Merton Aiming High for Disabled Children Short Breaks
Strategic Planning Group
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Context
National
Aiming High for Disabled Children is the government’s transformation
programme for disabled children’s short break services in England. Ring
fenced money is being provided to both develop existing services and to
meet the needs of children with disability currently not getting a service.
All agencies and partners are required to deliver a “Core Offer” of short
break provision.
“The vision behind Aiming High for Disabled Children is for all families
with disabled children to have the support they need to live ordinary
family lives, as a matter of course” Aiming High for Disabled Children.
The government has appointed Together for Disabled Children (TDC) to
support local partners and ensure they meet the government’s
requirements. The LA and the Primary Care Trust are expected to work
together to plan future provision with parents and young people.
Local
Merton has a well-established multi-agency Children with Disability
Partnership Board, which has parent representatives as well as
representatives from all agencies providing services including the
voluntary sector.
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May 2009
Merton is currently developing an Integrated Service for Children with
Disabilities, with agreement to recruit a Head of Service. This is a new
post jointly funded by the PCT and the local authority. The Short Break
Transformation Programme will be managed within this service.
The Strategic Planning Group’s role
The Strategic Planning Group will be the decision making forum for the
Short Break Transformation Programme – making final recommendations
to the Local Authority and PCT senior management teams and the
Children’s Trust Board. This group will consider recommendations and
feedback from the Core Planning Group around options for spend in
years 2 and 3 of the Aiming High Short Breaks programme, and the
processes needed to support the programme. The Strategic Planning
Group will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the progress of
the transformation programme, making additional recommendations
where appropriate to ensure the Full Service Offer is delivered.
Outcomes of the Strategic Planning Group’s work
1. Act as the key decision-making group that will make final
recommendations to the LA and Children’s Trust about the
development of short break services in Merton.
2. Act as regular reporter to the LA, PCT and Children’s Trust Board in
relation to the Aiming High Short Breaks programme.
3. That group membership is sufficiently strategic as to enable
decision-making on behalf of agencies and partners.
4. That the views of all interested and involved parties are taken into
consideration when these final recommendations are made,
including especially the views of parents, carers and young people
as represented in the consultation.
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5. To ensure that strategic planning of services locally meets the TDC
readiness criteria to deliver the requirements of the Full Service
Offer.
Chair
Andrew Wyatt - Manager, Safeguarding Partnerships Service in Merton’s
Department for Children, Schools & Families (CSF)
Administrative Support
The Social Care division of the Children, Schools & Families Department,
supplies administrative support.
Membership
Membership is drawn from relevant partner agencies and the third
sector.
Kids First Forum Parent Representative
Integrated Youth Support Service LBM
Joint Commissioning Manager – Children & Families Sutton & Merton
PCT/LBM
SEN & Inclusion Manager LBM
Extended Schools Service Manager LBM
Early Years Service Manager LBM
Integrated Service Project Manager LBM
Service Manager Children with Disabilities Service LBM
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Expected life of the group
The group will run until end March 2011, but may continue beyond this
date, if the Aiming High Short Breaks programme continues.
Frequency of meetings
Meetings will be called as appropriate and required, probably quarterly.
Review
The group will review its work in March 2010.
Andrew Wyatt
Safeguarding Service Manager
May 2009
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