The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Group’s
Response to the Learning Disability Advisory Group’s Report to the National
Assembly for Wales: “Fulfilling the Promises”
The Welsh Liberal
Democrats welcome the Learning Disability Advisory Group’s report “Fulfilling
the Promises” and congratulates the Advisory Group on the comprehensive and
detailed nature of its report.
We believe that if
this report is implemented then it will deliver the services and support that
people with learning disabilities require and deserve, and will ensure that
they have the opportunity to lead a full life in their communities and realise
their potential.
The National Assembly
should reinforce its present policy by making the Learning Disability Advisory
Group’s report the basis for ensuring people with learning disabilities receive
the support and services that allow them to fulfil their potential and fully
participate in society and the life of their communities.
Agree that members of
Health Boards, Local Health Groups and senior managers in authorities should
introduce policies to achieve aims and targets of this report.
The report recommends
that the target for the resettlement of people with learning disabilities from
long stay hospitals and the closure of these hospitals should be brought
forward from 2010 to 2006. We recognise
that the Partnership Government has done much in progressing this matter,
initially securing £60 million over 3 years and then an extra £25 million for
resettlement in the community and it is through its commitment and the
commitment of hard-working staff on the ground that 2006 is now looking like a
viable target date. We therefore
strongly urge that 2006 is set as the new target date.
Person centred
planning is essential and we welcome the target that by 2003/2004 all people
with a learning disability will have an individual person centred plan and urge
that if possible this should be the case sooner rather than later in terms of
the aforementioned flexible target date.
Also, would like to stress the importance of annually reviewing each
individual person centred plan to ensure that the right social care and
educational planning is in place.
Strongly support the
view that independent carers assessments should be available as of right.
Agree that
information has to be accessible and of a high quality and support the
recommendation that the Assembly conduct research into identifying the best way
of ensuring that this is the case.
Further support the target that by 2002/2003 local and national
information is widely accessible to all people with learning disabilities,
their families and carers.
The Assembly should
look into the viability of a national centrally funded advocacy service for
Wales and if feasible it should draft proposals to put out to consultation.
Recognise the
importance of and support the measures for joint-working and the part of the
Assembly in ensuring that this is the case.
Agree that the Assembly should put in place guidance to require
authorities to include users, their families and carers and others in the
planning and development of services.
Support development
of Children’s’ Service Plans to promote equal opportunities and social
inclusion and agree that these should be in place by 2003/2004.
Strongly agree that
extra resources should be provided by the Assembly to ensure additional
educational support for all those with learning difficulties and that all
teachers and classroom assistants should receive training to ensure that they
can support the educational development of people with learning disabilities.
Support the objective
of helping more people with learning difficulties to live at home if they wish
and support increasing the availability of short-term breaks and support
services through Assembly policies to encourage authorities to provide these.
Being able to live
independently is an important aspiration for many people with learning
difficulties and the Assembly should make available additional resources to
enable more people with learning difficulties to achieve this aspiration. Support the target that by 2010 an
additional 1,500 people should be supported to live independently outside the
family home.
Support changing the
arrangements to enable local authority services to be part of the Direct
Payments Scheme.
In strong agreement
with the report’s recommendation that the Assembly ensures authorities use
strategic planning processes to provide current and regular updates on
accommodation and support needs of people with complex and challenging needs;
that carers are helped to develop appropriate skills and have access to
specialist staff; and develop plans to increase access to intensive
rehabilitation services within Wales and thereby reduce the number of those who
are accommodated in specialist facilities outside of Wales.
Support the
expansion of educational and training
opportunities, socially integrative activities and supported employment and
agree that the Assembly has a major role in pushing this agenda forward and should do it all it can
to this, liasing with the UK Government and others.
Reducing the health
inequalities experienced by people with learning difficulties should be a major
priority – the difference in their rates of illness and mortality and the national
averages is a matter to be addressed with urgency.
Agree that training
needs to be extended to all the social care and NHS workforce to ensure that
when people with learning difficulties access any service they are presented
with staff who are properly qualified,
trained, managed and regulated so that they are better able to understand the
requirements of people with learning difficulties.
Support the proposed
long-term (5 years) Action Plan approach as the most effective way of ensuring
the implementation of the report’s recommendations and of assessing the ongoing
support and services requirements of people with learning disabilities.
The Assembly should
consult further on the proposed timetable of the Action Plan.
The recommendation
that the Assembly set targets to increase the number of those in the social
care work-force in Wales who have appropriate qualifications is vitally
important and needs to be a top priority.
It is a deep concern that of the 60,000 people employed in the social
care workforce in Wales, including the voluntary and private sectors, that over
80% of them do not have the appropriate qualifications they need for the jobs
they do. The report suggests that by
2005 all social care managers and 50% of the social care work-force providing
services to people with learning difficulties should have an appropriate
qualification. The Welsh Liberal
Democrats strongly endorse this recommendation.