Quarterly Meeting of
Social Services North West

15 March 2002 at Salford

SOCIAL SERVICES NORTH WEST

MEETING ON 15 MARCH 2002 AT SALFORD

REPORT OF THE CO-ORDINATOR

LEARNING DISABILITY

1.         Matter for Consideration:

Learning Disability was selected as a key theme of this year's work programme for Social Services North West.  This report proposes areas of  further involvement by Social Services North West in regional work on issues related to people with a learning disability.

2.            Information:

2.1       The Social Services North West conference at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton in September 2001, held jointly with the Social Services Inspectorate and the Regional Office of the NHS Executive, focussed on the recent White Paper 'Valuing People', the Government's strategy for learning disability for the 21st century.  Key areas for action included: partnership, promoting person-centred care, improving transition for young people, and raising service standards and practice.  The four key principles underpinning the White Paper were; legal and civil rights; independence; choice and social inclusion.  The chief mechanism for driving forward change at the local level is the network of local Learning Disability Partnership Boards, but it is appropriate to consider what role Social Services North West can play in carrying forward the process of change across the region.

2.2       A regional structure has been established to take forward the work of implementing the White Paper in the North West, and the Co-ordinator represents Social Services North West on the Regional Task Force.  This is chaired by Steve Jones, Chief Executive of Wigan MBC and has a strategic role in monitoring and steering development of services to people with a learning disability right across the region.

2.3       It appears that one contribution which can be offered is the experience of Social Services North West in making information quickly and easily available across the region, through our website.  Other regional websites address learning disability issues, notably that of the North West Training and Development Team, but these are largely for a knowledgeable audience rather than for ordinary people seeking easy access to basic information.

2.4       A meeting was held recently with colleagues from the North West Training and Development Team, following which the following proposals emerged:

1.    We should seek to maximise our use of modern technology to bring knowledge and information about learning disability to people in the North West.  People means anyone at all with an interest in the subject.  In so far as knowledge and information equals power, this could be an important means of empowerment.

2.    There is therefore a case for a Valuing People North West website, aimed chiefly at families of people with learning disabilities, and made as accessible as possible for people with learning disabilities themselves.

3.    This website could be closely linked to a revamped NWTDT website, with easy passage between the two.  Equally there would be strong links from the Social Services North West website and from other related sites subject to agreement with the owners of those sites.

4.    The site would be as user-friendly as possible, requiring a minimum of computer expertise and a minimum of prior knowledge required about learning disability.  However it should also be possible for non-beginners to move on to more detailed material as soon as they are ready to do this.

5.    Contained within the site would be information about the White Paper, services and organisations at local and regional level, and information about the various ways in which people can make their own further enquiries and access the support which they will find helpful. 

6.    We could also look at participatory mechanisms such as message boards and even chat rooms, but this will need approaching with care and may take a little longer.

2.5       Subject to the views of this meeting, a proposal could be made to the next meeting of the Regional Task Force that Social Services North West participate with the North West Training and Development Team in developing a regional Valuing People website along the lines outlined above.

2.6            Another area where Social Services North West may be able to assist regional development lies in our unique access to local authority members with social services responsibilities.  Through their participation in Learning Disability Partnership Boards, members are being faced with new challenges in terms of enabling people with learning disabilities and their family carers to play a meaningful part in strategic decisionmaking.  It may be that a future conference for members, focussing on how best to make use of these opportunities, might assist the effectiveness of these Boards across the Region.

3.            Recommendation:

That further work be undertaken on the proposed website and conference.