Partnership Board Minutes 21 September 2004

Leeds Learning Disability Partnership Board

Minutes of the Meeting held at St Matthias Church Centre on Wednesday 25th February 2004.

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Welcome and Ice-breaker Introduction.
Janet Wright opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and asked each person to say their name and what their favourite television programme was.

People at the meeting:

Dave Rosser, Head of Service
Thea Stein, Chief Executive North East PCT
Janet Wright, Joint Commissioning Service Manager
Ken Mccullough, Carer
Sheila Dunham, Leeds Mental Health Trust
Michael Cass, Leeds People First
Scott Cunningham, Learning Disability Forum
Jon Rudette, Learning Disability Reference Group
Karina Jenkins, Learning Disability Reference Group

Other People who came to the meeting:
Sheena Kelly, Clinical Leader Inpatient Learning Disability Services (LMH)
Marian Crabbe, Language and Speech Therapist
Mark Mitchell and Jackie Reynolds, Older Carers Support Service

People who could not come to the meeting:
Norman Roberts, North East Primary Care Trust
Liz Carmody, Consultant Psychiatrist
Nancy Hill, North West Primary Care Trust
Sheila Quinn, Women First
Andrew Walsh, Learning Disability Reference Group

Leeds Voluntary Sector Learning Disability Forum representatives

Scott Cunningham introduced the new Leeds Voluntary Sector Learning Disability Forum representatives who are:

• David Hansen (Home Farm Trust)
• Maureen Bielska (People Matters)
• Bill Walton (People in Action)
• Mark Fennelly (St Anne's Community Services)
• Glenn Swindell (Keyring)

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Updates

Appointment of Partnership Board Chair and Co-Chair. -
Janet told the Board both vacancies will be advertised on 1st October, the closing date will be 22nd October and interviews will take place week beginning 15th November.

Feedback from Service User Reference Group Meeting held 7th September.

Jon Rudette read out a list of things that members of the group wanted to say to the Partnership Board:

• There needs to be better transport for people with learning difficulties to enable more people to attend meetings.
• People want to do more day time activities such as going on day trips and doing drama.
• Some people think that the food at the day centres is poor and would like a menu with more choice.
• It would be helpful if the Board minutes could be put on tape and make sure more people have a chance to speak at meetings.
• People wanted to get involved to train staff.
• Some people want the chance to get a job.

Janet Wright said these were good ideas and she would they make sure get responses.

Copies of this report can be obtained from Les France at Leeds Advocacy
 0113 244 0606

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Learning Disability Development Fund

On 14th September a panel of Partnership Board members met to assess the applications for grants from the Development Fund. Letters have been sent out to all applicants and the Board will be informed of the successful bids.

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Supporting People Funding - Dave Rosser

Dave told the Board about Supporting People Funding which is the money that the Government gives the Housing Department to help pay for housing related support, to enable people to live in their own homes. In Leeds, £13 million is spent on housing support for people with a learning disability. The government thinks the money is not being spent properly and Dave, Janet and Debby Forward (from Supporting People) are working together to come up with a plan which will ensure money is spent correctly and the right amount of housing is developed. A meeting will be held with housing providers to talk about the situation.

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Independent Living - PFI (Private Finance Initiative)

By Dave Rosser

Dave reminded people that the purpose of the PFI bid was to get money from the government to replace current Social Service hostels with better housing and to develop new services for people who have very complex needs.

He told the board that Andy Rawnsley (Care Management Team Service Manager) has been appointed as the PFI Bid Project Manager. We will be submitting the business case to the ODPM (Office of Deputy Prime Minister) and will find out in April 2005 whether we have got the money. If we are successful, it will take approximately 4 years to complete the work.

We will also be asking the Department of Education & Skills for money for young people (aged between 14 -18) who are currently placed out of Leeds. It is hoped that in the future these people will be able to access services in Leeds.

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Section 31 Agreement

By dave Rosser

Dave told the Board that the Section 31 Agreement (the agreement that governs the pot of money Health and Social Services have to buy services), ran out in September. It has been extended till April 2005 to allow time to be reviewed and changed where necessary.

