Scope response to Parliamentary Inquiry into childcare for disabled children
About Scope
Scope exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same
opportunities as everyone else. Until then, we’ll be here. We provide support, information
and advice to more than a quarter of a million disabled people and their families every year.
We raise awareness of the issues that matter. And with your support, we'll keep driving
change across society until this country is great for everyone.
Introduction
Scope welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this inquiry into childcare for disabled
children. Childcare is a key issue which needs to be addressed urgently to improve the living
standards of families with disabled children.
Our response is based on what families tell us about their experiences of accessing
childcare. Their experiences echo many of the issues identified in the consultation
document: inclusion, accessibility, higher costs and a lack of services for disabled young
people.
We therefore focus on actions than can be taken nationally and locally to improve the
childcare offer for disabled children and young people.
We would be very happy to discuss any of our proposed solutions in further detail.
Government childcare policy
Scope supports the Government’s aspiration of improving the availability, affordability and
quality of childcare for working families.1
Yet, too often Government childcare policy does not cater for the particular needs of families
with disabled children. Policy is developed by different departments (or in different
departmental units) with siloed funding streams and no understanding of how it affects
disabled children and their families.
For example, new Government support with childcare costs cannot be used to pay for the
full range of childcare used by parents of disabled children. The new Tax-Free Childcare
scheme2 can only be used to pay Ofsted registered childcare providers. The funding
therefore cannot be accessed by parents who use domiciliary care or short-breaks inspected
by the CQC, even though these services may meet their child’s needs better or be the only
option available locally.
We recommend that the Government:
1
HM Government (2013) More Great Childcare: raising quality and giving parents more choice, p. 6.
Accessed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/219660/More_20Great
_20Childcare_20v2.pdf
2 https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/helping-people-to-find-and-stay-in-work/supportingpages/introducing-a-tax-free-childcare-scheme

Urgently revises the proposed Tax-Free Childcare scheme so it can be accessed by
all parents of disabled children, regardless of who their childcare provider is
regulated by

Develops a comprehensive cross-departmental national childcare policy with
disabled children as a key priority group. This would stop the development of siloed
departmental policies that do not work for families with disabled children.

Pilots the provision of more flexible financial support for childcare, for example
through personal budgets
Local childcare services
“It makes me feel angry when we're told, 'Oh yes, we are happy to take him, but he may feel
left out/not be able to cope and we do not have the staff ratio to deal with him if he needs
extra support.'”
Kathryn, Norfolk3
"It's sad that people can't see beyond the disability or take a bit of time to learn how to be
inclusive. We get access to some great groups for kids with the same issues as our
daughter, but Surestart has been poor in trying to involve us in mainstream groups, pushing
us towards their one group for disabled kids (which is not even convenient for us if wanted to
go to it)."
Tracy, Devon4
In this section we summarise the key issues faced by parents of disabled children and young
people. We recommend that local agencies use the development of Local Offers under the
Children and Families Act 2014 to drive improvements to the local childcare offer.
Local issues
Parents of disabled children tell us they experience a wide range of issues in finding,
accessing and paying for childcare. These include:



Local providers not being able to take disabled children, or adjust mainstream
services/activities to include disabled children5
Disabled children not being included in mainstream services/activities and being
pushed towards specialist disability services and activities
Higher childcare costs for disabled children than non-disabled children because of a
perception amongst staff and parents that all disabled children need 1:1 support6
3
Scope and Mumsnet Survey (2014) - http://www.scope.org.uk/About-Us/Media/Pressreleases/February-2014/Mumsnet-parents-negative-attitudes-are-holding-bac
4 Ibid
5 In a recent survey by the Department for Education, 70% of parents of disabled children said it was
not easy to find suitable childcare in their area and 61% of parents said that there is no provider in
their area that could cater for their child’s specific condition - Department for Education (2014)
Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents 2012/13, p.43. Accessed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents-2012-to2013
2




Staff and activity leaders lacking understanding and experience of disability7,
especially Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Parents lacking confidence in the ability of staff and activity leaders to meet their
child’s development needs and personal care needs
A lack of services for young disabled people who are caught between ageinappropriate ‘childcare’ and inaccessible local youth services
A lack of hoisting and changing facilities for school age disabled children
These issues lead to low numbers of disabled children accessing mainstream services and
mean that:



