This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Minister to chair learning disability implementation group
20/06/2003
Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care Tom
McCabe, today announced that he will chair the National
Implementation Group set up to oversee implementation of
the Learning Disability Review,
'The
same as you?'.
Set up in 2001, the Implementation Group will help drive
forward the recommendations within The same as you?, lead
in planning, advise on the way forward and identify and
recommend priorities for change. In his role as chair, the
Minister will be at the forefront of the changes the
Implementation Group will make.
Mr McCabe said:
"I am delighted to have the opportunity to chair this
group. We are committed to full implementation of the
recommendations of The same as you? This is a challenging
agenda, but I look forward to working with group members
and other key stakeholders to ensure progress continues to
be made."
"The Same As You? Placed the emphasis firmly on
delivering person-centred services with a broad aim to
develop a framework for integrated, comprehensive social
and health care services for people with learning
difficulties. This week has been Learning Disability Week
and has been and opportunity to celebrate the abilities of
people with learning disabilities and also to raise
awareness of the difficulties faced by families of children
and adults with a severe or profound learning
disability.
"The Scottish Executive has increased funding from
£12million last year to £16 million in the current year,
and we expect this additional investment to deliver
improvements on the ground for people with learning
disabilities and their families."
The same as you? review of services for people with
learning disabilities, published in May 2000, has 29
recommendations for developing learning disability
services. Most are for action by local authorities and NHS
Boards.
A National Implementation Group was set up in June 2001,
with a remit to:
- Help to make all the recommendations of The same as
you? happen
- Lead in planning and advising on the way
forward
- Identify and recommend priorities for change
- Advise Ministers on how The same as you? is
improving the quality of services and the quality of
lives of people of all ages and their families.
Group members include four people with learning
disabilities, 2 family carers, representatives from
voluntary sector organisations, local authorities and NHS
Boards, and Scottish Executive officials.
The Scottish Executive provided local authorities with
additional change funds to assist implementation -
£8million in 2001-2002, £12million in 2002-2003, and
£16million from 2003-2004 onwards.
The same as you? report, and information about progress
with implementation, can be accessed via the Scottish
Executive's learning disability web-site at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/ldsr/default.asp
Key developments in relation to the report include:
- The Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability set
up and launched in October 2001 (with £1.5m over five
years from the Executive) http://www.scld.org.uk/ SCLD
celebrates Learning Disability Week 2003 (16-20 June)
with a display of artwork at The Lighthouse, Mitchell
Lane, Glasgow.
- Local authorities, NHS Board and other partners
have prepared local Partnership in Practice Agreements
(PiPs) to implement The same as you? across
Scotland.
- The closure of learning disability hospitals - good
progress is being made towards the closure of all
long-stay beds by the 2005 deadline
- The Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002
provides for a right to Direct Payments from 1
June.