For children with cerebral palsy (CP), the condition can have a huge impact, but it doesn’t need to limit their potential, as one charity proves.
We’re proud to announce a new partnership with CPotential, which offers a ‘one-stop-shop’ of integrated holistic therapies and services for young people and children with mobility conditions.
We caught up with Brett Parker, CPotential’s CEO, to find out more about the charity and the crucial support they provide.
When and why was CPotential set up?
CPotential’s journey began in 1963 as The Hornsey Trust, later known as the London Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy and Woodstar School. The trust was formed to provide a physical place of support for disabled children in north London.
As time went by, more and more families from neighbouring boroughs and beyond heard of the trust’s support and achievements, and it continued to grow.
With a gap in local special educational needs provision, the unique holistic learning method of conductive education came into its own at the core of the trust’s services. Soon, sessional services such as music therapy and independent living were also under its wing.
Over the years, despite challenges within the charity and disability sectors, CPotential has continued to evolve and develop. They’ve introduced more and more therapies and support for families to access all under one roof.
The charity have listened to considerable feedback about gaps in service provision and ever-growing funding challenges for children’s specialist care. As a result, CPotential today is an extensive one-stop-shop of holistic rehabilitation services.
How do you support people with cerebral palsy?
Our mission is to provide services that are integrated in modality, embedded within the community and accessible to all regardless of financial circumstances or geography. Modalities include:
- Physiotherapy
- Constraint induced movement therapy
- Conductive education
- Occupational therapy
- Music therapy
- Wellbeing and counselling
- Family legal, educational, and financial support services.
How has the pandemic affected the charity?
In March 2020, we were launching our plan to expand the range of services and provide integrated holistic support for our clients and their families/carers. The pandemic halted this.
In July 2020, we decided to move forward with the changes needed, equipping our centre and recruiting new staff accordingly. We launched new services in October 2020.
COVID safety precautions reduced our operating capacity by 40%, and severely undermined our fundraising activity. But by pushing ahead with our pre-pandemic change strategy during this time we’re now extremely well placed to drive forward.
What impact has the pandemic had on those you support?
The pandemic has had a significant effect on children with cerebral palsy and their families, and sadly our families went without our vital service provision and support during the initial lockdown stages.
Statistics from the Disabled Children’s Partnership show 71% of disabled children have seen their conditions and development worsen. This was representative of feedback we received from some of our families.
70% of children are still unable to access pre-pandemic levels of therapies and health services.
What are your future plans for CPotential?
Our vision is to provide services that are integrated in modality, embedded within the community and accessible to all regardless of financial circumstances or geography. Key components of our strategic plan are the:
- Delivery of services within the community, peripatetically
- Expansion of therapy hubs geographically within the UK utilising integrated modalities and cutting-edge rehabilitation technology
- Development of additional services for older children and young adults.
We’ll also be introducing speech and language therapy to our rehabilitation services very soon.
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