Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Adult Commissioning and Health in Devon County Council and Senior Commissioning Manager in the Clinical Commissioning Group (ACH/18/88) on the draft joint strategy, Living Well with a Learning Disability in Devon 2018-2022.

The Board considered the Report of the Head of Adult Commissioning and Health at Devon County Council and the Senior Commissioning Manager of the Clinical Commissioning Group on the draft joint strategy ‘Living Well with a Learning Disability in Devon 2018-2022’.

The new joint strategy built on the progress made since the publication of the 2014-2017 joint strategy and set out a fresh approach to improve the lives of adults with learning disabilities across Devon, Torbay and Plymouth; to support them to be as independent as possible and lead meaningful lives within their communities.  The draft strategy encompassed the geographical area of Devon and covered the work undertaken by the two CCGs and three Local Authority areas.

The Report highlighted there were approximately 20,586 adults with a learning disability across Devon, with 3,530 of these individuals receiving adult social care services. Health and Social Care support across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay accounted for £130m of spend.  The draft strategy aimed to support Local Authorities and the NHS to commission quality support that promoted the independence of people with learning disabilities, within the context of significant financial challenges.

Some of the main aims of the draft strategy outlined in the Report included more appropriate housing that met the range of needs of people with learning disabilities, more support for people with learning disabilities to obtain employment, and improved access to healthcare for people with a learning disability.

Members and officers’ discussion points included:

·         a disability employment campaign “Ready When You Are”, led by Devon County Council, which aimed to make employers disability confident and increase the number of disabled adults in work to help increase their independence;

·         changing the cultural perception of disability to get more disabled adults into employment;

·         working with employers around myth-busters and the benefits of employing disabled adults;

·         the aim to engage with district authorities to implement the strategy and help monitor progress through performance management and indicators;

·         the importance of strong links with the Learning Disability Partnership Board;

·         ensuring that the voice of people with learning disability was articulated in the document; and

·         making the strategy accessible to all individuals.

An easy read version of the strategy is attached to these minutes.

It was MOVED by Councillor Leadbetter, SECONDED by Dr Pearson, and

RESOLVED

(a)    that the ‘Living Well with a Learning Disability in Devon 2018-2022’ Joint Strategy report be noted and endorsed;

(b)    that the Chair of the Learning Disability Partnership Board be invited to a future meeting to provide an update to the Board;

(c)    that the ‘Living Well with a Learning Disability in Devon 2018-2022’ Joint Strategy be taken to a committee of the Devon District Councils to further promote and engage with local districts on this matter and also circulated to local district Chief Housing Officers.