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 NDT
Registered in England No. 27566R |
Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability in the 21st CenturyThe White Paper is now out. Below are some of the key themes which have emerged. NumbersThe White Paper highlights that there are approximately 1.2 million people with mild and moderate learning disability in England. In addition to this, there are approximately 65,000 children and young people, 120,000 adults and 25,000 people over pension age with a severe or profound learning disability. This represents a significant increase on previous estimates. It anticipates that these numbers will rise by 1% over the next 15 years. National Objectives, New Targets and Performance IndicatorsAnnex A to the White Paper sets out a list of National Objectives, New Targets and Performance Indicators. Learning Disability Development FundThis is a fund of £20 million and up to £30 million allocation for each year from April 2002. It is reallocation of monies rather than new money. It comes from releasing money from old long-stay hospitals. The money is intended to help with modernising day services, enable 1500 people to move from long stay hospitals, provide housing and support for those living with elderly carers, develop local services for people with challenging behaviour and improve integrated provision for children with severe disabilities and complex needs. Implementation Support FundThis fund is £2.3 million for the next three years, including £1.3 million to support advocacy and £250,000 for the Mencap run national information system and help line. National Forum for people with learning disabilitiesThe Government is aiming to strengthen and support self-advocacy and citizen advocacy groups and improve networking both locally and centrally. Person-centred PlanningLocal Partnership Boards, with the guidance of the Department of Health, will seek to ensure that person-centred planning is taking place and that individual needs are emphasised. This programme of work will be supported by the Learning Disability Development Fund money. CarersThere is emphasis in the White Paper on the role of family carers and the necessity to provide support at a local, regional and national level. There is particular emphasis on the continuing role of the family carers once someone has entered residential care. Improving HealthThe White Paper contains proposals to ensure that all people with learning disabilities are registered with their GP and supported, where necessary, by a health facilitator. It encourages the use of personal health action plans for all. It seems likely that Primary Care Trusts will have the health lead and specialist learning disability health services are to be geared towards supporting access to mainstream services. HousingThe White Paper calls for the transformation of residential care. New DoH/DETR guidance on housing and support for people with learning disabilities is promised. The White Paper says that by 2004, 1500 people in long stay hospitals will have been resettled. A shift for the large numbers of people in other forms of NHS accommodation is promised, with emphasis on housing and support, introduction of advocacy and needs reviews. The Development Fund is also to be used to help plan for resettlement for people living with parents over the age of 70. There is also a need for mainstream housing programmes to benefit people with learning disabilities. Plus, people and especially elderly parents should be encouraged and supported to declare their housing needs. Day Services and EmploymentThere is to be a five year transformation of day services with the emphasis on individual solutions and on linking into employment wherever possible. The employment target is to get the employment rate for people with severe learning disabilities closer to the rate for people with other disabilities. The White Paper seeks to address the fact that there are over 20,000 people without a day service. Quality in ServicesPerformance Indicators are one approach to quality. In addition, there will be local quality assurance frameworks. The Learning Disability Awards Framework will allow people new to the field to train for specific qualifications and leadership training initiatives will be supported by funding from the Learning Disability Development Fund. StructuresLocal Level: Learning Disability Partnership Boards will have a key role in making sure that Joint Investment Plans are modified in light of the White Paper and converted in local action plans by the end of January 2002. National Level: A Learning Disability Task Force will be set up that will include an Implementation Support Team with a Director and eight Regional leads, a £2 million research initiative and an SSI inspection of learning disability services in 2001/02. Under the Health and Social Care Bill there will be a requirement for an annual report to Parliament on the progress in implementing the strategy. Ethnic MinoritiesThe White Paper highlights the fact that people from ethnic minorities are at a disadvantage when accessing services. It emphasises the need to plan for and recognise these needs and make sure that representatives from these communities have a voice. Human RightsThe emphasis is on ensuring that people with learning disabilities have the same rights and benefits as wider groups of disabled people and indeed, non-disabled people. The Disability Rights Commission is to be reinforced by a special advisory group on learning disability. People with Profound DisabilitiesThe White Paper discusses their need to be able to make choices, have access to citizen advocacy and also to individual communication systems. It also discusses the need to ensure that people with profound disabilities are not excluded from services and are properly catered for.
Last updated : 20 August 2001
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