CE centre appears on Children in Need

 I have just been checking on CE Centre newsletters and found an exciting event for one centre flagged up.

Every year in November a big fundraising event takes place in the UK for Children in Need,  the BBC's UK corporate charity which aims to  'make a real difference to the lives of children all across the UK'.  This is broadcast on BBC television on a Friday night and took place this year last Friday, 18 November. Various 'celebrities' take part by doing 'silly things' and viewers are asked to pledge money for the cause.

In the latest issue of the newsletter of Steps Conductive Education Centre( in Leicestershire), it is stated that  this year  a film of the work of  the centre was chosen to be included. What a marvellous opportunity for Steps -  and Conductive Education in the UK.

http://www.stepscentre.org/AssetLibrary/Newsletter/Nov%202011%20Newsletter.pdf

In the past Children in Need  donated funds to the Foundation for Conductive Education's children's services at the  National Institute of Conductive Education, and there may be othe centres who have received help in this way. Perhaps the film was shown as example of how the money raised last year was spent - I don't know as I did not see the programme.

I do hope, however, that  all went well  and film did get broadcast and was seen by many, especially parents looking for help for their children.

Funding for Conductive Education in Australia in the news

I have just returned from a week way to discover quite a bit has been happening in Conductive Education, and in particular, the row about the funding of the services provided at Carson Street School in Australia.

Withdawal of funding from the government was announced due to the conclusion of a report on the system and a number of parents protested. This was followed by a report of 'doctoring' of the report and finally today an announcement that the funding will continue after all.

I have collected together the links to these stories on the Internet for those interested and they appear below.


http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/9642440/parents-of-disabled-take-on-minister/

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/parents-children-appeal-to-education-minister-for-their-funding-back-20110614-1g1df.html
Parents protest at withdrawal of funds for school in Australia

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/14/3243748.htm
Education Minister to review withdrawal of funds in Australia

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/education-minister-under-investigation-over-doctored-report-20110622-1gf45.html
Minister is accused of doctoring report on CE in Australia

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/special-features/disabled-childrens-program-to-continue-despite-alleged-doctored-report/story-e6frg19l-1226080815087
Minister announces that funding will now continue for Carson Street in Australia

http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-news/Stoush-over-school-report/7594876/
More on doctoring of report.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/disabled-funding-cut-as-report-doctored/story-fn59niix-1226080888634
'Doctoring' of report may be investigated.

Andrew Sutton has also blogged these developments.


http://www.conductive-world.info/2011/06/politicking-in-western-australia.html

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1540593482

Internet News no. 19, 2011

Its that time of the month again and I have to say the same as usual, that there has been very little news about Conductive Education except for the demise of the NICE/Wolverhampton Conductive Education degree as reported on Conductive World  and  Educacao Condutiva.

http://www.conductive-world.info/2011/03/conductor-training-at-nice.html

http://educacaocondutiva.blogspot.com/2011/04/revista-special-children-relata-curso.html

Most other items all report visits or fundraising initiatives for individual children or centres. Perhaps next month will be different.

If I have missed anything, please do let me know.



http://www.andrew-mitchell-mp.co.uk/content/president-sutton-coldfield%E2%80%99s-parkinson%E2%80%99s-uk-branch-andrew-mitchell-mp-visits-conductive-educ
Local MP visits NICE adults services in Birmingham


http://media.www.therotundaonline.com/media/storage/paper1354/news/2011/03/09/Features/5k.Run.To.Support.Joshua.Bolt-3984349.shtml
5k run as fundraiser to contribute to CE for a little boy.


http://israelity.com/2011/03/06/nostalgia-sunday-hakol-over-habibi/
Fundraising event for Tsad Kadima in Israel.


http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3037213
Report of adopted little boy needing funds to ensure his place at Strive CE centre, Barrie, Ontario.


http://ofallon.patch.com/articles/kalebs-journey-ofallon-fundraiser-to-raise-awareness-of-child-abuse
Fundraising for little boy in Missouri


http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/family-affair-duah-matta-rehovot-1.350009
Report of life as a conductor in Israel


http://www.wigantoday.net/lifestyle/what-s-on/still_time_to_sign_up_for_ramble_1_3216722
Sponsored ramble in aid of Rainbow House, Cheshire, UK



http://www.beachcroft.co.uk/article.aspx?id_Content=2044
Birmingham lawyers supporting Foundation for Conductive Education lottery.


