This section gives you links to new and innovative policy development with examples of good practice.
Getting to Grips with the Money
A Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) programme of work to help councils in England to contain spending growth on people with learning disasbilities, and to shift money towards self-directed support. This work is linked to the national fair pricing tool and self-directed support (see other topics in this section).
In Control Project
in Control's mission is: to change the organisation of social care in England so that people who need support can take more control of their own lives and fulfil their role as full citizens: the complete transformation of social care into a system of self-directed support. In Control now also works in Scotland and Wales.
Independent Living: A cross government strategy about independent living for disabled people
This is a consultation issued by the Office for Disability Issues at the beginning of March 2008 and is supported by the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Transport, the Department of Health, the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Communities and Local Government Department, and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. The aim of the five year Strategy is that
- disabled people who need support to go about their daily lives will have greater choice and control over how support is provided, and
- disabled people will have greater access to housing, transport, health, employment, education and leisure opportunities and to participation in family and community life.
Individual Budgets Pilot Programme
This is a cross government programme testing out how 'individual budgets' could work for people who use social care services in 13 Local Authorities. Changing from how things are set up now, to a system where Local Authorities can give people individual budgets means some massive system changes - so a team from CSIP are there to help them with this.
Local Area Agreements (LAA) and Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA)
A Local Area Agreement is a three year agreement based on local sustainable community strategies. It sets out the priorities for a local area agreed between central government (represented by the government office), and the local area (represented by the lead Local Authority) and other key partners through Local Strategic Partnerships.
Comprehensive Area Assessments are proposed to provide a holistic independent assessment of the prospects for local areas and the quality of life for people living there. CAA will be developed and delivered jointly by all the inspectorates responsible for assessing organisations and services to provide a focus on outcomes for local people.
Pricing Tools for Learning Disability Services
More and more local authorities are adopting a 'pricing tool' to use as a mechanism to cost an appropriate fee for services. ARC is supporting providers to understand the implications for their organisation.
The Social Care Institute of Excellence (SCIE)
SCIE's aim is to improve the experience of people who use social care by developing and promoting knowledge about good practice in the sector. Using knowledge gathered from diverse sources and a broad range of people and organisations, we develop resources which we share freely, supporting those working in social care and empowering service users.
Several of the good practice resources developed relate to the learning disability sector.
Valuing People Now: From Progress to Transition
The Department of Health is 'refreshing' its English White Paper Valuing People: a new strategy for learning disability for the 21st century, published in 2001. It was published on 4 December 2007 and is open for consultation until 28 March 2008.