In order to have a clear focus within local authorities and health boards about services for people with learning disabilities, The same as you? recommended that they should produce Partnership in Practice Agreements (PiPs) for their areas.
The agreements outlined the plans for developing and commissioning services for adults and children with learning disabilities over a 3 year period. 2007-2010 PiPs should be available locally.
With the introduction of the concordat with local government there are changes to the relationship between national and local government. More funding is given to local authorities for quality services and these will be monitored through national and local outcomes. Local authorities will develop Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs) which set out the improvement in local outcomes which councils are seeking to achieve (for 2011) and the indicators identified by which progress will be tracked. Local authorities will report to both Scottish Government on national outcomes, and to their local communities on local outcomes.
Partnership in Practice (PiP) Network
The PiP Network is made up of people responsible for the Partnership in Practice (PiP) Agreements, representatives from local authorities and the NHS, the Director of the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability (SCLD) and Scottish Government officials.
The Network:
- provides a forum for discussion about the implementation of The same as you? within the context of the national outcomes
- improves communication on implementation issue between the Scottish Government, local authorities and the NHS
- circulates information widely within their agency and to their partners in the voluntary and private sector, service users and carers
- enables communication with one another about PiPs and the implementation of The same as you?
- identifies barriers to implementation with the aim of overcoming them