Core Objectives and Action Planning Grids

Appendix 1

Core Objectives and Action Planning Grids

Introduction:

There are two grids attached, one for physical disability and a separate one for sensory. There are different tasks allocated to these groups as well as overlaps. It is important that sensory is given an equal priority alongside physical disability and that we plan for both.These grids lay out the key tasks, findings from the consultation and what stepsneed to be taken next.

To highlight, for the first year these tasks are:

To establish a Physical Disability and Sensory Need Commissioning Group to finalise the draft action plan with regards to roles, responsibilities and timescales. A detailed needs analysis will be undertaken as a first priority and targets agreed for all objectives of the strategy;

To have a programme of supported living in the community for young people with a physical disability. We also need to plan for the community support around communication needs for those with a sensory need i.e. housing support workers with specialist knowledge and skills;

To raise the profile of the Castle Project and review the County Wide Home Finder post for physical disability to include development of this post, so that this work can contribute to the evolution of supported living and moving young people from residential settings into the community;

To have a more joined up approach to transition for young people with a physical disability and sensory need, to ensure their needs are not overlooked;

To review the Communication Support Unit and move the management of this Unit;

To involve users and carers in our planning and development of services for younger people with physical disabilities and sensory needs;

To review the provision of respite care and rehabilitation.

081204 Adult Care & Health Cabinet Panel

Item 3 Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Objective / Purpose / Findings from Consultation / Action to be taken forward / Who is involved? / Timescale
1.
INDEPENDENT LIVING AND ACCOMMODATION
To increase the range and choice of accommodation to enable people to live independently with an appropriate level and flexible care package to pursue their lifestyle in the local community.(Also links to Direct Payments & Residential care) / This objective is about encouraging and facilitating a range of different options for people to choose how they wish to live their lives.
Promoting independence and extending opportunities for more personalised care. Independent living is not just about being able to live in your own home, but is about providing disabled people with choice, empowerment, and freedom. /

A number of people wanted their own home with support.
People wanted support to help them with Housing and getting on the Housing list.
Users & Carers felt there were very few living options for people with Physical Disabilities in Hertfordshire.
People commented that they needed a large care package to live independently and even with Direct Payments they were only managing because they were living at home with parents.

Castle Project to be given a higher profile.
Linking the work of the County Wide Homefinder post to the Castle Project and moving these young people into the community.
To identify links with other District Councils to share the model of the Castle Project in other parts of the county and to discuss the process of moving young disabled people onto the housing register.
Needs analysis and researching suitability of mainstream housing, the range of housing and housing related support.

Castle Project Steering Group profile to be raised and the membership of this group reviewed.
All Castle Project Group members, District Councils, Area Managers, County Wide Home Finder and others to be sought.
Links to be established with accommodation group.

Decisions on Castle Project by June 2008
Review of Home Finder post by September 2008
Engagement of District Councils and other Housing reps to be established from April 2008

DIRECT PAYMENTS & INDIVIDUAL BUDGETS - linked to Objective 1. above / Direct Payments supports young people in the community and enables them to live independently. /

Users wanted to know what they could use Direct Payments for.
A lot of people said there was not enough money to go to college or do social things, after they had paid for their care needs.
Felt the level was too low.
Other people wanted to use the money for equipment/holidays.
'Rules' not clear on what you can spend Direct Payments on.

Self-Directed Support Team to ensure that clearer information is relayed to users via operational staff.

Clear and transparent guidance on Individual Budgets and demonstrating the flexibility to spending the money.

Self-Directed Support Board & Team and Operational Managers to ensure that staff are well briefed and good communication exists from the top down.

Transparent and clear information by September 2008

Core Objectives and Action Planning for Physical Disability

Objective / Purpose / Findings from Consultation / Action to be taken forward / Who is involved? / Timescale
2.
TRANSITION INTO ADULTHOOD
To support the complexity of a transfer from a service provided to children to a service provided to a young adult to achieve independent living and social inclusion / This objective is about supporting young disabled people through their move into adulthood and subsequently into adult services.
They often face disabling social, attitudinal, and environmental barriers, which cause disruption and anxiety. All this works to prevent the achievement of independent living and social inclusion /

Many people felt there was a big gap moving from CSF to ACS, Communication was poor and a lot of people commented that they 'fell out of the system at 16'.
Connexions provided a good service, but some people felt that 14 years was too young to be planning their lives.

That the arrangements for a transition team are taken forward and that young people with physical disabilities are not marginalised.
Connexions are keen to undertake work with ACS in supporting young people around some activities e.g. internet cafés or information points.

