(2) which local authorities did not meet the readiness criteria for the distribution of Aiming High for Disabled Children short breaks funding by March 2009.
The Department has contracted with the organisation Together for Disabled Children (TDC) to support local authorities and primary care trusts in improving short break services.
Early in 2008 the Department asked those local authorities that fell outside of short break pathfinder areas to undertake preparatory work on short break service reform, ahead of receipt of major new funding from April 2009. Nine criteria were set against which robust preparation could be measured.
TDC informs us that by March 2009, 15 authorities had met six, seven or eight of the criteria, these were: Brent, Hackney, Havering, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Darlington, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, St. Helens, Warrington, Southampton, Kirklees, Wiltshire
Three non-pathfinder local authorities had met less than six criteria, these were: City of London, Oldham, Sheffield.
The remaining 111 non-pathfinders authorities met all the criteria.
TDC also reports that as of the end of June 2009, 122 of the 129 non-pathfinder areas had met all nine criteria, a further six had met eight criteria, while one authority had yet to meet four criteria.
The short break national programme has now moved beyond the preparation stage and all areas have received short break funding. Readiness criteria are not being applied to the 2010-11 financial year, however TDC continue to concentrate their resource on those authorities where progress is slowest, and are providing remedial support where readiness criteria remain unmet.