Transcript Slide 1

The journey begins . . .
to become
the User-led
Organisation (ULO)
for Devon
Living Options (LOD), as
the Lead agency, is run
by and for disabled
people. 80% of our
Board of Trustees and
45% of our staff and
sessional workers
combined have a
disability themselves.
Action Learning Pilot Site
Wave 1
In December 2007, LOD,
Westbank and SURF
successfully bid to the DH
to become one of 12 Action
and Learning ULO sites
across England to model
best practice.
 OBJECTIVE 1
Self-assessment
Identified our partners
Wrote the application
Shortlisted
Met with Department
Covers all local and disabled
people, carers and other people
who use support
 OBJECTIVE 2
Promotes independent living
 OBJECTIVE 3
Promotes people’s human rights
and other legal rights
of Health
 OBJECTIVE 4
Objectives for project defined
December 2007
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Carers have their own needs and
requirements
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January 2008
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February 2008
Fusing as a team . . . From confusion to clarity
Consortium approach
“Made in Devon for Devon”
Working in
Partnership
Project Sponsor
DH – Steve Strong
DCC – Jennie Stephens
 Project Board
 Roles and responsibilities
of partners
 Recruitment of Project Team
 User perspective . . . Senior User
Project
Board
Senior Users
LOD – Peter Swain
SURF – Si Langridge
Westbank – Mary Nesbit
Senior
Responsible Owner
LOD – Diana Crump
Senior Supplier
LOD – Emma Treby
Westbank – Matthew
Byrne
User Assurance
Carers, LD users,
P&SD users
Business Assurance
LOD – Alan Rogers
Supplier Assurance
DCC – Giles Gardiner
Project Manager
LOD – Debbie Stafford
advises the Project Board
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March 2008
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Project Coordinator
LOD – Kelly Mavro
We’re on the way . . .
Fusion Launch
“ Fusion is committed
to user led services
and the involvement
of disabled people
and carers at every
level of the
organisation and
service provision.
”
“ User led
means
equal say ”
Devon’s ULO
Independent Living Strategy 2008
Cross-government strategy aimed at
delivering full and equal citizenship for
disabled people . . .
Aims to fill the gap between
national policy and real life experiences
  
