Crucial support that can improve the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy before they turn 2 is not prevalent enough, a report published by Action Cerebral Palsy, a UK consortium of specialist charities, has found.
The report, Enabling Potential – Achieving a New Deal for Children with Cerebral Palsy, is the culmination of a parliamentary inquiry into cerebral palsy launched by Paul Maynard MP with Action Cerebral Palsy in April last year. It outlines the findings of the inquiry and identifies policy changes that could help the 30,000 children in the UK with cerebral palsy to achieve their full potential in life.
The report demonstrates that more must be done to support children and young people with cerebral palsy in the “golden years” post diagnosis for 0-2 year-olds, when intervention is at its most effective but also most absent. Evidence from almost 300 individual submissions found that even in the rare cases where sufficient specialist educational intervention for 0-2s does exist, health professionals and parents are unaware of it, which often results in late-diagnoses and a scepticism about forms of support that could transform a child’s life.
The report calls for the Government to establish a task force of health and education cerebral palsy experts to vastly increase awareness of cerebral palsy, make training available for practitioners working with children and young people with cerebral palsy,buy essay help, ensure greater collaboration between statutory and voluntary sectors, and improve signposting and support for families.
The Whitehouse Consultancy has been working with Action Cerebral Palsy for the last year as part of its annual pro-bono scheme in which we provide 12 months of support from our political consultants to a charity without the means to get involved in the political debate.
