Disabled Children’s Access to Childcare (DCATCH)

What is DCATCH?

In May 2007 the Government launched the review ‘Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC): Better support for families’, with the intention to improve service provision for disabled children and their families, and enhance equality and opportunity for them. This stressed the importance of appropriate childcare for disabled children and young people and acknowledged the lack of adequate provision to meet need. The Disabled Children’s Access to Childcare (DCATCH) is the specific initiative dedicated to developing childcare provision for this group of children and their families.

There are eight core areas highlighted in the DCATCH programme which parents have identified as needing to be improved:

• Better data: estimating demand and monitoring take up
• Participation and feedback: consulting with families
• Improving information for families
• Supporting families to make choices
• Workforce development
• Increasing capacity, inclusion and improving quality
• Meeting particular childcare needs
• Affordability and cost

What are we doing in York?

A working group of multi-agency professionals was formed to discuss how best York could address childcare for disabled children under the DCATCH programme.

The two themes chosen were:

• workforce development in the out of school club (OOSC) sector and
• improving information for families.

Information from the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment and Equality Impact Assessment highlighted these two areas as those which parents felt concerned about.

There are currently fifty-two OOSCs in York. A comprehensive training package was put together and offered to all staff in the sector. The response was significant and there is now evidence of the growing confidence staff have around working with and caring for disabled children. A large number of resources were purchased to accompany training sessions, including books for children around disability and inclusion.

City of York Council’s Play Team offered OOSCs the chance to visit one of a number of host clubs to explore inclusive play work with regards to disabled children. The project was made possible with funding from DCATCH. It offered clubs the chance to send their staff to the host clubs to share experiences and practice of inclusive play work with children with various needs. Participating clubs also received inclusive play equipment or resources. Visits took part over three after school sessions or over a full day in the holiday periods and DCATCH funded backfill pay for staff whilst undertaking their visits. At the end of the project the participating clubs submitted their ideas to a new booklet that has been produced.

DCATCH was also able to support the Sports and Leisure team in providing funding for the Inclusive Sport and Physical Activity Project – Supporting Voluntary Sports Clubs. Work was carried out with 6 OOSCs around inclusive activities and the project also provided equipment to share within the sector. A quick-reference guide on how to deliver inclusive games and activities, as well as ‘five-minute fillers’, has been produced and will be available to clubs.

Clubs will be contacted when the booklet and guide are available.

Taster Sessions have been advertised to parents through CANDI, to all primary schools, support teams and OOSCs. This is a great opportunity to give disabled children and their families the chance to try out a club, and is a chance to build relationships and help to prepare for a positive experience.

As part of the DCATCH project York Family Information Service is working in partnership with others to improve information to families around childcare. There are two key pieces of work that are being funded by DCATCH:

• Positive image library
• Two information newsletters about choosing childcare

Alongside this, York Family Information Service has introduced a voluntary register for parents of disabled children. The register allows families to receive copies of the newsletter and a max card which allows free or discounted entry to a number of attractions. The register also provides useful planning information relating to disabled children.

For more information about the positive image library or the voluntary register, please contact York Family Information Service on 01904 554444.

Overall this has proved to be an excellent opportunity for the OOSC sector to increase their knowledge, skills and confidence around working with and caring for disabled children. Monitoring of progress is ongoing to ensure that in York we provide high quality inclusive childcare and opportunities for disabled children and their families.