I’m Kirstie and I am mum to Mirren who is five and Fraser who will be four this month. Fraser was diagnosed with cerebral palsy just before his first birthday.
Apply for Better Start
Better Start is open to children with cerebral palsy age 2-14, with places funded by National Lottery Community Fund available for those living in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area. This includes families from: East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.
We will be able to see a number of children from other areas if they are a strong fit for the programme, with support from other funders.
The project is fully-funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and others funders, so is free for families taking part.
What is Better Start?
Children and their families will work with our team of specialist therapists over the course of a number of sessions.
Therapists will support each child and their family to solve everyday problems – daily activities or things the child might find challenging because of their cerebral palsy.
Sessions will be personalised and tailored to suit each child’s individual needs, and those of the wider family and support network.
The aim is to ensure each child participating in Better Start becomes better connected and confident within their own family and school community, and feel more able to take control of their lives.
Sessions will also support families to help them know how best to support and enable their child to achieve to the best of their ability.
How can I apply for a place on Better Start?
Please get in touch to find out how you can get involved. Contact us on info@cpscot.org.uk or call 0141 352 5000.
We issue our Annual Review with a call to give people with cerebral palsy support and services
On World Cerebral Palsy Day, Cerebral Palsy Scotland has issued their Annual Review with a call for an urgent plan to #StampOutTheGap and give everyone with cerebral palsy in Scotland the help, support and services they need.
The Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, NHS Scotland and our Local Authorities should listen to the voices of those with cerebral palsy and their families and understand that seeing people with cerebral palsy in person is an essential service.
Read Cerebral Palsy Scotland Annual Review 2021
Chief Executive of Cerebral Palsy Scotland, Stephanie Fraser said:
“I have enormous admiration for all the team at Cerebral Palsy Scotland and those in the front line of the NHS who strive day and daily to be there for those who need support.
“But, for those with cerebral palsy, the system is simply not good enough and our survey work has vividly shown just how hard the pandemic has hit them.
“60% of people with cerebral palsy say their mental health has been negatively affected. Decline in wellbeing was not restricted to the person with cerebral palsy but 44% felt that it had also impacted on other people in the family. 43% of people are reporting that their physical health continues to deteriorate. 63% reported that their care arrangements had still not returned to pre-Covid levels.
“At a time when those living with cerebral palsy and their families needed greater help than ever before, too many people were given less assistance, not more. We have done all we can to be there for those who need us but the backup that they, we, and healthcare professionals need has been conspicuous by its absence.
“Children with cerebral palsy shouldn’t be routinely left with home schooling without help – they need in person support tailored to meet their needs, and adults in chronic pain need bespoke in person advice.
“For some, services have not been available at all. In many cases, people have felt completely abandoned and in crisis with families and adults under huge pressure.
“And there is a gaping hole in how we treat people with cerebral palsy here in Scotland. Our children do get some help and support but as soon as they reach adulthood they are left in limbo by the system. We at Cerebral Palsy Scotland do all we can to bridge that gap, but our health and social services need to do better.
“Scotland is a first world country. We don’t have to put up with a second rate service. It is time to #StampOutTheGap.
“Scotland must do more and we must do better. We need to get back to seeing more people in person.
“And we must go further. NICE guidelines for adults with cerebral palsy already exist in the rest of the UK. They include the goal that everyone with cerebral palsy should be able to access a review by a cerebral palsy specialist at least once a year. However, there is no plan for how these guidelines will be implemented.
“So we ask that guidelines are adopted and implemented here in Scotland and Cerebral Palsy Scotland stands ready to help make this a reality.
“If we can get this right, the benefits are enormous: more people living more active lives and making a bigger contribution to their communities and country.
“But put even more simply, it is the right thing to do in a caring society.”
What’s your reason for supporting World Cerebral Palsy Day?
October 6 marks World Cerebral Palsy Day. This is the day people around the world come together to celebrate and support those living with cerebral palsy, embrace diversity and help create a more accessible future for everyone.
The theme for the day is #MillionsOfReasons – as cerebral palsy affects more than 17 million people worldwide, there are millions of reasons to support the day and make your voice heard on October 6.
What you can do
- Share your own reason for supporting the day on social media
- Add your reason to the World Cerebral Palsy Day online map
- Wear green on the day and tell everyone why
Head over to Bernie’s blog on our website to find out more about how you can support World Cerebral Palsy Day.
What is World Cerebral Palsy Day?
World Cerebral Palsy Day is a movement of people with cerebral palsy and their families, and the organisations that support them, in more than 75 countries.
The World Cerebral Palsy Day vision is to ensure that children and adults with cerebral palsy have the same rights, access and opportunities as anyone else in our society.
#MillionsOfReasons to support World Cerebral Palsy Day
Cerebral Palsy Scotland volunteer Bernie Hunter has produced this fantastic video for World Cerebral Palsy Day. Watch the video to find out why Danielle, Jess and Bernie are supporting the day.
In these blogs, Bernie, Marion and Jack share their stories and their personal reasons for supporting World Cerebral Palsy Day.
“This is such an important date in the calendar” – Bernie explains what World Cerebral Palsy Day is and how you can get involved in raising awareness on 6 October.
“I often wonder if there’s enough knowledge about cerebral palsy out there” – Read why Marion is supporting World Cerebral Palsy Day.
“Just because you have CP this should not stand in your way of following your dreams” – Read why Jack is supporting World Cerebral Palsy Day.
We’re making some noise on Heart and Capital
We are really pleased to announce that Cerebral Palsy Scotland has been selected by Global’s Make Some Noise as one of the small charities they will be supporting this year through their Make Some Noise Day on Friday 8 October.
Global runs some of the best known radio stations in the UK, including Heart, Capital and Smooth.
Every year, the stations come together to raise money for small charities across the country through their Make Some Noise appeal day.
Between Monday 4 – Friday 8 October, Heart and Capital presenters will be raising money and awareness to support the work of Cerebral Palsy Scotland and all this year’s chosen charities – so please listen in and support us if you can.
Listen out for us on the radio!
Heart Breakfast with Jamie and Amanda: 4 October
Heart Breakfast presenters Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden will be broadcasting live from Glasgow on Monday 4 October. They will be chatting with our CEO Stephanie Fraser about our work sometime between 08.15-09.00.
Stephanie will be joined by Francesca, whose son Daniel (pictured below) regularly comes to Cerebral Palsy Scotland. Francesca will be speaking about how Daniel benefits from the specialist therapy he gets here.
On the show, Amanda and Jamie will also be giving listeners the chance to win one of five cars to raise money for Global’s Make Some Noise – you can enter the competition and donate here.
Heart Drivetime and Capital
Listen out next week for Stephanie and Francesca on the Heart Drivetime show with Des Clarke and Jennifer Reoch, and on Capital too. To find out when we’re on, keep an eye on our social media channels (links below) for details.
Supporting babies and their families
Money raised by listeners to Global’s Make Some Noise appeal will be going to support our work with babies and their families in 2022.
Providing early therapy intervention to young children with cerebral palsy is so important in supporting their motor development and communication.
In 2018, Cerebral Palsy Scotland started a fortnightly baby group, bringing babies and their families together with our team of specialist Bobath therapists in relaxed, fun sessions.
Our baby group is not running at the moment due to Covid restrictions on group activities and social distancing regulations, but we will get the group started again as soon as we can.
In the meantime our therapists are still seeing children aged 0-2 individually. For more information on how your baby can be seen by our therapy team, please contact us.