Launch of Learning Disability Provider Framework
25 January 2012
Cheshire West and Chester Council is changing the way it deals
with organisations providing care for adults with learning
disabilities in order to give residents more choice and control
over their care and support and to provide care of the best
possible quality.
The new Learning Disability Provider Framework was launched at
Ellesmere Port Civic Hall to an audience of care providers and
service users.
It was developed by the Council in partnership with the learning
disabilities partnership board, carer representatives and health
professionals.
The framework is a list of providers and the services they can
offer that have been evaluated and approved by the Council as
meeting certain required quality standards.
The Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health,
Councillor Brenda Dowding, said: “The new framework means people
will have not only more choice of care provider, but also more say
in the process of choosing their provider.
“They will get the provider that’s best for them right from the
very start. People will have more choice and control over the care
they receive and we will ensure that this is of the best possible
quality.”
Care providers are able to apply to sign up to the framework and
the quality standards within it and specify any particular areas of
expertise they have.
All providers receive an initial audit visit before they
officially join, and both existing and new providers can sign
up.
The quality standards in the scheme have been developed
specifically for people with learning disabilities. The Council
will send care providers information about clients including their
needs, what their aims are and, most importantly, about them as a
person.
The providers will be asked to give information on how they will
support the person and why the support they will offer will be
good. Service users and their supporters will then be involved in
choosing which provider is best for them.
The launch also saw role play performances by service users from
the Red Sauce Theatre Company, about what makes good care and bad
care.
They were assisted by Independent Advocacy, an organisation that
works to support or represent individuals who may not feel able to
speak for themselves due to learning or physical disability, age or
mental distress.
Jim and Dave from the Red Sauce Theatre Company gave a comedy
performance of the standard of care in the fictitious Park Care
Home to highlight bad care. Their fellow service user Helen then
gave a personal view of her thoughts and goals and left the
audience with the question: “Do I have special needs, or just needs
that I need help with?”
The performances were videoed and will soon be available for
viewing on Cheshire West TV and the
Council’s You Tube
page.
Photo: Mark Palethorpe, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s
Director of Adult Social Care and Health, joins Jim, Dave and Helen
of the Red Sauce Theatre Company at the launch of the Learning
Disability Provider Framework in Ellesmere Port.