Agenda item

The Board received a presentation by Jayne Gilmour (Interim Strategic Lead, Adults Health and Wellbeing, DMBC) on progress with the development of a Learning Disability and Autism Strategy.

Jayne outlined the latest position in relation to the development of a joint ‘All Age’ Strategy for people with Learning Disabilities and people with Autism.  It was noted that the timeframe was for the joint strategy to be produced in draft form by mid-April, with consultation taking place in April and early May 2019.  This would ensure that there were clear joint strategic aims and priorities for delivery and improvement.  Delivery Plans (one for people with Learning Disabilities and one for people with Autism) would be in place by the end of June, and steps would be taken to ensure there was alignment with Children’s plans.

Having summarised the key principles that would be enshrined within the joint Strategy, Jayne outlined the challenges being faced, one of which was the problem of conflicting data, which would need to be addressed as a priority going forward.  

The Board noted the engagement process that had been carried out to inform the Strategy, and the feedback received on the themes of education, employment, health and housing, particularly in terms of what needed to change.

Jayne concluded the presentation by outlining the likely priorities for delivery of the Strategy, together with the next steps.

During subsequent discussion, the Board discussed various aspects of the Strategy and members made the following comments/observations:-

• It was noted that the focus from central Government had largely been on learning disabilities and health inequalities, so it was hoped that this Strategy would help to address this imbalance with its focus on people with autism.

• In reply to a question as to how the review of the Short Breaks Service would be conducted, Jayne explained that a needs assessment would be carried out, looking at all of the people who used the service.  The review would help to identify how resources could be used equitably and would look at innovative models to determine if the current service needed reconfiguring.

• It was noted that there was a need to examine how people were accessing services in order to achieve clearer and more robust pathways between diagnosis and services.

• The Board questioned whether it would have been preferable to have two separate strategies rather than a joint strategy, but acknowledged that there would be two separate delivery plans to take things forward, and that there were also some areas of crossover.

In reply to further questions, Jayne explained that while the Strategy had not been co-produced, the engagement process had been.  With regard to taking the Strategy forward, the Board was informed that a list had been compiled of individuals interested in helping with the delivery of the strategy, who had been involved in the engagement stage.

                     RESOLVED to:-

(1)          note the progress being made with development of the Strategy and to provide feedback as part of the consultation process; and

(2)          consider at a later date the findings of the Autism Self-Assessment Framework, and consider specific reference to Autism in the JSNA.