Growth and development.pdf

Eilean SiarThe Western Isles Learning Disability Partnership, comprising NHS Western Isles, the Council,voluntary organisations and user groups, has a key role in producing the strategic direction ofservices for people with learning difficulties, living in scattered communities throughout theWestern Isles.The Council provides assessment and care management, five day centres, and residential andsupported accommodation, and educational support for children with learning disabilities. Twolearning disability nurses with a Western Isles remit, are attached to the PMS Plus Project basedin North Harris. In-patient care is provided in Inverness. NCH Scotland has been commissionedto provide advocacy and also provide residential and respite service for children with specialneeds. An area co-ordinator in the Southern Islands helps people with leaning disabilities andtheir carers to access services, and there is a new jointly funded advocacy service beingdeveloped in partnership with the Western Isles Community Care Forum.The Comhairle and the NHS Board have agreed to establish a joint committee and a localitymanagement framework with single managers who have operational management responsibilityfor integrated community care teams. Initially, a joint development manager is to be recruitedto develop the framework. Operational budgets will be aligned in the first place but pooled indue course and some aspects of these will be devolved.The Opportunities for Training Towards Independence has been initiated by the Council, withsupport from Lews Castle College and funding from the European Social Fund. Based at LewsCastle College in Stornoway (OFTTI Project), it provides educational, training and employmentopportunities for adults with a range of disabilities, including learning disabilities. The Projectcan be accessed throughout the Western Isles.Mental health services involve two consultant psychiatrists who use video-conferencing foroutpatient appointments across the Islands, and there are in-patient facilities in Stornoway.Community services are provided by community psychiatric nurses, an addiction worker andappropriate social work staff, three of whom are mental health officers. The I-Reach Project,funded by the NHS Board and administered by the Social Work Department, provides tailoredgrants to fund articles or services to help individuals with recovery following a period of severemental illness.Joint working is driven by the Western Isles Mental Health Partnership, comprising NHS WesternIsles, the Council, voluntary organisations and a user group. The Partnership have agreed toimplement joint assessment arrangements to complement the established use of the careprogramme approach.The partners have agreed to apply single shared assessment procedures incrementally to allclient groups. Both Carenap E and Carenap D are being piloted as assessment tools. They willbe rolled out to all areas during 2002, alongside the development of integrated locality-basedcommunity care teams and specialist support services. Single shared assessment tools arealso being developed for learning disability and for children and young people with special needs.For people who have a sensory impairment (who tend to be in the older age group) a specialistworker provides a support service, maintaining a network of resources including day centresand occupational therapy. She carries out assessments and provides equipment as necessary.Any registration procedure for people who are blind or partially sighted is initiated by a visitingophthalmologist, though delays can follow in providing significant support. Specialist rehabilitationservices for people with a visual impairment are purchased from Guide Dogs for the Blind.105