Promoting a Disabled Children’s Rights Respecting Culture in Children’s Hospitals

On Friday 21st May 2010 Include Me TOO held a  seminar celebrating the official signup of Birmingham Children’s Hospital to the National Include Me TOO Charter of Rights for Disabled Children and Young People. The Hospital is the first Children’s Hospital in the UK endorsing their support to the Charter and it’s vision of a Right Respecting Culture through promoting and enhancing the Rights of Disabled Children and Young People.

The seminar shared a vision of how Children’s Hospitals can implement the National Include Me TOO Charter of Rights for Disabled Children and Young People. Through the implementation of the ten standards ensuring disabled children and young people are involved, represented (representing themselves) and are able to participate in their care; and support the hospital to meet their needs through a Rights Respecting framework.

The Seminar provided a insight to how this approach can be applied during impact assessments, inclusion and implementation of DDA, Convention on the Rights of Disabled People , Include Me TOO Charter in conjunction with the UNCRC and Every Child Matters framework.

The seminar provided an opportunity to share a vision of how Children’s Hospitals can implement the National Include Me TOO Charter of Rights for Disabled Children and Young People. Through the implementation of the ten standards ensuring disabled children and young people are involved, represented (representing themselves) and are able to participate in their care; and support the hospital to meet their needs through a Rights Respecting framework.

The Seminar also provided an insight to how this approach can be applied during impact assessments, inclusion and implementation of DDA, Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, Include Me TOO Charter in conjunction with the UNCRC and Every Child Matters framework.

The participants gained an increased awareness of the organisation Include Me TOO and the services the organisation provides in supporting statutory/voluntary agencies whilst promoting the Rights of Disabled Children and Young People.

A wide range of delegates attended the seminar which included BCH staff and NHS, Social services, education and voluntary sector staff as far as from Bristol and Blackpool.

Parmi Dheensa, Executive Director Include Me TOO “We are looking forward in continuing our work with BCH, building upon existing practice and enhancing the hospital’s application of a Rights Respecting approach, through the Include Me TOO Charter’s 10 standards. We intend to share this model with other children’s hospitals in the UK in partnership with BCH, improving the services and support offered to disabled children, young people and their families”.

Children and Young People enthused delegates as they presented information on how they were supported by Include Me TOO’s Ambassadors Programme to get to know about their rights and shared their views on how services and support can be more responsive to their diverse needs. Heather Lomas, Head Teacher from the school presented on the importance of personalising service to meet the needs of children with complex care needs and the impact this has on positive outcomes in those children. Furthermore she shared the added benefits and outcomes the IM2 Ambassador Programme has had on the school community.

“Our values and principles at BCH firmly embeds UN Conventions of Children’s Rights, the IM2 programme is a step in the right direction in meeting requirements around advocacy and engagement, supporting the facilitation of young people and adults sharing information “Dr Vin Diwakar. Chief Medical Officer, BCH

BCH has already undertaken a lot of work and preparation in ensuring the needs of children, Young people and their families have the opportunity to participate and influence local health services. Tracey Shervington, Head of Nursing LD and CAMHS is leading on a programme of work to ensure staff have the right skills and understanding in meeting needs of disabled children and their families, Janetter Vyse and Jackie Kelly provided an update in children’s engagement programme. Zahid Nawaz, Equality and Human Rights Commission congratulated BCH on signing up to the charter.

 

David Holmes, Director of Human Resources, BCH, thanked participants and delegates who attended the day, he further advocated the need to ensure change will happen through developing a culture of learning, participation and engagement, and moving then towards services becoming responsive and personalised to meet the needs of our young people and children.