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Written question asked by Tom Clarke (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 July 2013, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 July 2013. It was answered by Edward Timpson (Conservative) on Tuesday, 9 July 2013 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Respite Care

Question

(2) which body or authority ultimately determines whether a parent receives any respite hours when coping with a child who has spina bifida;

[163660]

Mr Tom Clarke:

Answer

I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Education.

Under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, local authorities are required to provide a range of services to meet the needs of 'children in need' in their area, including disabled children. Where appropriate, section 17 social care assessments will consider and agree services and support for parents and carers where these will help deliver better outcomes for the child.

Additional duties apply in the case of short breaks, or respite, for carers of disabled children and young people, including conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Under regulations introduced in 2011, local authorities are required, so far as is reasonably practicable, to provide a range of short break services to help carers to continue to provide care, or to do so more effectively. Local authorities must also, in consultation with carers in their area, prepare, publish, and keep under review, a “short breaks services statement”, setting out what services are available, the categories of carer who may be eligible to gain access to them, and how they are designed to meet the needs of carers in the area.

Based on the resources available to them and their assessment of the individual needs of the disabled child or young person, local authorities decide whether to offer short break services and what form that provision should take. In most cases, it will be possible to agree an appropriate level of short break services but where families cannot reach agreement with local authorities they should use the complaints procedures which local authorities must have in place.

The Government do not set out minimum levels of short breaks provision but to support local authorities in meeting their duties, we have made available to them over £800 million between April 2011 and March 2015 through un-ring-fenced grants. In 2011-12 and 2012-13, a further £40 million of un-ring-fenced capital funding per annum was allocated to local authorities, allowing them to invest in additional short breaks equipment and infrastructure.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
163660; 566 cc208-9W
Session
2013-14
Subjects
Carers Respite care
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk