Agenda item
Integrated Disability Service Development Plan Update
To receive an update on the Integrated Disability Service Development Plan.
Minutes:
Background:
- The Cabinet Member for Future Generations introduced the topic, reading point 1.1 of the report.
- The Senior Manager for Care & Support in Children’s Services presented the background of the report.
- There had been lots of development in the Integrated Disability Service (IDS) over the past year alongside a development plan.
- The early help process for the IDS had been reviewed, amended, and aligned with the Children’s Services generic early help team. This had improved paperwork and closure procedures. Additionally, extensive resource sharing had been integrated across early help cases, both within the generic early help framework and the specific disability aspect.
- A key development had been the implementation of a more robust closure process, significantly enhancing communication and ensuring a clear rationale for closing a child’s case file.
- A swap audit and the implementation of an IDS funding panel had taken place. Crucial in ensuring that the needs of young people across Powys were identified and met, while also providing the best value for these young people and their families.
- The IDS funding panel was overseen by the Senior Manager for Care & Support in Children’s Services and team managers and met fortnightly. Practitioners who had conducted assessments presented information on the identified needs of each child. Discussions focused on the most robust and cost-effective ways to meet needs, ensuring the child remained at the centre of the decision-making process.
- Previously, a presentation on the transition between children’s and adult services for disabilities had been jointly presented, establishing a well-recognised process. However, it was noted that the transition process needed improvement for those who did not fall within the disability service.
- A process had been established within children’s services for transitioning to adult services and was used as a temporary measure while a review was undertaken to determine future needs.
- The service reviewed the disability register to allow online access for families across Powys, aiming to gather comprehensive information for future service planning.
- The website for IDS had been updated.
- Strong relationships had been established between the IDS team and specialist schools, fostering support for children requiring transition assistance.
- The Incredible Years Autism programme had been developed, with the IDS team working closely with health colleagues, particularly learning disability nurses, to train practitioners. This programme provided early intervention and group settings for families, offering both peer and professional support.
- The IDS service had undertaken and run independence workshops for young people with complex profound disabilities, which was a positive initiative.
- Future steps included:
- Reviews of in-house residential options to address gaps in childcare services for children over 12.
- Collaboration with the Family Information Service and commissioning colleagues to develop and enhance services across Powys.
- Budget considerations included the impact of wage changes related to the real living wage and how these changes would affect the short breaks budget for the following year.
- One area potentially lacking within Powys was short breaks foster care, which enables a child to remain within a family. This need was being incorporated into the business case and the developments around the fostering framework to explore further development opportunities.
|
Issues Raised by the Committee: |
Responses Received: |
|
More information around early help teams, sharing of resources and training was requested.
|
Early help consisted of two aspects: generic early help children’s services and an early help team within the IDS service. The early help workers as part of the IDS team, benefitted from easy access to specialist knowledge around disabilities. Efforts were made to align intervention thresholds and share resources. Sometimes family challenges were unrelated to the child’s disability and support was tailored to the identified need, including specific programs like the Incredible Years, which had a version focused on ASD. This program was offered to children and families in both generic early help and disability services, recognising that not every child with autism required disability services. The two teams worked fluidly, with ongoing conversations to determine the best way to meet each child’s needs. |
|
Could families challenge the process if a care package was denied?
|
Yes, the service undertook regular reviews of care plans with families, conducted under the care and support process. The voices of parents and children were extremely important and were included in all assessments. If there were challenges, an escalation process was in place, allowing concerns to be addressed by the team manager and higher levels if necessary. Advocacy was a key focus, ensuring that the voices of children, parents, and carers were heard. The service actively supported referrals and helped families understand the role of an advocate, regardless of their satisfaction with the service. |
|
Point 3.2 of the report mentioned the pressure from the budget for direct payments. Had that gone in as a growth bid and if it so, which part of the growth bid had it gone in?
|
There was no growth in the integrated disability service budget. The Senior Manager for Care and Support was tasked with making savings for the current year’s financial position, particularly around short break provision. The savings target was met without causing challenges or escalations with families, emphasising co-production with children and families to determine the best support. Therefore, future plans for the 2025-26 budget included the more imaginative use of Powys residential homes to maximise the space and opportunities for children. |
|
Would the 2025-26 budget include ongoing cost efficiencies for this service? |
No, from the review undertaken this year, there would not be any cost efficiencies going forward for next year. |
|
Did the service reach out to satellite provision such as Cross Gates? |
Confirmation was given that the service was linked with satellite schools which were overseen by the same head teachers. A weekly triage was held with Powys Teaching Health Board colleagues to discuss upcoming needs. |
|
What processes were in place to audit the use of direct payments and what flexibility did families have in spending resources? |
This was a challenge. A recent SWAP audit had highlighted gaps within processes, which were being plugged and a follow up internal audit would be taking place soon. The IDS funding panel undertook regular six-monthly reviews of care packages. Further to this, care and support meetings were held regularly, where practitioners were advised to clearly assess whether the identified needs remained the same and were being met. |
|
Was rurality a limiting factor in families in receipt of direct payments receiving services?
|
Assurance was given that there were no children with an identified need which had not been met. But it was acknowledged that there could be a gap between a package of care being supported and the identification of a personal assistant. Teaching Assistants could often fill the gap. Especially over holiday periods. If a need was not met by the process and no solution was found, it would be reconsidered for other creative options. |
|
Were teaching assistants given the opportunity to upskill and move into the disability service? |
Assurance was given that there was collaborative working between education and disability services. Staff had been supported to work and move across the two services. |
|
It was requested that the Head of Children’s Services raised awareness of the opportunity for teaching assistants to transfer into the disability service. ACTION |
|
Supporting documents:
PDF 128 KB