(Title Image: NAS Cymru)
Welsh Government launches autism code consultation
Health Minister, Vaughan Gething (Lab, Cardiff S. & Penarth) has launched a public consultation on a new statutory code for autism services.
The new code expects to provide clarity and set minimum expectations for families seeking autism support services, covering diagnosis, accessing care and social services, monitoring and service planning.
The Senedd rejected an Autism Bill introduced by Paul Davies MS (Con, Preseli Pembs.) earlier in the Fifth Senedd.
The consultation is open until 14th December 2020, with all the details available here.
Free school meals provision extended to school pupils who are self-isolating
Free school meals will continue to be provided to school children who need to quarantine during the second wave of Covid-19 following a £420,000 funding boost from the Welsh Government.
During the first wave and school closure period, children eligible for free school meals were provided with substitute meals by local authorities.
Education Minister, Kirsty Williams (Lib Dem, Brecon & Radnor) said: “We have worked tirelessly this year to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and the countless challenges it is has presented but we have not, and will not, forget those for whom school is about far more than education.”
Review launched into the response to home-schooled child death
A review has been launched into the response to the death of a home-school child from malnutrition in 2011. Dylan Seabridge died from scurvy and was unknown to local authority social services, who had no powers to visit him.
There were calls for home-schooled children to be made aware to the authorities, but work on legislation which would require local authorities to maintain a database of children not on the school register has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Children’s Commissioner, Prof. Sally Holland, will lead the review and told BBC Wales: “At the moment, home education throughout the UK is very unregulated, compared to the rest of Europe…. If I don’t look at this decision I’m afraid nobody will and it will get dropped.”
Carmarthen-Aberystwyth rail link “could cost less than first thought”
A pressure group campaigning for a rail link to be restored between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth has said the initial estimated cost (produced by Welsh Government appointed consultants) of £775million, could be cut to £620million, which would improve the cost-benefit ratio and make the project more economically viable.
The original report – commissioned as part of a budget agreement between Labour and Plaid Cymru – concluded that the economic benefit of the link would be very low due to the relatively low populations involved and major engineering challenges.
However, Traws Link Cymru believe the original report neglected new construction techniques and limited the size of the catchment area.
