Growth and development.pdf

HighlandA Partnership in Practice (PiP) agreement underpins improvements in services for people with alearning disability and to date progress includes:• development of a learning disability database;• appointment of local area co-ordinators;• use of direct payments; and• appointment of review officers for people with a learning disability, to ensure individualsneeds are being met.Organised joint working between health and social care staff is focused on a pilot communitylearning disability team in Ross and Cromarty.The Council and NHS Highland have developed an action plan to implement the mental healthframework formulated with the help of the Mental Health and Well Being Support Group. InRoss and Cromarty a joint community mental health team has been established to supportpeople with a severe and enduring mental illness. The team, which has a single manager, isdeveloping joint recording and single assessment.The implementation of single shared assessment for all community care groups is underway. Abespoke generic core assessment tool has been developed and training for health, social workand housing practitioners is being delivered from September 2002.There are multi-agency links for services for people with a hearing impairment, but no similararrangements are in place for people with a visual impairment. The Council has plans for asensory impairment resource centre, based at Raigmore Hospital, to create an opportunity fora multi-agency partnership for both visually and hearing impaired people.The Council and the Health Board have commissioned a new deaf communication service. Forpeople who are deafblind the Council commissions supported accommodation run by Sense(Scotland) and guide/communicators provided by Deafblind Scotland.A Joint Committee for Action in Community Care has appointed a Joint Future ImplementationManager and, on the advice of a task group, has decided to align rather than pool budgets forolder people. From spring 2002 health and social work staff responsibilities at localmanagement level were aligned, as an interim step to integration of management at area level.145