Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director, People

Ellen Alcock, Grapevine, has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this matter

The Scrutiny Board considered a report of the Executive Director, People concerning the Coventry Learning Disability Strategy ‘Moving Forward’ 2014-2017. A copy of this strategy was set out at an appendix to the report. The report was also to be considered by the Cabinet Member (Health and Adult Services) at her meeting on 11^th November, 2014. Ellen Alcock, Deputy Director, Grapevine attended the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The Learning Disability strategy set out the key plans and activities to be delivered in relation to supporting people with Learning disabilities in the City. The strategy brought together key policy drivers as set out in ‘Valuing People Now’ (2009), ‘Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives’ (2010), ‘Think Autism’ (2014), the ‘Winterbourne Concordat’ (2012) and ‘No Health Without Mental Health’ and balanced them with key priorities identified by stakeholders including people with learning disabilities, carers of people with learning disabilities, voluntary organisations and officers from statutory organisations who would be involved in delivering the strategy. The strategy had been co-produced and was available as an easy read document. The co-production had taken place since 2013 and had focused primarily on working with adults and their carers. Action plans that sit under the strategy would be more focused on an all age disability approach and future versions of the strategy would have a stronger emphasis on co-production across all ranges, particularly younger people and their families. The strategy was to be implemented between 2014 and 2017.

Ellen Alcock reported back on the involvement of Coventry Grapevine in the consultation process.

The Board questioned the officer and representative on a number of issues and responses were provided. Matters raised included:

·  The importance of day care support for the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities and their carers

·  The benefits of employment, including part time and volunteering opportunities

·  The options to allow individuals to buy their own support to enable them to access activities of their own choosing

·  Details about the number of people who are able to manage their own personal budgets and the numbers who require support

·  The support available to help families and young people with the transition from childhood to adulthood

·  The involvement of young people in making decisions about their future

·  The monitoring of third party providers so ensuring that clients are involved in the decision making process

·  The potential for abuse relating to personal budgets

·  An assurance that safeguarding concerns would be reported

·  The implications of the Care Act

·  Issues that have been learnt while working on the development of the strategy.

RESOLVED that:

(1) Having considered the contents of the Learning Disabilities Strategy, the Cabinet Member (Health and Adult Services) be requested:

(a) To ensure that compliance with the Care Act is at the heart of work to implement the Learning Disabilities Strategy

(b) To ensure that all agencies, staff and service users are aware of how to report safeguarding concerns and that they understand they have a duty to do so.

(2) A progress report addressing the above issues be submitted to a future meeting of the Board.