Disabled and non-disabled siblings find it hard to play together
Disabled children miss out on the social and developmental benefits of playing with
non-disabled children
Parents of disabled children struggle to work
Developing local solutions
The Local Offer
"…I am amazed in this day and age at the lack of municipal facilities for disabled children.
They want to play too, and be part of the fun. Because the opportunities are not there, we
keep him away so as not to sadden or disappoint him.”
Emma, Stafford8
The development of Local Offers and new requirements for local authorities and health
agencies to jointly plan and commission services is an ideal opportunity for local
commissioners to work with parents and providers to identify and close gaps in childcare for
disabled children and young people.
Many disabled children need no or minor/moderate adjustments to staff training or premises
to be able to use non-specialist childcare settings.9
To make the most of this opportunity it is essential that:
6
Contact A Family (2004) Childcare Costs for Families with Disabled Children
http://www.cafamily.org.uk/media/759595/childcare_costs_for_families_with_disabled_children_surve
y_report_2004.pdf
7 A Scope and Mumsnet Survey in February 2014 found that:
- 1 in 10 parents felt staff and organisers already had the confidence and expertise to make
sure their disabled child was included and welcomed to local groups and activities
- 7 in 10 parents said that more positive attitudes and better understanding of disability
amongst staff and organisers would enable their child to be included.
http://www.scope.org.uk/About-Us/Media/Press-releases/February-2014/Mumsnet-parents-negativeattitudes-are-holding-bac
8 Scope and Mumsnet Survey (2014) - http://www.scope.org.uk/About-Us/Media/Pressreleases/February-2014/Mumsnet-parents-negative-attitudes-are-holding-bac
9
The Council for Disabled Children estimate that 80% of disabled children would be able to use non-specialist
provision with no or minor or moderate adjustments to staff training or premises . (Contact a Family, 2004 http://www.cafamily.org.uk/media/759595/childcare_costs_for_families_with_disabled_children_survey_report_20
04.pdf )
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
Local commissioners ensure all childcare provision is inclusive and accessible to
reduce the need to commission expensive specialist provision and to address gaps in
childcare for disabled children

Local agencies use robust, intelligent and up-to-date information about how well
childcare is meeting the needs of disabled children and young people to improve
local provision and close gaps

Local commissioners proactively shape the local childcare market by:
- supporting existing providers to include more disabled children (and showing
how their business will benefit from being more inclusive)
- decommissioning ineffective services that do not meet the needs of disabled
children
- commissioning new services to fill any remaining gaps
Scope’s experience of offering short-breaks through a brokerage model based on these
principles has shown that highlighting an untapped market for inclusive services to local
mainstream leisure providers stimulates the development of inclusive provision.10 We are
also piloting the use of pooled personal budgets11 which allow parents of disabled children to
directly commission the services they need as a way of stimulating the local short-breaks
market and reducing costs. 12
Scope recommends that:

Local authorities use brokerage models (based on information, advice/support and
market management) and pooled budgets to create more inclusive childcare services
and activities as part of the development and review of Local Offers under the
Children and Families Act 2014.

The Government investigates whether pooled personal budgets and direct
commissioning by parents could potentially stimulate the development of better
services for disabled children and young people with complex needs across
childcare, education, leisure, youth and personal care services

Health and Wellbeing Boards identify disabled children as a priority group within their
local Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and use this information to commission
inclusive and accessible childcare and activities for disabled children and young
people

