Issue - items at meetings - Physical Disability Strategy

Report of Director of Adult Social Care & Housing (copy attached).

1.         That the attached strategy be noted and endorsed.

65.1    The Director of Community Care introduced a report of the Director of Adult Care & Housing which set out the first Physical Disability Commissioning Strategy for the City.  It was a joint strategy across Brighton & Hove PCT and Brighton & Hove City Council and outlined the development of services for adults with physical disability over the next three years 2009-2012 (for copy see minute book).

65.2         Councillor Lepper acknowledged that people were happier in their own homes but expressed concern that some were left to fend for themselves.  She would like assurances that help was at hand when things broke down.  The Director of Community Care replied that there was a need to ensure that there was a choice of accommodation for people and that officers worked with the adaptations team.  The role of advocates and continuity plans were important.  There needed to be robust planning to ensure people were not left to fend for themselves. 

65.3    Councillor Lepper reported that she had come across problems with a long waiting list for adaptations to bathrooms.  For example, she knew of someone who had waited a year for a shower to be fitted.  The Director of Adult Social Care & Housing replied that adaptations were a national issue.  Locally, a lot of work had been carried out in this area and she expected an improvement in the next year.  For example, officers were looking to improve procurement.  Local authorities with short turnarounds had tighter criteria.  The Director did not wish to see tighter criteria and subsequently fewer people being able to access help with adaptations.   Councillor Wrighton reported that scrutiny was taking up the issue of adaptations. 

65.4    Councillor Wrighton asked if there was a different way women could approach the strategy.  She also raised the issue of the impact on equalities.  The Commissioner for Physical Disabilities replied that an example would be the parenting role for disabled women.  The Commissioner mentioned other examples of how the strategy would affect different groups, such as men’s health promotion, helping hard to reach groups such as the BME community.  A health trainer could outreach hard to reach groups.    There had been a great deal of input from different groups and the strategy would need to be broad and responsive to the range of individual needs. 

65.5    The Director of Adult Social Care & Housing stressed that clear direction on physical disabilities had been a gap in the city.  She thanked the Commissioner for Physical Disabilities and the General Manager, Adult Social Care for producing a report of such quality.

65.6    RESOLVED – Having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet Member accepted the following recommendations:

(1)  - That the attached strategy be noted and endorsed.