Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health

Cabinet Member:     Councillor Roche

Commissioner:         Ney (in advisory role)

Recommendations:

1.  That approval be given to the draft Learning Disability Strategy and approve future stakeholder engagement.

2.  That approval be given to the development of a Rotherham Supported Living and Better Days Framework as detailed in the Learning Disability Strategy (Appendix C).

3.  That approval be given to the transformation of the Learning Disability Services over the next two years which will see the services move from existing building based locations to alternative care and support that will be situated as close to the person as possible in their local community, using and developing existing resources and community buildings i.e. leisure centres and community provision.  Oaks Day Centre, Addison Day Centre, Treefields, Quarryhill and Parkhill will be decommissioned. 

4.  That the Council continue to provide a service to people with high complex needs. The Elliott Centre and Maple Avenue buildings will be reviewed and may be moved to more suitable alternative premises should they become available.

5.  That approval be given to the delivery plan which sets out how the Council will make sure all people with a learning disability have access to community based services that promote independence, wellbeing and social inclusion. This will ensure that: 

•      Each person with a learning disability has a review based on a person centred approach, which will inform the support and services the Council needs to provide to meet their individual needs by 2020. A dedicated team of social workers with the support of the existing staff will undertake the reviews. This will also include advocacy support and engagement with carers.

•      Each person will have the opportunity to make sure every day in their life is meaningful, of value and leads to them having a ‘Good Day’. Doing things which have a purpose; being in ordinary places doing things most other people in the community would be doing; doing things that are for the individual; making sure they receive the right amount of support; and are in touch with local people, developing friendships.

•      More people have the opportunity to participate in paid employment.

•      A strength based approach will be taken  to develop a range of opportunities, including shared lives, use of personal budgets, develop skills for independent living  provide support when the carer needs it and making sure more people have their own front door.

Consideration was given to a report which set out the details for the next steps in the transformation of services and support for people with a learning disability in line with the Learning Disability Strategy, vision and the learning from the consultation with people and families.

The needs of people with a learning disability were continuing to change and were becoming more diverse.  People and families had higher expectations of what it meant to have an independent life in their community and wanted more control over their lives.

The challenges facing the Council were being recognised and the review of the Learning Disability Services which began in 2015 had resulted in a number of reports and consultation with the people who used the services.

The review was integral to the Council’s overall vision for transforming Social Care and built on the principles of the Care Act 2014 with the need to move away from traditional building-based support.  This would result in Oaks Day Centre, Addison Day Centre, Treefields and Quarryhill being decommissioned with further consultation on the future of Parkhill Lodge.

The Council fully understood that changes could create anxiety and would be respectful of this and would consider and take into account the learning from the consultations that have taken place to develop a robust communication and engagement strategy.  This would be to ensure people with learning disabilities, their families and carers, received reliable and timely information and were fully engaged and included throughout the development of plans.

Moving forward all service users would undergo a person-centred approach thorough individual assessment of need before alternative provision was put in place.

Cabinet Members acknowledged the sensitivity around this Service, but reflected on the lessons learnt from other local authorities and welcomed the opportunities that may arise for Service users from within their own communities.  However, Members, families and Service users were reassured that needs would be carefully looked at by a dedicated team and that no changes would take place until a full assessment had been undertaken.

This report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-scrutiny process who were in support of the recommendations, subject to monitoring reports being submitted to Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and/or Health Select Commission 6 months after implementation of the Strategy and underlying work streams, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health consider how non-executive Members could become involved in the evaluations of client experience in the delivery of the Learning Disability Strategy, visits to other authorities that have implemented a similar approach be arranged for Members and carers to observe the benefits outlined within the report and that prior to any decision on the future of Parkhill Lodge being made, a specific and formal consultation exercise is carried out on the proposed closure.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the draft Learning Disability Strategy and future stakeholder engagement be approved.

(2)  That the development of a Rotherham Supported Living and Better Days Framework as detailed in the Learning Disability Strategy (Appendix C) be approved.

(3)  That the transformation of the Learning Disability Services over the next 2 years, which will see the Services move from existing building-based locations to alternative care and support that will be situated as close to the person as possible in their local community, using and developing existing resources and community buildings i.e. leisure centres and community provision, be approved.  Oaks Day Centre, Addison Day Centre, Treefields and Quarryhill will be decommissioned with further consultation on the future of Parkhill Lodge.

(4)  That the Council continue to provide a service to people with high complex needs. The Elliott Centre and Maple Avenue buildings will be reviewed and may be moved to more suitable alternative premises should they become available.

(5)  That the delivery plan which sets out how the Council will make sure all people with a learning disability have access to community-based services that promote independence, wellbeing and social inclusion be approved. This will ensure that:-

•        Each person with a learning disability has a review based on a person centred approach, which will inform the support and services the Council needs to provide to meet their individual needs by 2020. A dedicated team of social workers with the support of the existing staff will undertake the reviews. This will also include advocacy support and engagement with carers.

•        Each person will have the opportunity to make sure every day in their life is meaningful, of value and leads to them having a ‘Good Day’. Doing things which have a purpose; being in ordinary places doing things most other people in the community would be doing; doing things that are for the individual; making sure they receive the right amount of support; and are in touch with local people, developing friendships.

•        More people have the opportunity to participate in paid employment.

•        A strength based approach will be taken  to develop a range of opportunities, including shared lives, use of personal budgets, develop skills for independent living  provide support when the carer needs it and making sure more people have their own front door.

(6)  That monitoring reports be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and/or Health Select Commission 6 months after implementation of the Strategy and underlying workstreams.

(7)  That the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health consider how non-executive Members could become involved in the evaluations of client experience in the delivery of the Learning Disability Strategy.

(8)  That visits to other authorities that have implemented a similar approach be arranged for Members and carers to observe the benefits outlined within the report.