A key area that PaCC has fed back on so far, is a £40,000 cut to children’s disability services.
Services for children with disabilities – management, assessment, operations and administration.
Direct payments, family support services and short breaks summary of proposal: to renegotiate contracts for services for children with disabilities to achieve efficiencies and improved value for money. No impact on service delivery anticipated.
PaCC have shared the following key issues with the lead Councillors:
- Ongoing inequities across Short Breaks holiday provision, and Special School Wraparound care mean the social care offer for families with Children and Young People with high support needs remains very limited. Workforce development remains a key barrier, impacting Personal Assistant (PA) availability and preventing families from using their Direct Payments.
- Preparing For Adulthood Transitions remain a major concern, as highlighted in the Adult Care Quality Commission (CQC) Social Care Inspection Report. A 30-month wait poses risks to 18–25 years old leaving education without an updated social care support plan. There remains an overnight respite cliff edge for some young people leaving Drove Road and Tudor House, this is due to Beech House saying they are unable to meet the needs of some young people.
- Across all areas of SEND social care provision, PaCC emphasises the need for transparency for the community around data collection. PaCC query whether commissioning and decision-making has sufficient data to make informed decisions.
PaCC have received confirmation from Councillors that the £50,000 investment into Short Breaks holiday provision will be carried into the next financial year from April 2026.