Establish strong links between new transition team and PD & SN Commissioning Group

Meeting with Connexions to explore information hot spots for young people by July 2008

3.
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR
To work jointly on a modernisation programme closely linked to our work on the strategies / The Voluntary Sector has been for many years a support arm of the local authority; in some instances, they provide alternative services to current statutory services.
The modernisation programme with, The White Paper and ‘Improving the Life chances of Disabled People’ is promoting the rights and choices of disabled people and involving them in the different types and level of support they wish to see. /

Good feedback about H.A.D. on their driving lessons and transport.
Lots of people not aware of the Voluntary Organisations and what they can provide.
A number of people asked about advocacy and what support they could have.
Comments made that they provide for older people and not young people

Review of the Voluntary Sector funding for people with physical disabilities to focus on the development of creative initiatives that young people themselves wish to partake in. e.g. Internet cafés, information points
To explore advocacy of a specialist nature via POhWER for this group?
To explore development of user led organisations

All Voluntary Groups both county wide and smaller ones to be considered to work within the Planning Group.

Physical Disability & Sensory needs Commissioning Group to be established and this group will have strong links to take the work forward

Core Objectives and Action Planning for Physical Disability

Objective / Purpose / Findings from Consultation / Action to be taken forward / Who is involved? / Timescale
4.
COMMUNICATION
Is about an on-going dialogue involving users/carers and partners at all stages of our strategies, planning and delivery of services / Concerned with having an ongoing participation with our users, carers, and partner organisations and using creative and accessible means of communication.
We should be involving these people in planning and shaping the way services are reviewed and provided in the future. /

Concerns about how to contact ACS.
Better sign posting required and users would like to have regular meetings and to be involved in shaping services for the future.

Planning Group to be set up involving users and members of ACS with some clear actions arising out of the first year action plan (see attached).

Quarterly planning group involving users & staff from ACS & CSF & Connexions. To be discussed further.

Establish a Partnership Board for people with Physical Disabilities by September 2008

5.
ADAPTATIONS,
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, EQUIPMENT AND INDEPENDENCE
Is about integrating this into a more person centred and tailored approach with our assessment and care management process / As part of developing our services to provide more flexible support to encourage people to live more independently, the role of technology, equipment and adaptations are critical to supporting people in the community /

Many people wanted to use Direct Payments for equipment or to buy a wheelchair.
Whilst Direct Payments overall were seen as very positive, people wanted more flexibility over how they could spend the money.

Setting up a group to discuss this further and establishlinks to H.E.S. and Telecare
Review the provision of equipment

Ted Maddex, Barry Fearon and members of the Self Directed support team

To be discussed further from April 2008

Core Objectives and Action Planning for Physical Disability

Objective / Purpose / Findings from Consultation / Action to be taken forward / Who is involved? / Timescale
6.
EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING
Needs to incorporate employment as part of an overall support package to younger people / This is a key recommendation in ‘Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People’; it requires a number of partners to work together to enable employment for disabled people to become a real option.
The Disability Equality Duty requirement if put into practice will enforce change. The benefits of employment for disabled people is that it provides a positive self image, creates opportunities for an improved quality of life and provides a range of choices and independence /

Users told us that they had difficulty in accessing work.
There was also a lack of information on how to get work, what training was needed.
A number of users told us that they would like more Direct Payments to enable them undertake a college course and use Direct Payments to get a driver to take them to and from college.

Work Solutions Team to become more involved with Physical Disability Users.
Access to information about employment and training to be improved.
Area Teams to identify young people with disabilities who are seeking out employment.

Group Membership to be decided following further discussion from April 2008

To be discussed from April 2008 when the Physical Disability & Sensory needs Commissioning Group is established

7.
PEOPLE WITH LONG TERM CONDITIONS
To develop services for this group of people / This is concerned with supporting people who have either acquired a long-term condition or become newly disabled. A range of support is needed for this group of people who may well be going through major changes and need a number of supportive partners/agencies working together to provide robust care pathways /

Meetings of Headway are too far away if you live in the other side of the county.
Not enough support.

Planning Group to be set up with Headway, Users & Carers & Service Solution Teams.
Review provision of respite and rehabilitation.

Possibility of the Physical Disability Partnership Board to take this forward, with links with Health and other specialists

To be discussed from April 2008

Core Objectives and Action Planning for Physical Disability

Objective / Purpose / Findings from Consultation / Action to be taken forward / Who is involved? / Timescale
8.
RESIDENTIAL CARE
This was part of the consultation and has a link to many of the headings in this report.
(Links to Objective 1.) / To review placements of people with Physical Disabilities in residential care and undertake an analysis of the expenditure of this user group and to assess if this money could be better spent developing services in the community. /

Not many places take younger people.
Reviews are infrequent.
Given choice would prefer to live in Hertfordshire near parents.
Too many people living out of county because of lack of resources.
Some people not offered a choice only residential care

County Wide Home Finder post to be reviewed to consider a wider remit of involvement and planning for services for younger people in the community.

