Children and families taking control: Introducing Individual Budgets and Self-directed Support for children, young people and their families

Nic Crosby

This article introduces the work of In Control which over the past two years has been supporting a growing number of children's services in exploring Individual Budgets and Self-directed Support and in thinking about how these approaches make sense for children. By 2015 every adult in receipt of social care funding will have an Individual Budget....

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A Town Like Alice – Episode 8

Deborah Berkeley

'It's going to be one of those days. Alice is prodding me repeatedly under the armpit as she tries to settle herself back to sleep. Hoping her restlessness doesn't mean recurrence of stomach bug which has kept her off nursery for two days this week. I've got piles of paperwork to file and sort at home. And an important phone call to wait for. Today I find out if I'm to become a keyworking co-ordinator for the local child development centre.'

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The philosophy and practice of SPECTRUM – a new kind of parent support group

Jane Pearson

There are a number of support groups for parents of children with social communication difficulties but they tend to concentrate on reaffirming for the parent just how difficult life is with an autistic spectrum child. This article describes a new initiative which aims to concentrate on what can be done by the parent to make a difference to the way their child understands the world and to improve their child's behaviour.

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An alphabet of helpful hints: H is for Honesty.

Peter Limbrick

'Finding their courage...they asked the paediatrician (who had known the child since birth) to tell them just how disabled their child was in comparison to other infants he had known and worked with. The paediatrician, who might perhaps have focused on more positive and encouraging feedback in this consultation had he not sensed the depth...