Agenda item

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Health and Community which informed Members of Valuing People Now (VPN), the accompanying Delivery Plan and the implications for Halton.

            VPN was published in January 2009 and launched through a series of regional events in the following months. It was noted that there was good representation from the Halton Partnership Board at the North West Launch on 9^th March 2009 in Bolton.

            Members were advised that the VPN, whilst led by the Department of Health was supported by all government departments who had signed up to the strategy. The messages set out in VPN were clear and started from the principle that people with learning disabilities were people first with the right to lead their lives like any others with the same opportunities, responsibilities and to be treated with the same dignity and respect. There was particular reference to people with complex needs, people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and a recognition of the importance of health in response to the July 2008 report, Health Care for All.

            The Board was advised that the Strategy was accompanied with a Delivery Plan which would set out key priorities for the next three years. For 2009/10 the priorities were:

• To raise awareness of VPN across national and local government, private and voluntary sectors, and within wider society;
• To have an effective learning Disability Partnership Board operating in every Local Authority area;
• To secure access to, and improvements in, healthcare, with Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts responsible for, and leading, this work;
• To increase the range of housing options for people with learning disabilities and their families, including closure of NHS campuses;
• To ensure that the Personalisation agenda was embedded within all local authority services and developments for people with learning disabilities and their family carers, and was underpinned by person centred planning; and
• To increase employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

Members were advised that for Halton there was existing activity in each of these areas, however further work was required particularly on developing the Learning Disability Partnership Board.  The Partnership Board would require additional capacity to make it truly effective and to have meaningful representation from people with a learning disability on the Board. It was planned to develop a Shadow Board to address this.

                        Members were further advised that the Partnership Board would require additional capacity to improve accessibility. The Customer Care Service within the Directorate ensured minutes of the Board were made into an accessible format, however, there was no capacity for any further work on accessibility such a reports and presentations, which came to the Board. A request had been made that a provider was commissioned to translate complex information into formats that were accessible to people with learning difficulties, which would enable them to appreciate, participate and influence development in design of the services in Halton.

                        It was further noted that health care issues were currently being addressed by the Primary Care Trust and this was to be welcomed. A sub-group had been chaired by Dave Sweeney from the PCT to cover both Halton and St. Helens. Additional capacity had been agreed and the Health Performance Framework for people with learning disabilities would sit within this group, which would be accountable to the two Partnership Boards.

                        Members were advised that the development of a Shadow Board and meaningful inclusion of people with learning disabilities required additional resources. This had been costed at £9,000 per annum. The commissioning of a service to improve accessible formats had not yet been costed but was unlikely to be more than £10,000 per annum. Funding had been identified within the pooled budget following the transfer of funding agreement with the Primary Care Trust.

                        RESOLVED: That the report be noted.