Sensory Impairment Action Plan (SIAP)
In January 2004, we launched the Sensory Impairment Action Plan (SIAP). The SIAP contains 7 recommendations setting out short, medium and long-term goals to improve access to community care services for everyone with a sensory impairment.
The SIAP was developed and written in consultation with voluntary organisations, including Deafblind Scotland, Sense Scotland and sensory impaired users. We are currently working with RNIB, Deafblind Scotland, Scottish Council on Deafness, other voluntary organisation and service users to take forward these recommendations. We established a steering group to lead this work.
As well as implementing the recommendations with the SIAP, the Scottish Executive intends to issue statutory guidance under Section 5(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. This guidance was issued in April 2007.
Progress to date on implementation
- Recommendation 1 aims to provide local authorities with a mechanism for identifying and collecting information on the numbers and needs of sensory impaire people in local authority areas. Steering Group members commented on the draft guidance in February 2007 before it was isued in April 2007.
- Recommendation 2 (adapting the Single Shared Assessment minimum standards to ensure that information on sensory impairment if collected) has been completed. Deafblind Scotland has expressed concerns that there is no specific mention of deafblindness/dual sensory loss in these standards and they are being revised to amend this.
- Recommendation 3 to develop an information strategy in conjunction with the Scottish Accessible Information Forum (SAIF) and funding has been provided to SIAP for this work. SAIF have been asked to review their information standards to incorporate each of the 3 sub groups' standards, and they will print and promote them.
- Recommendation 4 recommends that staff in social care facilities are able to meet basic communication needs. A Pilot course was run in Spetember 2007 and is currently being evaluated before it is rolled out accross the country.
- Recommendation 5 on research issues is underway. Research findings Number 50/2006, published in June 2006 looked at community care and mental health services with adults with sensory impairment.
- Recommendation 6 is about setting service standards. Standards already existing include National Care Standards for care homes for people with physical and sensory impairment. The Eycare Review which was published in December 2006 and the guidance issued in April 2007 set out standards. However this piece of work is still unfinished and will no doubt increase accross various Scottish Government area's.
- Recommendation 7 is on providing a national training strategy. The Scottish Social Services Council is helping to develop National Occupational Standard qualifications for staff working with anyone with a sensory impairment. The steering group are involved in this development work.