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A MASSIVE CHANGE
'Count Me In'
Idem Lewis moved to live in Key Housing in Maryhill representing Key as Vice Convenor of the Learning Disability Alliance Scotland and as a trustee on the Board of the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disabilities. He was a welcome and early contributor to the third issue of our newsletter on his hopes and wishes for what Supporting People would mean for people with learning disabilities. Here's what he thinks now, almost four years on:
Major difference in support
Supporting People has brought about a major difference in the way in which support has been provided to people. It has enabled people to have more individualised support, with greater control over who they get to support them. It has given them a much greater say over when and where they get support. This is a massive change from the days of residential care, for we now know that the support will be given at a guaranteed time, which was not always possible in the past.
Idem Lewis gets out to meet folk in front of the City Chambers
Many people now have their own teams of workers to provide support. This has also helped lots of people move into their own homes and out of shared living. People are no longer tied to living in specialised accommodation but have their own tenancies in mainstream housing across Scotland.
Reaching the ideal
However, for some people who are independent this move has not always brought about the ideal they hoped for. While having your own home in the community is a good thing, often people can be left lonely and isolated. It can be difficult to find people to talk to and make friends. Many people have no one but their workers in their life which can leave large gaps when workers are not there. We need to help people get out and meet more folk and help people to be less dependent on paid staff. Workers need to look for opportunities to help people do this.
People have to plan their lives in advance to be able to receive their support. Sometimes this can get in the way of leading an ordinary life and making those links into the community. It can be difficult to change plans and balance opportunities and support time.
Supporting People has given a lot of opportunities to people, but we need to be aware that this has brought up other issues which need to be addressed.
BOOK FOR SHASC
The annual Scottish Housing and Support Conference will be held at Dunblane Hydro on 13-14 October. It will feature topics including: 'Care Commission inspections, how was it for you?', 'Are we over regulated?' and work on refugees and trauma. For more information contact Edna Milne, Cluny Cottage,
32 Seaside Place, Aberdour K3 0TX.
Tel: 01383 861521.
Debbie's Story
Debbie's life wasn't always like this. She became homeless in November 2003. And that, she says, was when her eyes were opened.
Debbie once had her own comfortable tenancy, supporting herself working full-time as a hairdresser. She led 'an idyllic life,' she says, 'things just couldn't be better.' Most days she enjoyed a social drink with friends, but the drinking didn't appear to cause problems. She had her home, after all, and her friends and her job.
But one day she was evicted. Sifting through the reasons now, she knows that was the point she realised she had a problem with alcohol. She knew that to get her life back on track she would have to change and that the change meant living without alcohol. She hit rock bottom. But Debbie made a tough decision: she would rather go through the difficult process of giving up alcohol than live a life without a home and without self-esteem. She decided she needed help.
The Novas Group, through which Debbie has received support, offers services including housing and support, education, training and employment, and regeneration to improve the lives of over 20,000 individuals each year across the UK and Ireland. The group works with housing associations, local authority housing departments, Supporting People teams and other agencies to open up new opportunities for individuals or communities experiencing inequality or discrimination.
Debbie - back on track
Recently Debbie successfully completed food and hygiene training and is on the path to a new life. Now a volunteer with the Thorntree Street Project she thoroughly enjoys the chance to empathise and provide emotional support and advice to Thorntree customers. She feels her experience has given her a good understanding of what the customers at the project are going through - she's been there herself.
She is now looking toward the future and hopes to work full-time in the care field. Volunteering has given her valuable experience and confidence and she continues to benefit immensely from the work. Debbie has been able to do this through provision of a grant from the Scottish Executive that funds the volunteer scheme. 'After my experience,' she says, 'I'd recommend voluntary work to anyone.'
New Research to Support Equalities
New research is being undertaken for Communities Scotland by ODS Consultants to develop good practice guidance for engaging with minority ethnic communities. The research will assist in developing guidance on assessing the housing needs of these communities.
