Disability Working Group
Satellite Group 4 Meeting Note 23 August 2005
Group 4 - Social inclusion; poverty; independent living; direct payments; care and support services; rehabilitation.
Attendance:
Jim Elder-Woodward, Inclusion Scotland (Chair)
Wyn Merrells, Scottish Disability Equality Forum
Ann Brown, RNID Scotland
Kate Higgins, Capability Scotland
Lorna Hunter, Barnardo's Scotland
Margaret Aitken, Scottish Council on Deafness
Stephanie Clark, Sense Scotland
Jackie Reid, Sense Scotland
David Thomson, Scottish Executive: Equality Unit
Graeme Bryce, Scottish Executive: Equality Unit
Chris Taylor, Scottish Executive: Supporting People
Jeannie Munroe, Scottish Executive: Vulnerable Adults Unit
Julie Crawford, Scottish Executive: Vulnerable Adults Unit
Apologies from/unable to attend:
Kay Barton, Scottish Executive: Social Inclusion - Anti-Poverty
Kate Wallace, Scottish Association for Mental Health
Welcome and Introductions
1. Jim Elder Woodward welcomed the group to their second meeting which would be focussing on direct payments.
Note of the last meeting
2. The note of the last meeting was agreed.
3. David provided an update on the Action Points from the note of the last meeting - see Annex A.
Background Papers
4. A number of background papers had been provided and these formed the basis of much of the discussion.
'Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People' and Individualised Budgets
5. Sally Witcher had provided a paper on the UK Government's report entitled 'Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People' and it's key recommendations on individualised budgets. David introduced the paper and made clear that the report contained no recommendations for the Scottish Executive. However, the Scottish Executive was interested in looking at what the UK Government was doing and would work with the UK Government where appropriate. On individualised budgets, Sally's paper considered a number of options for the Executive including doing nothing, moving to combining all budgets (both SE and Westminster controlled), taking an incremental approach (eg combing all SE budgets first) or moving towards a single assessment but with budgets remaining separate.
6. Discussion recognised that in Scotland there was a move towards single shared assessment and that this covered housing, health and social work but did not encompass benefits and income support. The single assessment discussed by Sally was wider and included all budgets.
7. It was recognised that choice was a fundamental part of any consideration of what might be done. Jim pointed out that independent living was about a disabled person's right to choose, across a range of issues, much wider than just care services. A move to individualised budgets might help to facilitate this choice. Steph was concerned that budgets might be lost if moved from service streams to individuals. This was also mentioned by Lorna and Kate who had particular concerns about loss of funding for families. Wyn commented that a move to individualised budgets would place a great deal of responsibility on individualis and that appropriate support would be needed. There was also some discussion about the consequences of choice for service providers - if particular providers were more popular then others would loose out and might become unviable. Kate commented that if disabled people were not choosing particular providers then that meant those providers were not meeting disabled people's needs.
8. Discussion had highlighted a range of views which could not, at this stage, be resolved. Sally's paper had referred to 'pilot' activities and the Group agreed that it wished to find out more about these.
Direct Payments
9. Jim had provided a paper on direct payments and this was the subject of further discussion. The paper highlighted some of the current issues including the need for training, the lack of funding available, the need to support networks of disabled people using direct payments and the need for the Executive to make clear its continued commitment to direct payments. While no Scottish Executive officials working on direct payments were able to attend the meeting it was noted that they would attend the next one.
10. Margaret commented that many local authorities appear to know little about direct payments. Kate suggested that some local authorities were saying that they could not offer direct payments and that those that did sometimes offered very low levels of funding which could not buy necessary services. It suggested that it would be useful to find out how many direct payment schemes are running in Scotland and what blockages might be preventing more. It would also be useful to look at the apparently more successful take up of direct payments in England.
11. The group agreed that needed to discuss the issues with officials working on direct payments and would return to this at the next meeting.
Forth Valley Sensory Centre
12. RNID had provided a paper on the new Forth Valley Sensory Centre. This highlighted the success of partnership working. But questions were raised about segregation and whether this approach might go against the grain of mainstreaming. The paper provided scope for further thought.
Scottish Executive paper
13. The Scottish Executive had provided a background paper with information on a range of issues raised at the previous meeting. This was not discussed in any detail but the group agreed that they would wish to come to back to this at a later meeting.
Planning Future Meetings
14. The group was concerned that its remit was too broad. Given the need to focus future meetings on obtainable objectives the group considered that it might want to cut back on some aspects of its remit. It was noted that other satellite groups were finding this too. David made clear that any issues not considered by the group would not be 'lost' as the group could recommend further work in these areas.
15. 'Rehabilitation' and 'care and support services' had not been discussed in much detail yet and the group considered whether one or both of these might be dropped. Kate and Wynn were keen not to drop 'care and support services' and it was agreed to keep this in. Rather than drop 'rehabilitation' completely the group agreed to ask the employment satellite group whether it could pick this up.
16. At its next meeting the group wished to consider 'care and support services' and it was agreed that Chris and Kate would work together on a background paper. Jim would also prepare a paper on the word 'care'.
17. A further paper crystallising the groups thoughts so far into draft recommendations would also be produced for the next meeting.
Planning the report back to the Core Group (15 September)
18. The Scottish Executive agreed to do this.
Date of Next Meeting
19. The next meeting will take place on Monday 3 October, from 10.30-13.30 at in Glasgow.
Equality Unit
August 2005
Action Points
1. Further information about pilots on individualised budgets - Scottish Executive
2. Information on take up of direct payments - Scottish Executive
3. Paper on care and support services - Capability Scotland and Scottish Executive
4. Paper on 'care' - Jim Elder-Woodward
5. Paper which makes initial attempt to crystallise the groups discussions into draft recommendations - Scottish Executive
Annex A
Update on action points from 19 July meeting
- Investigate feasibility of changes to local taxation - Equality Unit (EU)
Not possible to do this in the short time available. Aim to provide for next meeting
- Briefing paper on UK Strategy Unit Report Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People and individualised budgets - Sally.
Done
- Investigate prescription charging situation in Scotland and further information on Welsh position - EU.
Done
- Investigate schemes for home insulation, central heating etc. - Chris
Done
- Investigate Age Concern reduced fuel bills scheme - Jeannie
Done
- Investigate SE position on extension of Free Personal Care - Jeannie
Done.
- Financial Assessments / COSLA Charging Formula - Chris
Chris will provide an update for the next meeting.
- Invite Sarah Stewart, VAU, to attend next meeting - Jeannie
Invited but unable to attend. She will attend the next meeting.
- Information on Sensory Resource Centre in Falkirk - Maggie
Done
- Invite representative from Housing Bill Team to next meeting - EU.
Not able to attend. Will aim to attend the next meeting.
- Invite Disablement Income Group (DIG) to join group - EU.
Invited but not able to attend. Should make the next meeting.
- Briefing Paper on Direct Payments - Ask Jim Elder-Woodward.
Done
- Ask Jim to Chair group - EU.
Done
- Extend future meetings to three hours and circulate times to group - EU.
Done
- Invite comments from all those who did not attend this meeting in advance for circulation before the next meeting
Done. No comments received.