Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve awareness of cerebral palsy amongst (1) medical generalists, and (2) those working in schools.

The Government has taken a number of steps to support people with cerebral palsy.

Health Education England is mandated to develop training for general practitioners to develop a special interest in the care of young people with long-term conditions. We have also funded the development of Paediatric Care online, a resource for supporting the clinical workforce across the full range of children’s health issues.

The Government funded the development of Disability Matters (launched in February 2015). This is an e-learning tool to improve the skills of anyone working to support the needs of people with a disability or complex need (of all ages), and can be used by teachers and health professionals.

The Government has introduced a new statutory framework for children and young people with special educational needs and disability, which requires clinical commissioning groups and local authorities to make joint arrangements to ensure a co-ordinated assessment of needs. The new approach will greatly improve integrated working across specialist health, education (either in mainstream or special schools), and social care, to deliver improved outcomes for the child.

There are no current plans to introduce a national register of children with cerebral palsy.