Transforming Lives / Steering Group Minutes /

Steering Group on

TRANSFORMING LIVES

THE PROGRAMME TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE VALUE FOR MONEY AND POLICY REVIEW

17thmeeting,22nd March 2017, 10.30am

Department of Health, Hawkins House

In Attendance
Grainne Duffy, DoH(Chair) / Christy Lynch, KARE
Ann McGrane, DoH / Clodagh O’Brien, NFPBA
Marion Meany, HSE / AideenHartney, NDA
Deirdre Scully HSE / Mary Kealy
Deirdre Carroll / Brian O’Donnell, NFVB
John Scannell, DoH, Secretary / Katherine O’Leary
Apologies
Frances Spillane / Tomás Campbell
Joanne McCarthy, DFI

Documents circulated (prior to meeting)

  • Agenda
  • Minutes of the SG meeting of 25th January 2017
  • Transforming Lives Programme Lead Q4 Update Report
  • Finalised Q4 2016 Traffic Light Report

Agenda item 1Minutes of meeting of 25th January 2017 and matters arising.

  • Ms. Duffy chaired the meeting in the absence of Ms. Spillane, who sent her apologies.
  • The minutes of the previous meeting (25th January 2017 )were agreed without amendment.

Agenda item 2Progress Update

  • An update was given on the progress being made by each Working Group (WGs) as summarised in the latest Progress Report provided by the HSE.
  • The main points were as follows:

WG1

The draft report on forecasting future needs is at an advanced stage. Significant progress has been made by the group on identifying and quantifying key drivers of future demand. The Chair of Working Group has indicated that the planned availability of an interim report by mid-March 2017 has now been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. The publication has now been pushed back to mid-June.

Progress is being made on the policy appraisal project. One strand is looking at the outcomes experienced by service users before and after decongregation. A total of 110 service users who are scheduled to move to the community in the coming months have now had their baseline evaluations completed.

WG 2

  • Sub Group 1 - Time to Move On from Congregated Settings

-66 people transferred to community settings in 2016 – the total number of people remaining in congregated settings is now below2,600. The number who had completed their transition in 2016 was less than anticipated due to a number of significant challenges, including finding and securing suitable accommodation.

-The HSE are having difficulties in sourcing suitable houses but targets set for 2017 are still on course.

-A discussion followed as to the current position regarding the Service Reform Fund and also issues around housing, HSE house purchase and housing policy generally.

  • Sub Group 2 – New Directions

-Planning for the provision of day services for school leavers in 2017 has started.

-There will be cost implications in moving people from congregated settings to a community setting who will require supports in their new homes. These supports will have staff implications with additional costs involved.

  • Sub Group 3 – Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People ( 0-18s )

-56 Children’s Disability Network Teams in place with the remaining 81 teams to be reconfigured by the end of 2017.

-It was felt that there was a lack of information for a considerable number of families with children with challenging behaviour, and also a requirement for behavioural therapist posts.

-There is a lack of administrative support supporting the teams in place and an administrative / I.T. support in place would greatly improve the situation.

-A national conference is planned for the autumn.

WG3

  • The final report "Plan for Effective Participation"has been completed. However this plan will also include an Implementation Guideline for Managers which will be finalised by the end of Quarter 1, 2017.
  • Working Group 3 also commission the NDA to complete a report which is referred to in the Plan. This report was due for completion by September, 2016 but it is still currently being finalised. Working Group 3 await an update from the NDA.
  • Extremely positive feedback had been received on the inclusiveness shown by the working group.

WG4

  • The DOH & the Working Group have signed off on the 9 outcomes recommended by the NDA research department. The 9 quality outcomes will now underpin the development of a National Quality Framework for Disability Services.
  • The NDA have developed a project for the design of the framework.
  • A project manager is to be appointed for the development of a web-based information system.

WG5

•WG5’s work has been completed.

WG6

  • WG6’s work has been completed.

Agenda item 3 Presentation by the Service Improvement Team

There then followed a presentation by the HSE’s Service Improvement Team to the Steering Group. The Service Improvement Team was established by the Social Care Division to drive a process of change and is working in conjunction with the reform agenda associated with the Transforming Lives programme.

Among the main points of the Team’s presentation were;

  • That the vast amount of information gathered by the Team to date now needed to be harnessed to inform the future planning of services into the future.
  • It is important to take stock and to quantify the quantum of service required into the future.
  • While the Team is happy with the amount of information available to them regarding intellectual disability there is a deficit of information when it comes to both sensory and physical disability.
  • It was agreed that a link is needed between the SIT and the HSE Compliance Unit.

There then followed a Q and A between the Steering Group and the Service Improvement Team.

Agenda item 4 Presentation by Working Group 3

The final report of Working Group 3 has been completed and the Chair of WG3 felt that the implementation of its recommendations was a matter for both the Department and the HSE. The requirement now was to ensure that the findings and the feedback gathered by the WG3 in the course of its work is used to optimum affect and utilised especially at a local level to improve supports for people with disabilities, additional resources and staff would also be considered essential for this to happen.

There then followed a short Q and A between the Steering Group and the Chair of WG3 .

Agenda item 5 Communications

  • HSE provided an update on the branding of Transforming Lives future documents and communications.
  • The draft 2016 Implementation Report is nearing completion – it was agreed that it should include positive lived experiences of people with physical and sensory disability and autism.

Date of Next Meeting(s) / 20th June 2017 (Tues.) at 10.30am / Hawkins House
27th September (Wed.) 10.30
5th December (Tues.) 10.30