The Director of Adult Social Services presented a report which provided an overview of 'Valuing People Now - A Three Year Strategy for People with Learning Disabilities' setting out  the government’s vision to improve services for people with a learning disability.  This report detailed how Wirral would implement this vision in partnership with people with a learning disability their carers and families and a wide variety of other key stakeholders.  This vision would be translated into a local Learning Disability strategy which would be reported to Cabinet and NHS Wirral Board in September 2009

The strategy would be delivered through a partnership between people with a learning disability, their carers and families and Local Authority (including Children’s and Leisure services as well as Department of Adult Social Services), Health (both NHS Wirral and the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership to cover mainstream and specialist health care), Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector, Housing providers, employers, and further education, and it identified targeted areas of work to make improvements in the delivery of services and opportunities for adults with learning disabilities:

-  A review of existing Partnership Board arrangements

-  Improvements in performance management and the ability to report outcomes for people who use services and their families

-  Targeted improvements in the transitions process

-  Streamlined funding arrangements

-  Improvements in the information available and range of supported accommodation available to adults with learning disabilities

-  A major drive to accelerate opportunities for adults with learning disabilities in paid work

-  A whole scale reform of the way people who use services can contribute to assessment, support planning and the delivery of their care through personalisation

-  Targeted programmes to improve the health of adults with learning disabilities

The Learning Disability Partnership Board would deliver the strategy.  It was currently jointly chaired by NHS Wirral Director of Strategic Partnerships and a person with a Learning Disability. In addition, there would be a number of sub groups brought together under the following headings set out in the Valuing People Now strategy;

-  Personalisation – starting with the individual and their family

-  Having a life – better health, home ownership, work, education, leisure, relationships and parenting

-  People as citizens – advocacy, transport and access to leisure and recreational activities, to justice and the right to feel safe

Work was being undertaken with consultation groups such as the Enabling Fulfilling Lives Group, Carers Committee and Transitions Strategy Group to elect members who would represent people with Learning Disabilities and their carers onto the Board, and they would develop the agenda for the Partnership Board, led by the work of the sub groups.

The Director responded to questions from members regarding:

-  joint working arrangements with NHS Wirral 

-  development of opportunities for people with learning difficulties and support to assist them in making make the transition from school into further education and employment

-  the timetable for developing a fully representative Board to deliver the strategy

Resolved – That the Committee notes and agrees to:

(1)  The changes to and strengthening of the Wirral Learning Disabilities Partnership Board as a decision making body representing a true partnership of people with Learning Disabilities and decision makers across key partners.

(2)  Regular reporting from the Learning Disability Partnership Board to the Transformational Change Board and the Health and Well-Being Overview and Scrutiny Board so that members can play an active role in implementing Valuing People Now.

(3)    The development of a Strategy in partnership with people with Learning Disabilities to be reported to Cabinet and NHS Wirral Board in September 2009.