Gloucestershire still not signed up to campaign on disability

Here's my letter below to the Cabinet member responsible at Glos County Council. You can also get involved in campaign here:
http://www.edcm.org.uk

Photo: Randwick trees

Atten: Cllr Jacqueline Hall

As a resident of your local authority and a District councillor, I am writing to ask you to support the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign. In particular, as the councillor with lead responsibility for children's services, I am asking you to sign up on behalf of our authority to the campaign's Local Authority Charter.

Every Disabled Child Matters is the campaign to get rights and justice for every disabled child. It has been set up by four national organisations working with disabled children - the Council for Disabled Children, Contact a Family, Mencap and the Special Education Consortium.

I have worked for many years with people who have a disability and also experienced disability personally so I have a strong interest in this campaign. Already 20% of Councils are signed up to the campaign but Gloucestershire is not yet amongst them.

This campaign is very much needed because too many disabled children and their families are struggling to get the support they need - and that should be theirs by right. Indeed figures show that only 6% of families with disabled children are provided with special support from the state - no wonder eight in ten families with severely disabled children say that are at breaking point.

The campaign has published two briefings, showing that childcare services are failing to meet the needs of disabled children and that local authorities are not making disabled children a priority in their strategic plans.

You can find the Local Authority Charter at http://www.edcm.org.uk. I would ask you, if you haven't already, to discuss the charter with your officers who are responsible for services for disabled children and their families, and reply to me as soon as possible to let me know if you are able to sign up.

If you are able to sign up to the Charter, please download and print a copy from www.edcm.org.uk, sign it and post it to: Every Disabled Child Matters Council for Disabled Children 8 Wakley Street London EC1V 7QE. If you need any information about Every Disabled Child Matters, you can call 020 7843 6448 or email info@edcm.org.uk

Many thanks – I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely, Mr Philip Booth