Local authorities put in place sufficient capacity to act on local intelligence and broker
more inclusive childcare services – either by retaining the outreach and brokerage
10
Activities Unlimited - https://www.scope.org.uk/support/services-directory/arranging-childrens-shortbreaks-suffolk
11 http://www.scope.org.uk/Made-to-measure/Plymouth
http://trafford.childrensservicedirectory.org.uk/kb5/trafford/fsd/service.page?record=JfsirEnHAIY
12 Loughborough University (2014) Evaluation of the Made to Measure Pilot: Pooling Personal
Budgets First Interim Report. Accessed at:
http://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/trafford/fsd/files/evaluation_20of_20the_20made_20to
_20measure_20pilot_20-_20first_20interim_20report_20february_202014.pdf
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functions of Family Information Services for parents/carers of disabled children or
elsewhere within children’s services
Young disabled people
"It's become more of an issue as he has gotten older. His peers advance more quickly than
him, and he feels awkward as he is much older than the children in the younger groups
(appropriate to his ability). It means he has given up sports he would otherwise enjoy".
Nikki, Gloucester13
It is harder for parents of older disabled children (aged 11-18) to find childcare. In general,
most non-disabled children of this age do not use childcare and can spend time on their own
or attend after school activities or youth provision.
At present neither childcare nor youth provision work well for young disabled people. In a
recent survey 53% of parents with disabled 12-16 years olds said that their child rarely or
never has an opportunity to socialise with or take part in activities with children who are not
disabled.14 This situation is likely to get worse as local authorities start reducing, targeting
and localising youth services.15
Disabled young people and their families need better support to navigate local youth
provision. Local agencies need to proactively encourage the development of inclusive and
accessible youth services and activities that meet the needs of older disabled children.
Scope recommends that:

The Government issues guidance to local authorities which sets a clear expectation
that:
- a ‘sufficient’ universal local youth offer under the Education Act 199616 is inclusive
and accessible to disabled young people
- the universal local youth offer is embedded within Local Offers for disabled young
people under the Children and Families Act 2014
- local agencies should work with parents and providers to identify and remove
barriers that prevent disabled young people from accessing leisure services,
youth services and other activities

Local agencies use brokerage models (as described in the section above on the
Local Offer) to fill gaps for older disabled children, rather than relying solely on
childcare providers
13
Scope and Mumsnet Survey (2014) - http://www.scope.org.uk/About-Us/Media/Pressreleases/February-2014/Mumsnet-parents-negative-attitudes-are-holding-bac
14 Ibid
15 Local Government Association and National Youth Agency (2013) http://www.local.gov.uk/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=f30d3df1-4014-4de2-a2928179243fc261&groupId=10180
16http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/statutory%20guidance%20on%20la%20youth%20pr
ovision%20duty.pdf
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
The Government pilots personal budgets paid directly to families across childcare,
short-breaks, domiciliary care and youth provision to fund the support disabled
children and young people need to access services.
Changing the attitudes of childcare staff and parents of non-disabled children
"Often what is needed is education, then integration with a positive attitude. We also need
staff who are not only willing but happy to find ways of making that happen.”
Rebekah, Banbury17
In a recent survey 72% of parents said that more positive attitudes and a better
understanding of disability amongst staff and organisers would enable their child to be
included.18 Parents of disabled children also feel that the attitudes of other parents are a
barrier to accessing childcare services and activities.19
The attitudes of childcare staff, particularly assumptions that all disabled children require 1:1
support, are a key driver of the extra costs of childcare for disabled children.20 Practitioners
report that training on inclusive practices is a key gap for childcare staff.
Scope recommends that the Government:

Reinstates local authority responsibilities for the quality of childcare services in their
local area, including raising the knowledge, skills and experience of local childcare
staff and activity leaders of disability

Uses the new childminder agencies21 to model inclusive settings and provide training
to childminders in looking after children with disabilities

Provides more robust guidance on inclusive practices and better targeted disability
training for childcare staff and group/activity leaders.
Conclusion
Disabled children, young people and their families need more accessible and inclusive
childcare (formal and informal) at a lower cost. This is a particular issue for young disabled
people who are caught between age-inappropriate childcare and inaccessible local youth
provision.
Central government must put the needs of disabled children and their families at the centre
of childcare policy. Local agencies need to be ready to seize the opportunities presented by
the Children and Families Act to improve the local childcare offer for disabled children.
17
Scope and Mumsnet Survey (2014) - http://www.scope.org.uk/About-Us/Media/Pressreleases/February-2014/Mumsnet-parents-negative-attitudes-are-holding-bac
18 Ibid
19 Ibid
20 Contact A Family (2004) Childcare Costs for Families with Disabled Children
http://www.cafamily.org.uk/media/759595/childcare_costs_for_families_with_disabled_children_surve
y_report_2004.pdf
21 http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/child-minders/
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Scope fully supports the parliamentary inquiry and would be very happy to meet Every
Disabled Child Matters to discuss the issues and solutions raised in our response in further
detail.
7