http://www.maerkischeallgemeine.de/cms/beitrag/11943864/61129/Konzept-fuer-Integrationskita-vorgestellt-Ex-Buergermeister-wirbt-mit.html
New CE services may be on the way in Potsdam, Germany


http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/legal-business/2011/03/03/irwin-mitchell-in-national-institute-of-conductive-education-charity-drive-65233-28273952/
Lawyers, Irwin Mitchell, support for NICE open day on16 March


http://www.midnorthmonitor.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3051460
Fundraiser for little boy to go to CE camp in Ontario


http://cecmd.com/flyers/2011WalkathonSheet.pdf
Flyer for entering Walk-a-Thon in aid of CE Center of Detroit


http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/local-to-you/find-local-branches/south-west/bristol/bristol---events.aspx
CE sessions for adults in Bristol arranged for March and August


http://katiesstemcellstory.blogspot.com/2011/03/conductive-education-in-phoenix.html
A parent reports on fundraising for a summer camp in Phoenix


http://rainbowramble.blogspot.com/2011/03/not-long-to-go.html
Call for people to support the Rainbow Ramble in aid of Rainbow House in Cheshire, UK


http://workingwithspecialneedschildren.edusped.com/the-pace-centre-a-charity-for-children-with-physical-disabilities-such-as-cerebral-palsy/
Call for funds to support the PACE Centre in Aylesbury, Bucks, UK.

Where does the money go?

I have seen an item in the Third Sector magazine reporting the launch of a new website. This website will provide details of charities' expenditure, breaking down how much goes on administration and how much on the actual work. As many CE centres in the UK operate as charities this presents an opportunity to let potential donors  know exactly where their money will go.

http://thirdsector.co.uk/News/MostRead/1034535/Charity-comparison-site-go-live/

Charities will be able to set up a microsite to enable donations to be made direct to them, but the host site will charge an administration fee for this. See the above link for further details.

Good news and bad news from New Zealand

There has been an announcement that the New Zealand government has done a U-turn on their decision to cut funding for specialist units in schools. This has now been reinstated for all those children currently receiving help, but unfortunately, those new pupils coming in to the schools will not be eligible.

For further details see

www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/2754908Therapy-battle-won

More information on Conductive Education in New Zealand

Following on from my previous posting, there is a detailed note of the situation in New Zealand in the NZ Foundation for Conductive Education Newsletter which has just been published on their website.

The newsletter also contains interesting reports on what is happening in the various centres and units plus plans for the future.

http://www.conductiveeducationinformation.org/2009/07/update-on-situation-in-new-zealand.html

http://www.conductive-education.org.nz/Newsletter.pdf

Update on situation in New Zealand

I have had an update on the situation in New Zealand which was a little unclear from reading the newspaper reports. Apparently it is not as bad as first thought. I have received the following explanation of the situation and it is reproduced here with kind permission from Dave Ching:

The recent government budget included cutting a therapy entitlement for all school facilities catering for the physically disabled including the 3 Conductive Education facilities based in primary schools in NZ. .....not all of the funding, just some. This was a funding allocation that was given in 2001 on a transitional basis for a three year period while a major research was to be carried out to ascertain the level of funding support that was necessary to support profoundly disabled students in school facilities that cater for the such students. The major research project on behalf of the Ministry of Education was carried out by Cath Wylie and became known as the Wylie Report (Wylie, 2000). This was released in August 2000 and in October 2000 the decision was announced by the MOE in October of that year and implemented from the start of 2001. The particular recommendation from that Wylie Report that resulted in this therapy entitlement is quoted below:

"I recommend the creation of a top-up funding pool for the next three years, to provide security for planning and employment. This pool is likely to cost between $1.5 to 2 million per annum. Funding should be given on the basis that the schools will contribute to a shared data base of case studies to develop a clearer understanding of the outcomes and costs of reasonable provision for different students, so that sound decisions can be made after the three year period.”

Note the reference to the suggested collection of case studies to establish criteria on which those sound decisions would be based. That data was collected over the 3 years and a report compiled. The report did not include outcomes.....it was obviously up to the MOE to create those outcomes from the data and put in place some long term entitlements. However the Ministry never came to any conclusions and the entitlement was rolled over each year until the present ......when it is to be scrapped from the beginning of next year. This funding was given as an entitlement to employ therapists (Occupational, Physio & speech) in 26 facilities through NZ. In the case of the 3 Conductive Education school facilities this therapy entitlement was cashed up and the money used to employ the conductors. The government made a commitment that at the end of the 3 year period, outcomes and long term decisions would be made as to the funding levels these facilities would attract. This commitment was never honoured and at the end of this 3 year period, the therapy entitlement was "rolled over" each year through to the present day.

This promised research was never acted on, nor did any outcomes result. With a new government being elected they have just cut that funding entitlement in the budget.

I stress that this only effects 3 of our 10 units.

Meetings are being held with Ministry of Education officials and Government Ministers in the hope of getting the decision reversed. If that cannot happen it is intended to try to find alternative funding for those 3 facilities. The units will not close. To keep the conductors it may mean less teachers for example.

The August newsletter of the New Zealand Foundation to be sent out next week will give a clearer background to the issue.

Since receiving the above I have been told that one unit at Naenae Primary School in Lower Hutt is now is covered for next year, they have found a way of filling the gaps.

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/66158/minister-reassuring-special-needs

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/2518930/114-000-cut-from-budget/

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/national-news/2510497/Cash-pledge-on-disabled-unit

Wylie, C. (2000) Picking up the pieces. Review of special education 2000. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

http://www.executive.govt.nz/minister/dalziel/wylie_review.pdf