Issue - meetings

Every Disabled Child Matters is a campaign by the Council for Disabled Children to promote rights and get justice for every disabled child.  Part of this campaign has been to ask Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities to sign up to a charter.  The Disabled Children’s Strategy Group has reviewed our achievements against the charter objectives and is now recommending that both the PCT and Local Authority should sign up to the charter.

Councillor John Bull made an ad hoc statement reminding the Cabinet that the proposals before them were the result of an original initiative from the Labour Group.  He was pleased to see progress and thanked officers for their commitment to the issue.

Councillor Francine Haeberling made an ad hoc statement welcoming the continuation of what the previous Administration had set in motion.

Councillor Nathan Hartley, in proposing the motion, acknowledged the hard work of ex-Councillor David Spiers and of Councillor Chris Watt for their hard work in reaching this point.  He explained that the Charter would work to the benefit of disabled children.

Councillor David Bellotti seconded the motion because it had been a longstanding aim of his to see this adopted.  He paid tribute to the hard work done by officers and members to date.  He particularly drew attention to Objective 12, which expressed a determination to ensure a smooth transition to adult service provision for disabled young people preparing for adulthood.

On a motion from Councillor Nathan Hartley, seconded by Councillor David Bellotti, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously):

(1) To ADOPT the Every Disabled Child Matters Charter on behalf of the Council;

(2) To AUTHORISE the Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Youth to sign the Charter on behalf of the Council.