Kids is proud to launch a new strategy which will enable us to reach 120,000 disabled young people and their families, every year, by 2027.
In the next five years we will amplify the voices of disabled children and young people, young carers and their families, supporting them to become agents for change and helping to drive Kids forward to achieve equal rights and opportunities.
This is a new chapter in our 50-year history, which is crystallised in a refreshed strapline, vision and mission. A commitment to support and empower disabled children and young people with any disability or special educational need will continue to be at the heart of Kids’ work.
Our plans include co-creating a new national digital hub to connect more disabled young people with their peers and with Kids. We’ll develop new models of support to transform outcomes for under-5s with special educational needs, and explore new ways of providing services with input from families, carers and young people. We’ll also be increasingly pro-active at influencing national and regional policy and practice, advocating for reform at every level.
Kids Chief Executive, Katie Ghose said:
“I am extremely proud to launch our new strategy today after a great deal of hard work by our colleagues to listen to disabled children, young people, their families and young carers. We have acted on these insights to shape a new direction for Kids.”
“It comes before the Government publishes its review of support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (the SEND review). Reforms must be rooted in what disabled children, young people and their families are telling us they require. They are the future and Kids must strengthen their power and agency.”
Kids Chair, Stephen Unwin said:
“By clearly setting out a vision that is founded on rights and opportunities, Kids is saying that having a disability should not stop anyone from having the chance to be supported to achieve what they can.”
“From practical innovations like online spaces to provide support to more young people, navigators to help parents of young children access services, and finding ways to deliver more learning, information and support – Kids is going to make a fantastic difference in the next 5 years.”
Georgia Chambers, a young person who has used Kids services said:
“This strategy really demonstrates the new vision Kids has for children and young people’s voice to be at the heart of its work. It will be exciting to see what developments are made in face-to-face services and the digital hub and how more children, young people and families will be impacted by these opportunities. This can make a massive difference, but to make it work everyone needs to support the ambition and get on board with the plan.”