Working for a change? The same as you?
Appendix 2 - Glossary
Amsterdam Treaty - The Amsterdam Treaty is a European Union agreement. Its key aims are: to protect individual rights and freedoms, to promote non-discrimination and to introduce new measures to promote equality. The new Article 6a of the Amsterdam Treaty has a significant anti-discrimination clause which aims at promoting equality of the sexes, and prohibiting discrimination on grounds of disability, ethnic origin, religion or belief, age or sexual orientation.
Beattie report - 'Implementing inclusiveness, Realising Potential' was published by the Scottish Executive in 1999. Its terms of reference were 'to review the range of needs among young people who require additional support to make the transition to post-school education and training or employment; the assessment of need; the quality and effectiveness of current provision in improving skills and employability; and to make recommendations to improve coherence, continuity and progression'.
Careers Scotland - A Scottish Executive agency launched in April 2002, Careers Scotland offers an all-age career guidance service. As well as assisting school pupils and college students, Careers Scotland helps people who are in or out of work, those who need career planning support and those who need advice on learning and employment opportunities. It has a particular focus on supporting vulnerable young people in making transitions to the next step in their working life.
Communities Scotland - A Scottish Executive agency launched in 2001, Communities Scotland holds a remit to monitor and improve neighbourhood regeneration and neighbourhood quality of life, housing investment, and the housing management functions of local authorities and social landlords.
Community Plans - The Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 made it a duty from 1 April 2003 for each local authority to initiate, facilitate and maintain a process (called 'community planning') through which the public services in the area of the local authority must be provided. The local authority must consult with public bodies and community bodies about the provision of services. It makes it a duty for the Health Board, emergency services and Scottish Enterprise, amongst others, to participate in this community planning process.
Direct Payments - From 1 April 1997, local authorities have been able to offer some people a cash payment instead of arranging community care services directly for them. People who get this money use it to arrange services for themselves to meet their community care needs. When an authority gives someone money in this way, it is known as a direct payment. Direct payments can be made to help disabled people, carers of disabled people and families with disabled children to have more control over their lives. From June 2003 local authorities in Scotland have had a duty to offer direct payments in place of providing services to all eligible disabled people, aged 16 and over. Parents of disabled children will also be able to receive direct payments to buy the services their children need.
Disability Discrimination Act - The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) gives disabled people rights in the areas of employment, access to goods, facilities and services, and buying or renting land or property. The employment rights and the first rights of access came into force in December 1996; further rights of access came into force on 1 October, 1999; and the final rights of access will come into force in October 2004.
Education (Additional Support for Learning) Bill - This draft Bill, proposed by the Scottish Executive for implementation in the 2003-04 Scottish Parliament, seeks to update the system for children in Scotland who need additional support at school. It represents a change from special educational needs (SEN) terminology to the new concept of Additional Support for Learning.
EQUAL (Theme A) - EQUAL is a European Community initiative which aims to promote new ways of combating all forms of discrimination and inequalities in relation to the labour market, through transnational co-operation. EQUAL Theme A is one of the 7 thematic priorities of EQUAL in Scotland and is known as 'EQUAL Access.' Its remit is 'facilitating access and return to the labour market for those who have difficulty being integrated or re-integrated into a labour market which must be open for all.' A Scotland-wide Development Partnership has been established to undertake activity related to this Theme up to May 2005.
Future Needs Assessment - An assessment carried out under section 65B of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, to identify the future educational needs of a child nearing the upper limit of school age.
Jobcentre Plus - A development of the former Employment Service, Jobcentre Plus offices provide a fully integrated work and benefit service. Jobcentre Plus will be introduced everywhere by 2006.
Learning disability - The same as you review defines learning disabilities as being a significant, lifelong condition which started before adulthood, which affects a person's development, and which means they need help to understand information, learn skills and cope independently. The same as you adds that people with learning disabilities should have a range of support and services to meet their everyday needs, to meet any extra needs related to their learning disability and to meet any additional complex needs. For any of these needs the level of support will vary, and for each person the type of support will change across their lifespan. A person with learning disabilities may need occasional or short-term support; limited support, for example during periods of change or crisis; regular long-term support, perhaps every day; or constant and highly intensive support if they have complex or other related needs.
Local Area Co-ordinators - A recommendation from The same as you, this is a method of supporting disabled people and their families. Although this a new way of working in Scotland, Local Area Co-ordination has been used successfully in Western Australia for 15 years. A Local Area Co-ordinator's job is to build partnerships with individuals and families to assist them to pursue their goals and aspirations for a good life. They work on the basis that individuals with disabilities have a contribution to make. They ensure that services and solutions are available to people, and they build relationships with people over time. Local Area Co-ordinators know their local community and are well connected themselves.
Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 - from 1 April 2003 this Act introduced Community Planning and the Power to advance well being as duties for Scotland's local authorities.
Natural support - Drawing on the full use of existing or potential supports that already exist within workplaces to assist individuals to sustain work. Natural support would include support from co-workers, access to already existing support structures, and supervision.
Open employment - Where individuals compete for, sustain and maintain employment in the open job market without specialist support.
Partnership in Practice (PiP) agreements - A recommendation from The same as you? these are local partnership agreements between local authorities,
the local NHS and other partners describing how they plan to implement
The same as you? locally. They are written for every area of Scotland and are available at www.scotland.gov.uk/ldsr/about/HD/CCD1/00017548/Home.aspx. They are due to be updated in mid-2004.
Power to advance well being - Under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 each local authority has power to do anything which it considers is likely to promote or improve the well-being of its area and persons within its area.
Preserved rights - People who were in residential care before 1 April 1993 had their care funded by social security benefits. They were entitled to a higher rate of income support in order to pay for their care. The community care reforms which came into effect on that date transferred responsibility for this funding to local authorities. However, this did not apply to people already in care, who retained their rights to higher rate income support. This was known as 'preserved rights'. The Health and Social Care Act 2001 abolished these preserved rights and transferred responsibility for care fees for everyone in residential care to local authorities.
Scottish Enterprise - Scotland's main economic development agency, funded by the Scottish Executive.
Single Shared Assessments (SSA) - Guidance introduced in Scotland from April 2002 means that by April 2004 all people needing care will receive an SSA. SSAs are intended to simplify assessment processes, to be person-centred and to clarify responsibilities for providing care.
Supporting People - The Scottish Executive is responsible for implementing this UK-wide programme in Scotland. The intention of Supporting People is to enable people needing support to have the opportunity to live more independently. To achieve this it shifts responsibility for funding housing support services to local authorities. It intends to enable local authorities to improve the quality of support to vulnerable people by integrating housing related support with wider local strategies.
Vocational profile - A person-centred planning tool for employment.
The process of profiling involves working with the person to look at skills, aspirations and support systems. Vocational profiling should help to identify a job consistent with the person's whole life. Vocational Profiling doesn't 'measure' a person's readiness for work, but it is a collaborative process involving family, friends and professionals. Readiness for work is assumed.
Workstep - A government programme to fund individual support for disabled people entering employment. It is managed by Jobcentre Plus and administered by a network of contracted agencies who support the disabled person and employer to develop and make progress in employment. It aims to find jobseekers suitable jobs within 8 weeks. Jobs should offer a minimum of six months' employment and hours worked should be at least 16 per week.