Reviews to be undertaken annually of all people in residential care.

Area Management Teams.

County Wide Home Finder
Planning & Commissioning Manager PD/SN /

To be discussed in the Physical Disability & Sensory needs Commissioning Group as part of efficiency savings from April 2008

Core Objectives and Action Planning for Sensory Needs

Objective / Purpose / Findings from Consultation / Action to be taken forward / Who is involved? / Timescale
1.
COMMUNICATION
To ascertain information from this group of people by using appropriate means of communication to empower people with a sensory need / This objective is about empowerment and encouraging people having the right to ‘voice’ their views and wishes if they want to be able to have a life with choice, empowerment and freedom. Without appropriate means of communication, we fail to engage with people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf blind and those with a visual impairment and they become a ‘forgotten minority group’ /

People said they received very little information, Social Workers used to visit Deaf Clubs now they do not any more.
The call centre does not use type talk, so we (Deaf people) cannot use it.
More Deaf people have mobiles, so should be able to text the call centre.

To set up information points or use the Deaf Clubs to ensure that people are consulted with up to date information.
Publication of a newsletter aimed at the Deaf community

Sensory Services Team & Service Solutions Team & Deaf Clubs

Following the establishment of a Partnership Board for Sensory Needs - to explore this and take steps to implement this by December 2008

2.
COMMUNICATION SUPPORT UNIT (CSU)
To move the unit management of the CSU from the Sensory Team to ensure greater confidentiality and undertake some analysis, to discuss a range of options to make the CSU an independent business unit / This objective is about supporting the work of the Communication Support Unit; (CSU). This unit is crucial for people with a sensory need to be able to access ordinary everyday services and contacts. Hospitals, dentists, tax offices, benefit agencies; become extremely difficult when services are not accessible i.e. as a Deaf person going to the District Council to discuss your housing needs and no Sign Language Interpreter being provided.
The C.S.U. provides a service to people who require support to access for Deaf/deaf people, deafened and deaf/blind people by providing Sign Language Interpreters, Lip Speakers, Speech to Text reporters, deaf blind communicators /

The CSU should be a private agency, separate from ACS but linked
Deaf people wanted to know why this recommendation which was agreed at the Best Value Review four years ago was not implemented.
The CSU is still managed by the Manager of the Sensory Team – it s not separate.

Review of the Communication Support Unit.
Changing the line Management of the CSU as agreed and recommended in the Best Value Review

Commissioning and Contracts unit

Discussion from April 2008 to agree to review the CSU in consultation and agreement with the Commissioning Group for PD & Sensory needs & to identify how this work will be taken forward

Core Objectives and Action Planning for Sensory needs

Objective / Purpose / Findings from Consultation / Action to be taken forward / Who is involved? / Timescale
3.
INVOLVEMENT
This is about getting people with a sensory need that use our services, whether once a year or 365 days of the year involved in planning for the future and what choices and services they would want. / We need to find out from people what they want and need, so that we can plan and develop our services more appropriately to meet the needs of this group. /

Deaf People said they wanted to be kept informed; they wanted information and meetings so they know what is happening.
They wanted the Sensory Team to keep them informed of what is going on.

User group to be set up with members of the Deaf Community, Users & Carers Team
Review the role of the Deaf Outreach post so that there are closer links with the Deaf Community

Deaf Community, Users & Carers Team, Sensory Team & Deaf Outreach worker

Establish a Partnership Board for people with a Sensory needs by September 2008

4.
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR
To work jointly on a modernisation programme closely linked to our work on the strategies / The Voluntary Sector has been a support arm of the local authority for many years. With the modernisation process being pushed by the Government, with the White Paper and ‘Improving the Life chances of Disabled People’, we need to explore the support of the voluntary sector against the policy for promoting the rights and choices of people with a sensory need in Hertfordshire.
There are a growing number of younger people who miss out or would not use the services of the voluntary sector because of ‘traditional services’, we need to explore this further and create a modern approach for the new generation of users. /

People said they had not heard of HHAS (Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service).
BSL Users (British Sign Language users) never use it (HHAS) it’s for deafened people not born Deaf people.
People said HHAS is ok for older deaf but not young deaf.

Review of all the Voluntary Organisations or providers for those with a Sensory need i.e. HHAS, Herts Society for the Blind (HSB), Deaf Blind UK for Communication Guide Service

All Voluntary Groups both county wide and smaller ones to be considered to work within a planning group

Physical Disability and Sensory needs commissioning group needs to be established and this group will have strong links to take the work forward

Core Objectives and Action Planning for Sensory needs