Aiming High for Disabled Children aims to ensure that parents are involved in the planning of services that their disabled children need. This is called Parent Participation. 

 

Parent participation is about enabling parents to get involved in the planning and designing of services and decision making, at both local and strategic level, so that services meet the needs of families with disabled children and resources are used well.

 

Parent Participation is very important. The rewards are huge. Children and young people and their families receive the services they need. Professionals plan services in partnership with families so no resources are wasted.

 

As services improve everyone involved feels a sense of achievement and confidence and all are encouraged to continue to improve services through parent participation.

 

The Essex Forum for Support Groups with the support of the Aiming High for Disabled Children project team developed a Parent Council in 2009/10. This is called Families Acting for Change Essex (FACE).

 

Families Acting for Change Essex is working hard to ensure there is a wide and varied range of parent participation across the county. This includes: making sure there are parents represented at strategic planning meetings, consulting with as many parents as possible about developments such as- inclusive play spaces, changing places (fully accessible toilets), access to child care & transition planning. FACE aim to engage with as many parents as possible so families’ views can be heard and so influence planning of services; planning how best to ensure parents are enabled to participate in designing services; working with managers from both the local authority and health services so that services are planned around the needs of families.

 

Parent participation continues to grow and develop in Essex which is very exciting and much appreciated by the Aiming High for Disabled Children project team.

 

If you are a family please contact Tracey Dartnell, chair of Families Acting for Change Essex (FACE) 07910 883337, chair@face-essex.org.

 

If you are a club or group supporting children and young people & their families within Essex please contact Kevin Smith Galer at Essex Forum of Support Groups. Kevin can be contacted on 01371 879781.

 

FACE and Essex Forum are working closely with us to make sure families views are included in what we do for Aiming High for Disabled Children.