Thematic Inspection of Services: summary
Easy read summary of our findings
The Scottish Government asked inspection agencies to look at how well some areas were supporting people with a learning disability.
A team of people visited four areas to check up on how good services were for people with a learning disability. The team included people with a learning disability and family carers.
The team included people from:
- People First
- Care Commission
- Carers Scotland
- HM Inspectorate of Education ( HMIE)
- NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
- The Quality Action Group
- Social Work Inspection Agency
- Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability
The inspection looked at three things in each area
- Transition
- Lifelong learning
- Work opportunities for people with a learning disability
As part of the process each council and NHS partnership was visited and service users, carers and staff had a chance to say what they thought about services.
If you want to know more about the inspection you can contact Steve Porter, lead inspector.
Tel: 0141 242 0396
Angus Council and NHS Tayside
These were the things we found out about services in Angus Council and NHS Tayside.
The council knew the people with a learning disability. Because they knew people they were better at planning services.
The council and NHS knew what help people needed so that they could have better lives.
The council improved support for people with a learning disability after they left college.
Services worked well together so that people had better transport.
We asked people with a learning disability about the support they got. Most people said they were happy with their support.
The lifelong learning forum had started to make things better for people who went to college.
Dumfries and Galloway Council and NHS Dumfries and Galloway
These were the things we found out about services in Dumfries and Galloway Council and NHS Dumfries and Galloway.
Dumfries and Galloway Council and NHS Dumfries and Galloway needed to make improvements to their services for people with a learning disability and their carers.
Some people with a learning disability got help to get qualifications and work experience. More people should get this help.
The council needed to talk to more people before they changed their services.
Some people got good help to do leisure activities.
There was a local group which tried to make things better for people who went to college. Staff from Dumfries and Galloway Council and NHS Dumfries and Galloway needed to go to meetings of the group.
East Lothian Council and NHS Lothian
These were the things we found out about services in East Lothian Council and NHS Lothian.
East Lothian Council had started to make things better for people with a learning disability and carers.
The council had asked people what they thought about services.
Children with a learning disability and their families had better lives because most council and NHS staff worked well together.
Some people with a learning disability had to wait a long time to get help.
Managers in the services could work better together.
NHS Lothian had good plans to help people with a learning disability get a job.
West Lothian Council and NHS Lothian
These were the things we found out about services in West Lothian Council and NHS Lothian.
The council and NHS knew what worked well. They had good plans to make things better and worked well to support people.
The council planned to make things better for school leavers. They gave more help for people to get a paid job.
Most people said they were happy with the help they got from the council.
Council staff said it was important to help people with a learning disability be independent.
The NHS had good plans to help people with a learning disability get a job.
People did not have to wait long for services.
Recommendations
This is a list of things that would make things better for people with a learning disability in all areas we visited.
The councils and NHS should get to know people with a learning disability when they are young. They should think about what they will need in the future.
The councils, NHS and colleges should work together so that people have more choice and better support when they go to college.
The councils' employment services should focus more on getting people into paid work.
Councils should be better at telling people with a learning disability and carers what will happen to their money if they get a job.
The councils and NHS should employ more people with a learning disability.
People with a learning disability should be asked if they want to get a job, go to college or do something different when they have review meetings.
Dumfries and Galloway and East Lothian councils should have better plans to make sure people with a learning disability stay safe. These included risk assessments and plans.
Dumfries and Galloway Council and NHS Dumfries and Galloway needed to write a plan about what new services would look like.
All councils and NHS services needed to have better plans for how they spend money on learning disability services.
Further copies and alternative formats may be available on request from the Social Work Inspection Agency. An electronic version is available along with our contact details on the SWIA website at swia.gov.uk