The government has stated:
“ by 2010 each locality should have
2 April 2008
a User Led Organisation (ULO) ”
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What is Fusion . . . Turning into reality
. . . The work begins
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Planning
Working on our objectives
Starting to capture
the learning
Beginning the process of
wider engagement of
users and carers . . . the
use of Roadshows across
the County of Devon . . .
piloted with involvement
of key partner staff,
trustees and users/carers
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5000 leaflets
produced . . .
sent to charities,
providers, libraries,
doctors’ surgeries,
day centres,
community groups
distributed as
evenly as possible
across Devon.
Preparing for the roadshows
Our learning
 Recognising each
other’s strengths
 Understanding
service users’
needs
May
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As a Consortium, Fusion intends to
continue to consult very closely with
services users and carers, and ensure that
they continue lead and be “in control” of
decisions made in relation to the delivery
of all the services we provide
June 2008
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What’s Important to you ?
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A pilot day for service users
What do people think Fusion is ?
What do we have in common ?
Where are the gaps ?
Common Themes
 User-led in everything
we do
 Diversity and
inclusiveness
 Devon-based
Our learning
 We didn’t know what
you didn’t know
 Communication is key
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July
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September 2008
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Roadshows on the Road!
Reality Check . . . Our lightbulb moment!
OBJECTIVE 3
Promotes people’s human rights and other legal rights –
to embed human rights in all that we do
 During the workshop it became
TRAINING
Half-Day Human
Rights Workshop
Intensive Equality
and Diversity
training for Project
Team, Trustees and
service users
evident that we simply could not
achieve the objective we had
originally planned for
“The right to
say no and sit
with your
decision”
 Suggested that a re-shape of the
objective would be much more
useful for Fusion and other ULOs
 Discussed with the Department of
Health who agreed the change
Our learning
 Every ULO needs
Human Rights
training for service
users and staff
In the workshop we agreed that Fusion would
work with service users to find an effective way of
raising their awareness of Human Rights
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July
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August 2008
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Developing the shared vision . . .
The first time we really sat down to talk to each other
“Consolidating ideas
into clear statements
which would explain
what Fusion is about.”
1.
2.
3.
4.
Empowering People Together
Coming Together – Changing Together – Campaigning Together
Made in Devon for the People of Devon
‘User-led’ means ‘Equal say’
Our learning
Testing
 Our values were aligned –
total consensus
fusion’s Ideas
DRAGON’S DEN
 We each brought specific
skills to the table
1
 Equality and Diversity are
key values for all members
of the Fusion Consortium
Shared consultation events
2
Experts by experience
3
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November 2008
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Travel training
Preparing the Direct Payments tender . . .
What makes a good direct payment support service?
Tender Process
Terminated
 Our Direct Payments
Business Case was
developed in full discussion
and consultation with
disabled people and their
carers across Devon
 The focus of the bid was the
“Social Model of Disability”
which enables people to
look at themselves in a
more positive way . . .
Increases their self-esteem
and independence
A 2007 survey asked councils what were the most important
factors which make for high take-up of direct payments.
Over 100 responses found that:
“ the single most important factor by some way
was an effective local support organisation. ”
December 2008
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Who knows what’s
in store . . . but
we’re ready!
“ ... A new and challenging national target
has emerged, requiring 30% of eligible
health and social care users to be in
receipt of Self-Directed Support by
2011”
January 2009
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February 2009
Human Rights . . . Making it real
OBJECTIVE 3
Promotes people’s human rights and other legal rights
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Develop a checklist that enables
human rights to be embedded
within all policies and procedures
Develop materials to develop
users’ understanding of human
and other legal rights
Surf is a project that is managed
and supported by Royal Society
Mencap.
Developing user-led
human rights materials . . .
defining four key areas:
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Pilot information materials for
users
Lead Role . . .
Role of Surf: support adults with
learning disabilities to have a say
about their services
Relationships
Health
Choice and Control
Respect
This work is now to be continued
with the support of ‘Link-Up’, a
Devon user-led organisation that
supports people with
learning disabilities
Embedding human and other legal rights in all that
we do is not something that can be achieved
overnight. However, it is our ambition to work
towards achieving the above aspirations
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January
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February
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March 2009
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Focus on Carers . . .
OBJECTIVE 4
Carers have their own needs and requirements
1. Develop a model of good practice –
Carers Involvement Framework (written by carers)
2. Development day for Consortium members to
share good practice model
3. Pilot new ways of working from ideas generated
at development day
Work together on shared
ideas to make our voice
stronger, i.e. how other
organisations might be
able to use the
Carers’ Involvement
Framework
Carer Chair Development Day
24 February 2009
 Concerns raised, e.g. ULO –
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Westbank is the lead agency
for the Carers+ consortium
which also includes East
Devon VSA and Exeter CVS. Carers+
has a county-wide contract with DCC for
the delivery of the Devon Carers Link
network, the flexible breaks grants and
Take a Break schemes.
“Carers in Devon partner organisations recognise
and value the contribution carers make to
society and are committed to working together
with carers to provide quality, accessible advice,
information and support”
the term excludes carers
Issues to explore, e.g. Fusion
services should be for the wider
disabled population and not just
those in receipt of social care
support
Agreement that “our voice
could be strengthened by
working together”
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January to March 2009
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Getting things finished . . .
And planning the next steps
Department of Health
The GOLD
standard for ULOs
Devon
Our
Products
Human Rights
questionnaire and
checklist
‘Are you ready
for Business’
Funding proposal
for Fusion to DCC
to provide:

Infrastructure to
support other ULOs
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Widening the
constituency base
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Strategic level
representation
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Network Map and
Business Audit
Toolkit
The Business Toolkit will
form part of a larger ‘Are
you Ready for Business’
resource pack which
will be a final Fusion
product in June
Raising the profile
about the
personalisation
agenda
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January
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February
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March 2009
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We ARE the ULO for Devon . . .
ULO Set of Values (DH)
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Works from a social model of
disability perspective
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Promotes independent living
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Shaped and driven by service
users
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Minimum ULO Services (DH)
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Information and advice
Peer support based
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Covers all local disabled
people and carers
Support to recruit and
employ personal assistants
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Assistance with selfassessment
Promotes people’s human
and other rights

Recognises carers have their
own needs and requirements

Involves service users at
all levels
“ Fusion Consortium intends to build on
existing links and networks to truly represent
the needs
of all local disabled people, carers, older
people and other people who use support ”
“Charitable Status” social enterprise made
up of three independent charities, drawn
together through a legally binding
agreement. By working together we plan to
strengthen the voice of disabled people and
carers across Devon
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“ We are agreed that we need to
further broaden the groups of
people with whom we work so
that all groups of service users are
properly represented ”
April 2009
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Advocacy and peer support
Support in using direct
payments and/or individual
budgets
 Disability equality training
 Support for implementation
of the Disability Equality
Duty
“ Fusion is keen to ensure
that ALL service users are
properly represented in the
development and delivery of
any services that we deliver ”