We continue to work alongside people with learning disabilities towards achieving the aims of the 10-year market transformation blueprint. We have focused on co-producing the learning disability strategy, called The Big Plan, and our commissioning review of daytime services with people who have a learning disability as they are better placed to say what works and what could be better.
Both pieces of work form the foundations of the wider community support system and infrastructure we need to support people to live as independently as possible and achieve their goals and aspirations.
The Big Plan has been written and developed together with our local learning disability ambassadors, carer representatives and our partners. People have told us the things that are important them in Torbay and the plan has been written to make sure we work together to bring them to life.
Overseen by the Torbay Learning Disability Partnership Board, our plan is divided into six core priority themes:
- community and independence
- care and support
- home
- safety
- health
- family, friends and carers
Our action plan has been jointly developed to ensure change is delivered in each of these areas. There are many projects underway in each core theme area including easy read training, specialist housing developments, safe and well audits, direct payments review and domestic abuse and sexual violence awareness and resources.
We have identified areas we still need to work on (which have fed into our priority plans for 2024/25); identified quick wins we can implement to make step changes, such as a bill of rights and Big Plan training; and gained a clear view of the many strengths within our local community care and support offer. To showcase these strengths, the learning disability ambassadors supported a Big Plan event in March, which was visited by more than 200 people and featured more than 45 stall holders.
Our community daytime services commissioning review has had a strong focus on listening to the feedback of stakeholders across Torbay on what works well and what we want to build on in the future. The review collaboratively identified 10 recommendations all of which have been accepted and are either already underway or scheduled for completion in 2024/25.
Priority projects include:
- redesign of daytime service specifications with a focus on quality, outcomes and workforce.
- specialist support service to increase community participation, support wellbeing and reduce isolation
- development of a learning disabilities outcomes framework
- disability employment and volunteering project
- Hollacombe day centre
- direct payments system review
Torbay Learning Disability Partnership Board - Ambassador's Report
This year the ambassadors have enjoyed meeting many new people and being able to talk about the issues that are important for people with learning disabilities, visual impairment and other disabilities who live in Torbay.
The ambassadors have welcomed more than 20 people to talk with them about a wide range of subjects, including health, cancer and suicide prevention to buses, websites, and local services. They have welcomed guests including Kevin Foster MP, and councillors David Thomas and Hayley Tranter.
Their work with Jude Pinder, Nigel Williams and Savana Guy on the Big Plan led to this year’s Big Event which was held in March at the Riviera Centre.
More than 200 people attended a packed day of activity and information sharing with representation from more than 40 organisations. The Laughing Yoga session provided by Emma and Jeff from Hollacombe proved to be very popular.
As well as welcoming guests, the ambassadors have attended numerous different meetings including the Adult Social Care Improvement Board, Treat Me Well, the Big Plan meetings and the ever-popular partnership board meetings chaired by Sharon O’Reilly, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s deputy director of adult social care services and co-chaired by Neil Harvey, Co-chair of the Partnership Board.
Three of the ambassadors have completed the training to deliver the Oliver McGowan training course The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism (skillsforcare.org.uk) and the group provided Easy Read training for Torbay Council staff and Devon and Cornwall Police, as well as supporting the delivery of Keeping Safe training with PC Kate Marks and Sgt Chris Chaloner. The team also provided reasonable adjustment training for health professionals to ensure they are aware of the need to make the small changes which make a difference to health outcomes for people with learning disabilities.
The ambassadors took over a new office space at Hollacombe which provides a welcoming base where work can continue, and people can drop in and chat. The team would like to thank everyone who has helped them with setting the office up.
During the coming year there will be a focus on supporting Jude Pinder, Strategic Commissioning Manager, with the delivery of the Big Plan and increasing feedback from people with learning disabilities across Torbay.
