Compass is Brighton & Hove's database of Children with Special Needs, developed and managed by the community organisation Amaze. The aim of this project was to increase Amaze's capacity to analyse Compass data to help to profile need.

Far too many disabled children and young people continue to face social exclusion. Estimates from national research suggest that up to 55% of disabled children live in poverty, or on its margins, and 10% have a disabled parent.

All local authorities have a statutory duty to keep a register of disabled children. Its purpose is to monitor the quality of local services for disabled children and inform the planning of future services. Registers also have a role to provide an information conduit through which families can receive information from, and give feedback to, the local authority on children’s services and relevant issues.

The Compass is Brighton & Hove’s Database of Children with Special Needs. The Compass is developed and managed by Amaze, a community organisation which offers information, advice and support to parents of children with special needs in Brighton & Hove, empowering them to help their children live fully socially included lives.

Background

Supported by BSCKE funding, the Count Us In project increased Amaze’s capacity to analyse Compass data; secured registrations from under-represented parent groups; illuminated the population’s needs; and revealed potential inequalities in provision. This helped Amaze to profile need and campaign for and influence changes in policy and provision for disabled children and their families.

The project established a partnership between parents of children with special needs, Amaze workers, and academics and students from the School of the Environment at the University of Brighton. A consultancy service was offered to those wanting to develop their own disability registers along a community university partnership model.

Project Partners

Amaze - Amaze gives information, advice and support to parents of children with special needs and disabilities in Brighton & Hove

School of Computing, Mathematics & Information Sciences (now: Computing, Engineering and Mathematics), University of Brighton

School of the Environment and Technology, University of Brighton