The research process includes community consultation events as well as dialogue with a number of national and local organisations, agencies and individuals who work with or represent minority ethnic communities. It will explore how service providers and agencies engage with minority ethnic communities at present, how well these methods work, and how involvement could be increased with these communities.
Once the research identifies best practice issues, it will be used to initiate an action plan in North and South Lanarkshire supporting their Local Housing Strategies. The research will be published in the autumn when we will report here on the results.
APPROVED PROVIDER LISTS
Streamlining the process
How do we streamline APLs? That is the question facing a Scottish Executive-led working group in taking forward the recommendations on APLs in the Communities Scotland 2004 report ' RSL Information Mapping'.
Both local authorities and service providers devote a lot of time and effort to processing APLs. We all know the importance of adhering to these procedures but also wish to make the overall APL process easier and help to reduce the red tape.
Membership of the group includes representatives from the Association of Directors of Social Work, Local Authority Contracting Officers and Registered Social Landlords. The group has met several times already and will report to the Minister for Communities in the autumn. There they will update progress made against the recommendations in the report.
The group plans to consider in particular the potential for agreeing core vetting information and whether it could be made available on CD. The group will also aim to identify a standard format and layout for provision of this information. This will help reduce the resources needed to apply, assess and maintain APL procedures.
For more information contact Chris Taylor at chris.taylor@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or telephone 0131 244 5525.
LIVING IN A FREE SPACE
We've written before about community networks and the importance of neighbourhood support systems. Angus Lind, Senior Outreach Officer at Freespace, told us about their work in supporting people with complex disabilities to live in their own homes in the community.
Freespace is a charity that works to support people with severe disabilities in making choices about how they live. It supports them to live as they wish in their own homes. The people who use the Freespace service are involved in running the service at all levels, with at least a 50% representation on the governing Board.
Freespace gives support using two systems. In the first, at a site in central Edinburgh a team of staff based in a staff flat helps support clients in a nearby property. Staff are available 24 hours a day if needed without having to intrude in the service user's home unless asked. Staff are selected by the service user. They become familiar with each other and develop their own routines. Waking staff are on call every night.
The second system serves people who already have their own homes. The service is one to one and tailored exactly to the needs of the individual. This model of support is generally more appropriate for people with severe brain injuries or learning difficulties, as well as physical disabilities.
User involvement is the key at Freespace. As well as serving on the Board of Directors, users select all their own staff. Regular meetings between staff and service users determine the way service is delivered and careful monitoring of care plans ensures changing needs are met. Staff appraisals depend on user input.
All the essentials of good practice lie in user involvement and careful listening. Hear more at the upcoming SHASC Conference where Jane Ballantine of Freespace will be speaking on their work.
Directory Update
The Scottish Executive is developing an online information resource for users and commissioners of housing support services. The Directory of Housing Support Services Scotland (the working title being The House Key) is intended to provide accurate information on all services available through Supporting People. The Directory aims to increase choices for people with particular needs by giving them the information to make informed decisions. The first phase of the data collection is complete and the next phase, gathering remaining data and developing a questionnaire designed to help data cleanse the existing information, is expected to be completed in October.
Reinstated Requirement to Register
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 (payment out of grant for housing support services) Amendment Order 2005 No. 322 amends the conditions on which local authorities may make payment out of Supporting People grants paid by Scottish Ministers. The order was placed before Parliament on 9 June and came into effect on 1 July 2005.
The effect of the order is to reinstate the requirement for providers of housing support services to be registered with the Care Commission where required, for purposes of receiving payment for these services from local authorities. The requirement was temporarily removed last year to allow the Care Commission time to register applications. This amendment amends The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 (payment out of grant for housing support services) Amendment Order 2004 No. 348.
Currently Adult Placement Services or Caring Landlord/ Landladies are not required to register but this is currently under review by the Care Commission. If a local authority is satisfied that the service is providing a prescribed housing support service, funding can continue until a decision that they should be registered is made by the Care Commission. Should registration be refused by the Care Commission funding can no longer be made for the service. Other services may not be registerable with the Care Commission. In those cases it will be for the provider of the service to obtain a letter from the Care Commission confirming this. This should be passed to the local authority to allow funding to continue subject to any subsequent decisions following service review.
