Issue - meetings

The Head of Commissioning Learning Disabilities and Autism, Adult Social Care presented the report which provided the committee with an opportunity to comment on the consultation paper and survey regarding the Transformation of Day Opportunities for Adults under 65. The consultation proposed three key objectives:

1.    Investing in re-enablement and transitional support to help people gain employment and skills for living

2.    Redesigning how the current service operates and reinvest in support that people from needing Adult Social Care and maintain their independence in the community

3.    Redesigning how people’s future opportunities are governed and managed.

Consultation began on 6 January 2014 initially with eleven dates but more consultations had been requested so there would now be fourteen consultations. Six had already taken place. The themes coming out of the consultations were varied with some expressing desire for change and others who wished to continue the service currently delivered. Feedback had been largely positive.

Observations and questions were raised and discussed including:

·         Members referred to section 6.5, Discrimination and Equality in the report and asked what analysis had been done with regard to rural communities. Members were informed that in terms of consultation rural areas, minority groups and individuals had been included. There was a suggestion for satellite bases as a solution to areas which did not have connections to the service. Areas such as Derby were already providing this type of community engagement in local communities which had been successful. Often people spent a lot of time travelling on buses to get to the service provided and it would be more beneficial if the service was provided locally.

·         Members asked with regard to the consultation if the officers were getting on buses and checking if travel times and distances were convenient. Members were informed that this was part of their remit and they were looking at ways to improve this.

·         Members asked how people with complex needs were being included in the consultation. Members were informed that the project group set up last year included an advocacy scheme run by PCVS which was tasked with capturing the views of those people with learning or communication difficulties and complex and profound needs. Parent carers of people with profound and complex needs were also part of the project group. There were also day centres which were represented on the working group.

·         Members asked what the timescale would be if the consultation recommendations were accepted. Members were informed that the consultation would end on 3 March and then the final proposal would be taken to cabinet. Following that the installation period for the proposals would be from March 2014 to April 2015.

·         The Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health and Wellbeing stated that often in situations which involved parents and carers of those with complex needs, there were significant concerns and it would take a long time for people to understand the changes. It was therefore important to be mindful of the issues and to work with those with complex  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7

Cabinet received a report which informed it of the review of day opportunities for people under 65 with physical and learning disabilities, including employment services and day centres. The report further informed Cabinet of a set of proposals that had been put together following extensive engagement from May 2013 to November 2013, with the people who use the services and their families and carers, as well as staff, other day service providers and other local authorities that had modernised their services.

The report also sought Cabinet’s approval to go out to public consultation on the proposals on how activities and lifestyle opportunities for adults under 65 were to be provided in the future. Following completion of the consultation, and consideration of all responses, a further report would be presented to Cabinet to seek its approval for a final set of proposals on how day opportunities for adults under 65 with learning and physical disabilities could be offered in the future.

A short video on the Transformation of Day Opportunities for Adults was shown. Following this, Councillor Fitzgerald introduced the report and highlighted that there would not be a ‘one size fits all’ model, it would be for trained Adult Social Care staff to determine the right outcomes for individuals. The Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health and Wellbeing added that the proposals were a major turning point for Adult Social Care, giving aspirations and hope to people and making sure that even those individuals with profound disabilities had the opportunity to make choices about their lives.

Cabinet debated the report and comments included:

·         There were many individuals who could develop further with the right support and dramatic improvements could be made to people’s lives;

·         Sporting and leisure activities had a role to play within the strategy as a way of raising people’s confidence within themselves; however it was about getting the right balance in the first instance, by teaching individuals to manage their own lives and enabling them to make the choice to take part in sports and leisure activities as part of their daily routines;

·         Support could be provided by a number of areas within the Council and within outsourced areas such as Vivacity, Opportunity Peterborough and the Education Academies;

·         Digital inclusion was extremely important and there were protected social networking sites available for people with learning disabilities; and

·         It was of the utmost importance to ensure that all individuals were given the opportunities to reach their maximum potential.

Cabinet considered the report and RESOLVED to:

1.   Consider the proposals outlined within the report and in the accompanying consultation document for modernising day services for adults under 65 with physical and learning disabilities; and

2.   Agree for the proposals to go out to public consultation for a period of eight weeks to allow the Executive Director for Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing to formally consider the views of users of the services, other organisations, residents and other interested parties.

          REASONS FOR THE DECISION

          The recommendation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7