What the Compass tells us
How things are for our most deprived families
National research shows poorer families are more likely to have disabled children than better off families. The majority of children on The Compass live in the two most deprived areas of Brighton and Hove, in the east and west of the city. Children living here are more than twice as likely to be on The Compass as those in the least deprived areas of the city.
The stress of caring for a disabled child puts extra strain on parents' relationships, so more disabled children live in single parent families. The 2001 Census reveals 27% of families in Brighton and Hove are single parent families. However, 36% of the children on The Compass are looked after by just one parent.
10% of families nationwide with a disabled child actually have two or more disabled children. 11% of families on The Compass have two or more disabled children. Additionally, 29% of children on The Compass have a main carer who considers themselves disabled. For children who also have disabled siblings, this figure rises to 38%.
Leisure
Much research highlights barriers to leisure experienced by children and young people with special needs. Of the services that parents tell us their children need, more leisure services are always near the top of the agenda. In November 2009, we surveyed all the families on The Compass. They told us that although 98% of them felt that leisure was important in their children's lives, only 41% were able to access enough leisure for their children.
Compass reports
The Compass recently produced two detailed analyses, commissioned by the Children and Young People's Trust (CYPT), to help target resources and plan delivery of services for disabled children in Brighton and Hove. One report focuses on the population of disabled children in Brighton and Hove; the other explores in detail families' needs for short breaks and related services.
Compass Report on Population of Disabled Children low res (.pdf - 1385kb)
Author: Jenny Broome-Smith
Date: 16 December 2008
Compass Report on Short Breaks and Related Services (.pdf - 262kb)
Author: Jenny Broome-Smith
Date: 7 October 2008