Neurodivergent Children & Housing
Neurodivergent Children & Housing
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The Housing Workstream is part of STAND’s Empowerment Project, which aims to improve how society respects and protects the rights of neurodivergent children, their families, and carers, and to drive stronger rights where they are needed.
This workstream focuses on ensuring that local authorities and housing associations in Scotland properly consider the needs of neurodivergent children when allocating social housing and discharging their duties around homelessness.
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Lead Empowerment Champion - Amanda Wilson (Haddington)
Lead Empowerment Champion - Amanda Wilson (Haddington)
As a parent in a neurodivergent household, Amanda has first-hand experience of the challenges families face when trying to evidence and explain the needs of autistic children, and children with with complex learning disabilities or other neurodevelopmental conditions.
Through navigating her own family’s housing journey, Amanda realised that many other families were facing similar barriers. Her goal is to empower neurodivergent children's families to assert their rights and to engage with the people and organisations who make housing decisions.
What is the issue?
What is the issue?
Too often, housing policies and procedures fail to recognise the specific nature of neurodivergent children’s needs. As a result, families can be unfairly deprioritised compared to those with visible or physical disabilities. We have also seen examples of decision-making processes lacking in transparency.
What's the plan?
What's the plan?
The Housing Workstream's Objectives are to:
assess current policy and practice across Scottish local authorities.
identify the most pressing issues affecting neurodivergent children and families in relation to social housing and homelessness.
audit compliance with equalities legislation across local authorities in Scotland.
understand and be able to explain the legal framework governing social housing in Scotland.
produce accessible materials to help families understand their housing rights.
engage with key stakeholders across housing, local government, and the third sector.
raise awareness of housing rights for neurodivergent children and their families.
How can you help?
How can you help?
You can share information with us about your experiences with neurodivergent children and housing by emailing us at empowerment@standuk.co.uk.
You can give us feedback on your experiences with particular local authorities or social landlords.
You can alert us to unfair or discriminatory policies or decisions.
You can offer to volunteer with us to help out with the Empowerment Project.
You can contact your local MSP and copy us to the correspondence so we can start piecing together the bigger picture across Scotland. If you wish to do this, please copy empowerment@standuk.co.uk into the correspondence.
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How can we help you?
How can we help you?
We can share information about our ongoing correspondence with the Scottish Government, local authorities and other bodies.
We can share information about FOI requests that we have received.
We can develop materials and share them with you when we have managed to do so, to help empower you to challenge unfair decisions and to advocate for your children and yourselves.
Contact Us
Contact Us
Please email us at empowerment@standuk.co.uk if you would like to get in touch about the ND Children and Housing Workstream, or any other aspect of the Empowerment Project.
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