FIVE of Scotland’s leading voluntary organisations have come together to drive forward self-directed support in Scotland.
The initiative, Changing Support, Changing Lives, which has been funded by The Scottish Government, comprises Long Terms Conditions Alliance Scotland (LTCAS), Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability (SCLD), ENABLE Scotland, In Control Scotland and the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS).
Says a spokesperson: “The organisations behind Changing Support, Changing Lives, have shown innovation, leadership and vision as well as practical experience in supporting the development of self directed support and will now help and support other care and support providers across the country to make the transformation to self directed support.
“Enabling people to have greater choice and control over their support is at the heart of the project as this can deliver transformational change to the lives of individuals.
“This project is inspired by the conviction that self-directed support must be led by people’s aspirations for their own lives and is successful when individuals who are eligible for support work in partnership with their support providers.
“Self-directed support offers people the choice of taking control of the funding they are entitled to as an individual budget so that they can buy or arrange their own support packages to meet their personal, social and healthcare needs. This gives individuals greater choice and control over their care and support – allowing them to life the live they choose.”
The spokesperson continues: “The Scottish Government is aiming to significantly increase the number of people who direct their own support and the Changing Support, Changing Lives partnership welcomes the introduction of the Self Directed Support (Scotland) Bill which is imminent.
“The aims of Changing Lives, Changing Support are to work in partnership with providers to ensure action is taken to implement self directed support across Scotland. The partnership want to encourage care providers to explore different models of self-directed support such as Individual Service Funds ( ISF) and provide them with pathways to implement SDS.
“They also want to work together with providers and the people that access support to consider things like portability of budgets and supporting individuals to co-produce as well as changing practice and systems to enable people to direct their own support.
“Changing Support, Changing Lives will be very much action focused using roadmaps to help providers make their journey to self-directed support.”
Changing Lives, Changing Support believes this action based approach will lead to:
* Increased understanding of SDS;
* Shared understanding and learning about SDS; and
* Better leadership of SDS; and
* Increased innovation and diversity in what providers offer and what is available for people directing their own support.
Changing Support, Changing Lives will begin to roll out of a programme of conferences, master classes, networks and redesign projects across Scotland to support providers as they begin to transform their services and processes to make self-directed support a reality.
A self-assessment tool will assist providers to assess where they are in relation to the changes they need to make and service blueprinting will be designed by a range of people involved in accessing and providing support to tackle the most challenging areas for implementing SDS.
Support will also be given to providers to engage the people who want to take up self-directed support in evaluating the impact of the programme in a participatory way. A SQA accredited qualification in Personalisation will also be available for practitioners.
Changing Support, Changing Lives will launch its website on 1st March 2012. Visit http://www.changingsupport.org.uk
Speaking about the launch of the Changing Support, Changing Lives, Ian Welsh, LTCAS chief executive, said: “I warmly welcome the investment the Scottish Government has made in the ‘Changing Support, Changing Lives’ project, and am delighted to be part of it.
“Helping organisations to transform their support and services will be crucial in making a reality of the aspirations of many people who are disabled or live with long-term conditions who, like everyone, want choice and control over their own lives.”
Peter Scott, ENABLE Scotland chief executive, said: “ENABLE Scotland is pleased to be working in partnership with LTCAS, SCLD, In Control Scotland and IRISS to launch Changing Support, Changing Lives and welcomes the Scottish Government’s support of the project.
“Self-directed support will provide everyone who is in receipt of support with the opportunity to have greater control and choice over how their needs are met, something our members have been long campaigning for.
“People who have a disability or a long-term condition, together with their families, are the right people to decide what they want from their lives, and self-directed support will give them the best opportunity to achieve this.”
Lisa Curtice, director of SCLD, said: “SCLD believes that people who use support services are citizens and can be leaders in designing and developing their support.
“We are looking forward to working with our partners in Changing Support, Changing Lives to assist provider organisations to work in partnership with the people who may wish to purchase their support.
“Our contribution will be to help providers evaluate the effect of the changes they make on the people they support and we shall encourage them to do this from the perspective of, and with the active participation of, disabled people.”
John Dalrymple, In Control Scotland board member, said: “In Control Scotland is pleased to be a member of the Changing Support, Changing Live project and looks forward to working together with our partners in the months ahead.
“People who rely on support must be able to shape that support to make sure that they are at the centre of community and national life, and not held at the margins.
“The project represents sustained government investment that can help providers of support really get to grips with what it will take to support people to live independently as genuinely empowered citizens.”
Alison Petch, director, IRISS, said: ‘I am delighted that IRISS has been asked to contribute to the Changing Support, Changing Lives project. I particularly welcome the opportunity to work in close partnership with Enable, SCLD, in Control and LTCAS and very much hope that this collaboration will yield real added value beyond what each of the organisations can offer individually.
“Above all I welcome the opportunity for the project to contribute to the transformation of support for individuals.”
Ends
Contact Nikki Slowey 07921 657 185, nikki.slowey@enable.org.uk
Notes to Editors
As part of the provider capacity building programme, the Scottish Government has funded the Coalition of Care and Support Providers to engage providers across Scotland in discussing and addressing the shift in policy, practice and systems that SDS requires.
LTCAS
LTCAS is the national intermediary for third sector organisations working in the field of long term conditions. It is an independent organisation funded by, and working in strategic partnership with, the Scottish Government.
With over 220 members, LTCAS aims to provide a voice for the 2 million people who live with long term conditions in Scotland to further its vision of a Scotland where people enjoy, not endure, full and positive lives, free from discrimination and supported by high-quality services, information and support.
SCLD
The Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability is a charitable organisation made up of 12 partner organisations who have joined together with funding from the Scottish Government to help make the changes set out in ‘The same as you’. Their mission is to work in partnership with people with learning disabilities of all ages and family carers to challenge discrimination and to develop and share good practice. SCLD’s goal is an inclusive Scotland where everyone is valued and respected for who they are and what they contribute as equal citizens.
ENABLE Scotland
ENABLE Scotland is a member-led charitable organisation which campaigns for a better life for children and adults who have learning disabilities. They support people who have learning disabilities and their families to live, work and be active members of the community.
They provide a growing range of personalised services designed to be flexible and adapt to the needs of the people using these services.
With over 4,500 members and 27 regional offices throughout Scotland, their members, the people they support and their families are at the heart of everything they do.
In Control Scotland
In Control Scotland operate as an extensive community network that is working for change and to provide people with the knowledge, power and tools to control their support. This community for change includes: individuals who need support, their families, user-led organisations, government and local authorities, health organisations, commercial companies, charitable and not-for-profit organisations and general members of the public.
This national community for change is working throughout the UK to develop innovative ways of providing mutual support. The work with people who need support, their families and partners in the community to help people take charge of their support so they can live the life they want.
IRISS
IRISS is a national, third sector organisation, promoting positive outcomes for the people who use Scotland’s social services. Our focus is on supporting the social services workforce to create positive change through research, creativity and innovation. We work to deliver three key outcomes: To embed a culture of collaboration which is open to new ideas, to ensure everyone has the knowledge, tools and skills to effectively use evidence and to innovate and to place people at the centre of the design of services and support.
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