Lewis call to join up child services

Local agencies need to be placed under new requirements to create joined-up services for disabled children, the care services minister said last week.

 Ivan Lewis (pictured) told a parliamentary hearing on disabled children and transition that local “levers” were needed to force integration.

He said the state would end up facing extra costs if parents were “ground down” by the system and were unable to continue caring for their children.

Lewis admitted the system was “not organised in the right way” to support many disabled people and help them into employment.