Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the all-party Parliamentary group on cerebral palsy’s report, Early identification, intervention and pathways of care of infants and young children with cerebral palsy: The case for reform and investment, published in March 2021, what plans he has to assign each family an independent partner within their child development team or from a specialist voluntary provider who is a qualified professional with knowledge of cerebral palsy and who is able to provide monitoring, in-reach, information, and support to the family and help them to refer to and co-ordinate services.

Local delivery models of Child Development Teams vary and local authorities are encouraged to use the national commissioning guidance. The skill mix in any given area will vary depending on local needs, as this is because it should be led by health needs of a population and geographical areas. We will continue to work with the Local Government Association, professional bodies, and locally through Public Health England centres, to share evidence and guidance that allows councils to make the best decisions to meet local need.