Any queries to Norrie Murray on 0131-244-0380. 
New Team Member
We welcome Heather Dall, who joined the Supporting People team at the Scottish Executive on the fourth of July. She is on a two-year secondment from the Care Commission where she was a Professional Adviser (Adult and Older People's services) and has for the last few years been actively involved in registration of housing support services and development of the inspection process.
Heather, a qualified occupational therapist, has worked in the health sector as a practitioner and manager, with experience of managing supported accommodation services. For many years she has had an interest in provision of support to people living in their own homes.
SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENCE
A supported living initiative in North Lanarkshire is helping people with learning disabilities improve their sense of well-being by leading a more independent life.
Supported living has been developed to respond to the aspirations of people with a learning disability to live in their own home, take a rewarding job and enjoy a social life with friends and family nearby. The supported living approach has enabled people with learning disabilities to move from residential units or long stay hospital, and to enjoy the benefits of living in their own homes.
Councillor Harry McGuigan, Convener of the Social Work Committee, said, 'When the council was created there were no opportunities for supported living in North Lanarkshire. We now have 258 people enjoying an improved quality of individualised lifestyle, with another 20 people living outwith the area but funded by the council. This service has opened up new opportunities and given each person real choice over where they live, who they live with and what they do with their time.'
Frankie has enjoyed decorating his home and has been learning to keep things clean and tidy. | 
Frankie and one of his carers, Liz, toast his independence with a cuppa! |
Frankie's at home
Frankie Lucy (63) from Motherwell is enjoying the benefits of the supported living initiative. He moved into his own flat three years ago after having been in an institution for most of his life. He now has 24-hour support and has learnt to do his own housework and use the microwave to prepare meals. Frankie also attends a craft class each week and activities through his local church, which means he has made many new friends and is well known in his community.
LEARNING DISABILITY WEEK 2005
Cameron Morgan, Lisa Curtice, Jean Maclellan and Bette Francis have a preview
Learning Disability Week 2005 was kicked off with an event in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Monday 20 June. 'Let's talk about feeling safer in our communities' was hosted by the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability's 'My Right to be Safe' group. They wanted to tell people about the group and find out what kind of work needs to be done in Scotland to make communities safer and more welcoming for people with learning disabilities and their families.
To mark the safety theme an artist from Art Trek, a cooperative of disabled artists, took a series of photographs called 'A Day in the Life'. The images reflect different aspects of people with learning disabilities participating in their communities and the barriers they can face in being fully active community members.
The inaugural exhibition was held at the Scottish Parliament in June, and at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow at the end of August.
Thank you for your Feedback
Thank you for choosing to help steer your Supporting People Matters newsletter by returning feedback forms. We were delighted to hear from you and even more delighted that so far most of your comments are positive. Here's a selection:
'Format has struck an excellent balance between people we support, conferences, and changes to legislation.'
'I think the service user input is especially good.'
'So interesting I've distributed it to my whole team.'
'Helps to explain options and choices for group members with learning disabilities.'
Others asked us particular questions and we will be addressing them in the next issue. Keep the comments coming!
Keep having your say!
This newsletter is also available on the Supporting People website (address below).
Let us know what you think of the site and this newsletter.
If you have an example of working practice that would make good news or have any ideas on Supporting People communications, send your comments and ideas to Email:supportingpeople@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
If you have had difficulty finding us it is because we have changed our web address - see below.
You can contact the Scottish Executive or request additional copies of this newsletter from the Supporting team at:
Regeneration, Fuel Poverty and Supporting People,
1-G, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ.
Telephone: 0131-244 5525 Fax: 0131-244 5529
Email:supportingpeople@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
This publication is available on request in large print, Braille or audio cassette format and languages other than English.
www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/housing/housing/supportpeople/intro