Active Lives - the Ten Year Vision for Adult Social
Services
We are coming to the end of the discussions about the sort of
support that should be provided in ten year's time to the people of
Kent. Consultation events have taken place with disabled people
with all types of impairment. The purpose was to check that the
broad vision was still relevant, and identify issues that were
people's top priorities for action.
A fundamental message that came consistently through all the
consultation was:
Enabling people to live their lives the way they want should be
the guiding principle for Adult Services. To make this happen,
staff must listen carefully to, and act upon, what people want.
This needs to happen in relation to individuals, and also in terms
of strategic service development.
Beyond this, the main priorities that have come out of the
feedback were:
- Enable people to have choice and independence
- Treat people with dignity.
- Support carers
- Support people to live in their own homes
- Improve integration between social care services, health and
the voluntary sector
- Use funding where it is needed - don't waste money on poor or
inappropriate services
- Protect people from abuse - hate crime was a particularly big
issue for people with learning difficulties
- Support people who want to work by helping them get jobs, but
also helping them keep those jobs
- Improve respite services
The questionnaires that were posted on the website and sent out
are also included in the analysis above. An Editorial Board made up
of volunteer service users and carers will have two meetings in
January with Debra Exall, Head of Performance & Planning, to
discuss all the feedback and draft the final version of Active
Lives. The draft will also be considered by the Kent Partnership
Board for People with Learning Disabilities. It is intended that
the final version of Active Lives will be ready to launch in
February. |