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CHAPTER 2 - PROGRESS THROUGH POLICY DELIVERY
Introduction
2.1 In order to make progress towards equality of opportunity between disabled people and non-disabled people requires action in relation to a wide range of Scottish Ministers' responsibilities. Here we present a summary of some of the key policy achievements of the last 6 months, which are delivering equality of opportunity for disabled people across Scotland. A more detailed report on progress will be included within our next annual report during 2009.
Health and Wellbeing
- June 2008 saw the publication of Equally Well - the report of the Ministerial Taskforce on Health Inequalities. This Report acknowledged that people's health may vary according to age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and other individual factors and that these could interact with socioeconomic status and low income to produce significant health inequalities. The report includes a range of proposals of relevance to disability equality including encouraging health boards to be exemplars in employment. Health checks in deprived areas to identify people with depression and anxiety were also recommended, to ensure adequate treatment and support. And the NHS will be expected to provide regular health assessments for people with learning disabilities to address the poor health outcomes experienced by this group.
- In June 2008, we announced a long term approach to supporting independent living for disabled people. This initiative will be supported by an expert group including disabled people and will involve the Government working with public sector bodies to identify ways to break down barriers in areas such as housing, transport, employment and education.
- A reference group on self-directed support was convened and met in June and October 2008. Members are currently considering a draft strategy to radically increase the uptake of self-directed support in Scotland. A key part of this strategy will be running test sites in three local authorities to consider how well specific interventions improve uptake. This work builds on research conducted in June 2008 which demonstrated the flexibility, choice, control and independence that self-directed support is able to offer individuals. Disabled clients in receipt of health funding as part of their self-directed support reported a significantly more flexible response to their needs. The Scottish Government will consider further guidance, explicit target setting or legislation if they prove necessary in the longer term.
- We have worked with our partners from the Deaf field to develop and support an infrastructure which will train and register a greater number of BSL/English interpreters to address the critical shortage in Scotland. In November 2008, Scottish Ministers awarded funding of £1.5m to the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters. The funding package, which will run from 2008-2011, will develop and pilot a new, apprenticeship scheme to train ten BSL interpreters; and will also support a second course to train Deaf tutors to teach BSL especially at higher levels. The programme of work which is now underway will significantly help to deliver the long-term strategy to improve linguistic access for Deaf people and increase access to services through registered interpreters.
- Achieving Our Potential, published in November 2008 , sets out the approach of the Scottish Government and COSLA to reducing poverty and income inequality in Scotland. This framework sets out the Government's commitment to tacking poverty and acknowledges the fact that disabled people are disproportionately likely to be living in poor households, defined as those with less than 60% of the median household income.
- Regulations under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, were approved by Parliament in November 2008 and propose a simpler and fairer system of local authority financial assistance with adaptations. The Regulations come into force in April 2009.
Education and Lifelong Learning
- We are extending Partnership Matters to the university sector. This is key a guidance document for colleges, local authorities, NHS Health Boards and voluntary organisations on supporting students with additional needs. It encourages partnership working between colleges, local authorities (education and social work), NHS Health Boards and voluntary organisations in order to improve support for students with additional needs.
- We will be funding a new post - a National Development Officer: Additional Support for Learning - Preparing for Post School Transitions. In place from early next year, the aim of the officer is to co-ordinate local and national partnership approaches to effective implementation of the Additional Support for Learning Act, with a specific focus on transition for all young people at risk of missing out on education and training opportunities, including learners with disabilities.
- We have recently commissioned two development officers, one from education and one from the allied health professions, to develop national guidelines to promote and support more effective partnership working between local authorities and allied health professions in order to support the transition from school to post school.
- We are working in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( COSLA) to develop a framework for supported employment in Scotland. Supported Employment is a systematic approach that provides flexible support to enable people with disabilities or other disadvantaged groups to secure and maintain paid employment in the open labour market.
Finance and Sustainable Growth
- We are currently recruiting a new membership for the Mobility and Access Committee Scotland. The Committee was established under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 and has a role giving advice and making recommendations to Scottish Ministers on matters relating to the needs of disabled people in connection with public and community transport; taking full consideration of the needs of disabled persons when responding to consultations issued by the Scottish Government, and engaging with users and operators of public transport.
- The Disabled Persons' Parking Places (Scotland) Bill was introduced on 2 June 2008 by Jackie Baillie MSP and has just completed Stage 1. The Scottish Government supports the Bill.
- Guidance on developing Single Outcome Agreements ( SOAs) was issued to Community Planning Partnerships in October 2008; among other things, this reminds CPPs that in preparing their SOAs, they are responsible for ensuring they comply with all statutory obligations and requirements placed upon them. This includes equalities and the Guidance makes clear that improving performance on equality will contribute to successful delivery across a range of outcomes.
Justice
- Justice agencies and the Scottish Government have established a pan justice disability group to develop an approach to effective and sustainable consultation and involvement of disabled people across the range of justice portfolio issues. The group includes the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Scottish Legal Aid Board, the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Courts Service, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Scottish Government.
Rural Affairs and Environment
- The Marine Directorate has taken steps to ensure that disability-related action features in the Strategic Framework for Scottish Freshwater Fisheries published in July 2008. Intrinsic in development of the Framework was the principle of extending access to freshwater fisheries of all kinds to a wider section of society. Implementation of the strategic vision with regard to disabled people has seen the formation of a disability working group charged with reviewing access provision, development of facilities ( e.g. wheelchair adapted boats) and specialised coaching
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