Agenda item

[NOTE:  Councillor G. Thomas had earlier declared an interest in this item.]

The Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 reforms and integrates social services law and emphasises the improvement of wellbeing outcomes for people who need care and support, including carers.  It introduces a common set of processes to ensure that people receive the right support at the right time, strengthens collaboration and the integration of services and provides for an increased focus on prevention and early intervention.  The Act requires Local Authorities to have robust arrangements in place which encourage and promote genuine involvement with people, which shifts the focus of service delivery onto individual outcomes so that services are designed and led by those who need care and support and carers who need care and support.

The Act has fundamentally changed the way in which care and support services are delivered in Wales and is based on a number of principles:-

·       Voice and control – putting the individual and their needs at the centre of their care and giving them a voice and control over reaching the outcomes that help them achieve wellbeing;

·       Prevention and early intervention – increasing preventative service with the community to reduce the need for ongoing managed care;

·       Wellbeing – supporting people to achieve their own wellbeing and measuring the success of care and support;

·       Co-production – encouraging individuals to become more involved in the design and delivery of services.

The draft Learning Disability Strategy for Carmarthenshire embraces the principles of the Act and incorporate previous engagement undertaken with service users, carers/parents and others.  The draft strategy will be subject to formal consultation.

A Regional Learning Disabilities Programme Board has been established to address the issues identified within the Population Assessment, meet the national requirements outlined above and lead the transformation of learning disabilities service across health and social care.  The work of the Board is based on a shared vision to develop an integrated model of care for people with learning disabilities, their families and their carers right across the region.  It draws upon models being implemented through local Learning Disabilities strategies in each of the county areas.

The Carmarthenshire Strategy will ensure that, within the national and regional context, the local voice of people who use and need services is captured and the landscape of local services is developed to reflect this.

The following questions/observations were raised on the report:-

·       Reference was made to the point in the report that due to the rural nature of Carmarthenshire, transport remains a challenge and officers were asked if the Country Cars and Wales Ambulance Car services are used.  The Committee was advised that there are a number of transport initiatives across the region.  We need to focus our statutory obligations on those with the greatest need.  Support is offered with access to hospitals, however, the ambulance car service is not used often and officers agreed to feed the comments into the strategy;

·       Reference was made to independent living and officers were asked when a planning application is submitted by the parents of a child with learning disabilities, whether this could be a priority for the Authority.  The Head of Mental Health & Learning Disabilities confirmed that officers currently work closely with colleagues in the Planning Division in this regard and will look to make those connections stronger;

·       Concern was expressed over difficulties experienced by those with learning disabilities in getting to see a GP in some areas of the county and officers were asked what can be done to enable them to have priority access.  The Senior Manager Community Inclusion informed the Committee that the creation of a regional programme for learning disabled and access to health care is a top level priority.  She added that anyone with a learning disability is entitled to an annual health check;

·       It was pointed out that those with learning disabilities need additional support if they are to be expected to access services themselves.  The Head of Joint Strategic Commissioning informed the Committee that a Regional Group has been set up to look at an Autism Strategy and she would feed those comments back.  She added that there are lots of different methods of assistance such as reminder texts and assisted technology;

·       Reference was made to the fact that in 2014/15 17% of learning disability service users live in Care Homes in Carmarthenshire and officers were asked if they are happy with that figure.  The Committee was advised that officers are not happy with the figure, the Director is committed to reducing the number and it is one of the department’s priorities;

·        

RESOLVED

6.1     that the report be received;

6.2     that officers in the Authority’s Forward Planning Division be           asked to consider including in the LDP the provision to give           priority to applications from people with disabilities;

6.3     that an item be placed on the agenda of the next meeting on the           LDP and problems faced during the planning process by people           with learning disabilities and that officers from the Forward           Planning Division be invited to attend;