted on 0800 018 5026.

If so, maybe the BEMAS team in the Action Group could help. Our service through two skilled advice workers can provide practical advice and assistance regarding social work services, education, health and housing.

The one-stop shop at No. 6 Melville Crescent, Edinburgh offers advice and support for people with high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome. Services available include careers advice, social opportunities, training and a resource centre/library with internet access.

Speegle (www.speegle.co.uk) is a new internet search facility (using technology developed in Edinburgh) to read out the result of your internet search. The search site has the look and feel of a normal search engine, but can also read out results in three voices or summarise news stories.

Breathing Space is a free confidential phone service for people who are feeling low or depressed. The phone line is open every day from 6pm to 2am to listen and give advice. Tel : 0800 838 587.

Respond have set up a free telephone helpline for people with learning disabilities who would like to talk to someone about anything that might be worrying them.

The number is 0808 808 0700 and you can call from 1.30 – 5.00 in the afternoon Monday – Friday.

www.disabledgo.info is a free internet guide which offers people with different access concerns very detailed information about access to shops, pubs, restaurants, cinemas - all goods and services - throughout Edinburgh. The purpose of the guide is to empower people to get out and do what they want to do by making it much easier to check which places are accessible. People can check whether a shop is accessible to a wheelchair user, if a restaurant will welcome an assistance dog or if a cinema has a hearing loop. Hundreds of shops, pubs, restaurants and other venues are taking part. It is hoped that this new guide will help open up Edinburgh to its thousands of disabled residents, and also make the area more accessible to Britain's 8.7 million disabled people.

The guidelines produced by the "Judge : websites for health" project could help you. They are available free on the internet at www.judgehealth.org.uk

The Judge project was developed in partnership between Contact a Family and the Information Management Research Institute at Northumbria University.

Fife Learning Disabilities Information Group

Child Bereavement Trust

Single parents are not alone