Drop-in event showcases support for children with disabilities

A drop-in event organised by Shropshire Council will provide the opportunity to find out more about support available from voluntary and other organisations for children with disabilities and their families.

Parents and carers of children and young people with disabilities are invited to the Market Place Day, at Shirehall in Shrewsbury, on Friday 7 December 2012 from 9am to 1pm.

People who work with children and young people with disabilities are also urged to come along, take a look around the stands and chat to representatives from the different voluntary, community, charitable and other organisations.

Shropshire Council’s youth support services, Taking Part, Through The Doorway to Healthy Living and The Marches Family Network are among the organisations and services that will be brought together at the event, which takes place in Shirehall’s Council Chamber.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for disability, said:

“We want to make sure that people with disabilities, their families and carers, and the people they work with, have all the information they need on the support available.

“We are running a pilot with a number of families with children with disabilities to see how they could benefit from more personalised support through using a personal budget.  We are looking at how personal budgets can give families more choice over which services will meet their needs, so it is particularly important that they know about the range of options they can choose from.

“We would encourage people to come along and ‘shop around’; visitors can spend as much or as little time as they like browsing the stands and talking to people from the different organisations.”

Other Market Place Day events were held at Shirehall in August and October 2012.

For more details about the event please call 01743 253798 or email miriam.parker@shropshire.gov.uk.

Further information

Personal budgets – click here

Taking Part – http://www.takingpart.co.uk

Through the Doorway to Healthy Living – http://www.throughthedoorway.btck.co.uk

The Marches Family Network – http://www.marchesfamilynetwork.co.uk