The visit provided an opportunity to highlight the need for greater specialist expertise in education and more proactive, preventative healthcare for people with cerebral palsy.
Màiri McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic, visited Cerebral Palsy Scotland’s specialist therapy centre in Glasgow on Wednesday 23 September, meeting children, young people and families with lived experience of cerebral palsy, alongside the charity’s multidisciplinary team of specialist therapists.
The visit provided an opportunity to discuss the experiences of children and young people with cerebral palsy in education, as well as the importance of ensuring people with the condition can access appropriate specialist support throughout their lives.
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Every child and young person should be supported to participate fully in education, to be included in their school community and to achieve their potential.
“Cerebral palsy can affect learning, participation and wellbeing and it has been valuable to see the specialist expertise available through Cerebral Palsy Scotland and discuss the importance of ensuring support is responsive to individual needs.
“The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to drive improvement in additional support for learning. That’s why we invest more than £11 million annually to directly fund services to children and families, including support for pupils with complex needs.”
During conversations with the Education Secretary, the charity raised concerns about the support available to children and young people with cerebral palsy within education.
Cerebral palsy can affect learning and participation in ways that extend beyond physical access to a classroom. Pain, fatigue, communication needs, processing speed, concentration, fine motor skills, energy levels, toileting and self-care can all affect a child or young person’s educational experience and wellbeing.
Yet these needs are not consistently being met, with many children and young people with cerebral palsy lacking access to the specialist support and adjustments they need to fully participate in education and reach their potential.
Cerebral Palsy Scotland is calling for greater access to specialist knowledge, expertise and advice across all educational settings, including early years, primary and secondary schools, schools supporting children and young people with additional support needs, and further education settings.
The charity also wants to see improved support for pupils who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and assessment based on individual need.
While discussions with the Education Secretary focused on education, Cerebral Palsy Scotland also highlighted the need for a more proactive approach to health and wellbeing across the lifespan of people with cerebral palsy.
The Scottish Government currently provides £2 million each year to NHS Boards to deliver annual health checks for people aged 16 and over with learning disabilities. The programme aims to address health inequalities and identify unmet health needs, with the Scottish Government describing annual health checks as an important part of preventing premature deaths and improving health outcomes.
There has also been investment of £3 million by the Scottish Government into heart and lung MOTs, to be delivered by Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland. Cerebral Palsy Scotland believes there is an opportunity to build on this approach and develop a specialist annual health and wellbeing review for people with cerebral palsy.
Stephanie Fraser, Chief Executive of Cerebral Palsy Scotland, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Education Secretary and to share directly with her the experiences of children and young people with cerebral palsy and their families.
“We want to see greater access to specialist knowledge and support within education, so that people with cerebral palsy are able to successfully engage in learning and teachers, early years professionals and support staff better understand the diverse ways cerebral palsy can affect understanding, communication, physical health and wellbeing.
“This is particularly important for children and young people who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and we want to see assessment and support arrangements that properly reflect individual need.
“We are calling for a more proactive approach to supporting people with cerebral palsy. The Scottish Government has recognised the value of annual health checks for people with learning disabilities and heart and lung checks for those more likely to experience poorer health outcomes. This approach helps to identify needs earlier and connect people with the right treatment and support.
“We believe people with cerebral palsy deserve the same opportunity to benefit from a proactive approach to preventative and specialist care. Cerebral Palsy Scotland has the specialist expertise to work alongside NHS, education and statutory services to help make this possible, and we are keen to work constructively with the Scottish Government to improve outcomes for people with cerebral palsy throughout their lives.”
Cerebral Palsy Scotland will continue to work with the Scottish Government to identify opportunities to improve outcomes for people with cerebral palsy across Scotland, from early years through to late adulthood.
