Councils must do more to support disabled children’s parents

Charity Mencap has called upon local authorities to do more in helping parents with disabled children access services over the summer holidays.

The call comes after a survey by the charity found that 80 per cent of parents with disabled children struggled to access support services during the summer holidays, while only 21 per cent of councils reported that they had sufficient childcare for disabled children.

Furthermore, the majority of respondents claimed it was harder to find care for disabled children than non-disabled children, with 56 per cent of cares saying they were unable to access short breaks and respite when caring for such children.

The survey found that 40 per cent of parents with disabled children struggled to access their entitlement of 15 hours of free childcare a week.

Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap, said: “For many parents of children with a learning disability this means nonstop care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Having to care for their child who may have complex needs whilst juggling their work and other demands can push many families to breaking point.

“Having accessible and suitable childcare on offer can be a lifeline for many families. But, due to a lack of sufficient provision from local authorities and inflexible provision of the services that are available, we are seeing many families are unable to access services and are often left to struggle alone.

“It is unacceptable that, despite obligations, yet again local authorities are still not doing enough to help families who are being pushed into moments of crisis.

“This needs to change. We need to invest in these vital services and ensure equal access to them for children with a learning disability as they can be the difference between families reaching breaking point or not.”