Dave said the following changes should be considered:

• make it bigger - include the Mental Health Trust and Social Services
• make Joint Commissioning Service have a bigger role

And be clear about:

• different organisations responsibility and authority
• who makes decisions
• how councillors and PCT's are involved
• how the money is being spent
• how financial decisions are being made

It is hoped that a new agreement will be made by January 2005.

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Presentations

Health Action Plan - Sheena Kelly

Sheena told the Board about the Health Action Plan pilot project that started in June 2004. The Valuing People Team said that everyone should be registered with a doctor and be offered a Health Action Plan.

• Computer coded guideline packs were given to doctors surgeries to help them identify adults with learning disabilities.
• 2 surgeries were piloted - 63 people had letters sent to them, 38 people responded by saying they did not want a Health Action Plan and the rest did not reply.

A special pilot project meeting held on 14th September decided to:

• Contact the people who were sent letters to find out why they did not reply or why they felt they did not want a Health Action Plan
• Invite 2 more doctors surgeries to join the pilot project
• Continue with the same 2 doctors surgeries to complete the pilot project
• Do more work with doctors and key people to help identify adults with learning disabilities who may want a Health Action Plan

Sheena added that the project may need to look at other ways of approaching people. Dave Rosser said carers of people with learning disabilities may need more advice in case they have misunderstood the purpose of the Health Action Plan.

Thea Stein commented that there is no payment for doctors to do Health Action Plans and there is an issue as to whether it is part of the doctors standard service or whether it is regarded as an enhanced service for which the doctor may request fees. Thea said she would look into this.

Glenn Swindell from Keyring stated that his experience from the tenants supported by Keyring was that people do not like accessing health care. He invited Sheena to talk to this group to find out why.

Sheena added that Health Action Plans do not have to be done through GP's.

A further steering group meeting will be held on 9th December to discuss the progress.

The issue of Health Action Plans will be put on the agenda for a future Partnership Board meeting.

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Age Concern - Older Carers Support Service
By Mark Mitchell and Jackie Reynolds

The Older Carers Support Service (OCSS) was commissioned through the use of Learning Disability Development Fund money.

Jackie gave the Board an update on the current progress within the OCSS:

• recruitment will begin to find a part-time black and ethnic minority worker
• A database of older carers has been created and 105 families are now known to the service
• The OCSS has been talking to different groups i.e. ATCs, carers groups, social workers etc and held a successful launch to publicise awareness and the services it offers
• They want to work with Social Services to improve the referral system and work with area teams.
• They have a scheme which offers emergency practical support e.g. messages and information about peoples needs are left in a bottle in the fridge, people such as ambulance crew would know where to find essential information. They would like to develop this further so that all professionals can use the system
• Carers can also complete a questionnaire detailing emergency plans, contacts, medication etc which will provide vital information in the case of an emergency
• The Group also look at long-term care and planning needs such as future housing options, wills and other legal topics
• The Group can assist carers with benefits checks and make sure they get allowances. They can make referrals to Welfare Rights for extra help and information
• The Group is looking for funding to purchase Life Story Books from Sheffield. The purpose of these books is to act as a support to service users particularly if their carer dies. If they are not able to communicate, the book explains to others the service users history, likes, dislikes and fears
• They would also like to find carers who do not access day services and respite who may benefit from their help

Jean Bartle, a member of the ACTCOM group, said that many of her colleagues have been highly delighted with the services provided by Age Concern

For further information about the Older Carers Support Service, please telephone  2031104

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Marion Crabbe - Language and Speech Therapist

Marian spoke to the Board about the Symbols Project she is currently involved in and about its aims:

• To help other organisations make their own information easier to read by either teaching them how to do it or do it for them
• Provide training
• Employ service users to help develop symbols
• Get one city wide system to avoid confusion for people in different environments.

Presentation and workshop - Information Strategy
By Scott Cunningham

Scott gave an update on the Information Strategy.

The Board then divided into groups to take part in a workshop:

1. The first exercise was for each group to highlight on a map of Leeds all the places where people could access the internet, although they were not to include computers they may have at home.
2. The second exercise was to discuss the issue of setting up a loan library.

The results of the workshop will be presented to the Board at the next Partnership Board meeting.

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Next Meeting

The Partnership Board will meet again on Wednesday 15th December 2004 At Pudsey Civic Centre 10.00 am till 2.00 pm

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