Countryside Mobility South West: a DPULO at its best

Towards the end of last year, I had the privilege of visiting Living Options Devon, one of the leading user-led organisations in the country, let alone the South West.

There are 3 things that struck me about why Living Options Devon is so successful in what it does:

1. Working constructively in partnership with a range of different organisations, especially the local authority and other disability organisations in the area
2. Solid delivery of the services and projects they deliver
3. An entrepreneurial spirit that sees opportunities in every nook and cranny of their wide range of activities.

This is all brilliantly delivered by a number of fantastic staff (who kindly took some time to meet with me and share what they do) and brought together under the leadership of an excellent CEO, Diana Crump.

An example of the entrepreneurial spirit that Living Options has is the Countryside Mobility South West. This is a project created, managed and operated by Living Options Devon.

It aims to greatly increase the opportunities for mobility impaired, older people and their families to experience and enjoy the countryside of the South West through the provision of specialist mobility equipment. These include all-terrain “Tramper” scooters and accessible “Wheelyboats”.

As well as reflecting the sorts of things their members were asking for, Living Options Devon has also made the most of the fact it is a local, South West-based organisation. Wheelboats might not work too well in Luton!

Living Options has brought together a partnership of relevant organisations and secured funding to deliver this great project, turning it into an effective business. What’s more, they’re looking at how other partners across the country – especially user-led organisations – could set up a similar project, with support from them.

Below is relevant information about this opportunity, as well as details of the Countryside Mobility project and feedback from people who have used it.

It’s a reminder of what local user-led organisations can do and the opportunities they can make the most of.

Countryside Mobility South West

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Countryside Mobility SW user feedback

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Countryside Mobility SW partnership ideas

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Tags: accessibility, dpulo, DPULOs, mobility, southwest, tourism, travel, ulo, ULOs

DPULOs Making A Difference: disability hate crime – update

We know that disability hate crime is a serious issue which affects a considerable number of disabled people and those around them each year. The seriousness and extent of the issues – plus its causes and effects – have been captured in a series of reports and publications recently.

Alongside the role of various public agencies, the role of Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations in addressing all aspects of disability hate crime has been well described. Indeed, there are some good examples of how DPULOs have played a significant role in addressing disability hate crime. However, this role and the difference it has made hasn’t necessarily been well understood or publicised.

To address this, the Strengthening DPULOs Programme commissioned a collection of case studies of up to 10 DPULOs that have made a difference in addressing disability hate crime.

The work is being done by Access Dorset (a DPULO itself) and, after asking other DPULOs if they’d like to be a case study, we’ve just finalised the list.

I’m excited by what we’ll get back. Case studies include looking at areas such as:

• Third party reporting
• Partnership working and coproduction with the police and Crown Prosecution Service
• Awareness training and confidence building
• Working with young people and schools
• Advocacy
• Securing and maintaining funding from a range of sources for specific disability hate crime projects

The information I’ve seen already has confirmed what many of us knew: that DPULOs make a significant difference in addressing every area of disability hate crime. It will be great to share the final set of case studies with you (as well as the police, CPS, Home Office, local authorities and others) when they’re done – we’re aiming for June. As Shaw Taylor used to say:

Keep ‘em peeled

Tags: dhc, disabilityhatecrime, dpulo, DPULOs, equality, ulo, ULOs, work

Modernising mental health day services: a user-led success in Birmingham

Last year, I was fortunate enough to meet Jane Thakoordin. She shared with me some brilliant work that has been going on in Birmingham over the last 3 years regarding the modernisation of day services for people with mental health conditions.

The modernisation drove forward that most complex of issues that often involved lots of different views: moving from day centre provision to and offer that increases personalisation and continues to provide good support for people.

What I particularly liked about this work is how fundamental user involvement and direction at every stage of the process has resulted in an incredibly successful service for everyone, known as Support, Time and Recovery (STaR). For example:

• STaR involves people who were once recipients of day services as volunteer workers in the service to the running social drop-ins and group work
• There are now 18 user-led projects in the city to provide drop-ins, which provide a cost effective prevention pathway in the community using peer support
• There is now a much stronger focus on personalised services, including through a bespoke 1-to-1 service using person centred planning tools that in themselves form a short term enablement pathway
• The new, coproduced service has delivered a saving of £120k in its first year of operation whilst supporting more complex referrals in a more personalised way – namely, the fabled “more for less”

Jane has kindly shared with me some documents that contain more detail about the STaR service and how it came to be. These are embedded below and are:

• A short paper explaining the background and context of the work, how it developed and the results its delivered
• A short presentation providing an overview of STaR
• An article from Mental Health and Social Inclusion featuring STaR
• A video of the personal experience of Simon of STaR.

If ever there was an example of how user-led approaches can support local authorities to achieve service modernisation for people with complex needs that also achieves more for less, then this is it.

STaR briefing paper – user-led mental health services

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Birmingham STaR service – overview presentation

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STaR service – article in MH and Social Inclusion journal

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Tags: birmingham, disability, dpulo, DPULOs, equality, mentalhealth, ukmh, ulo, ULOs, work

Cheshire Centre for Independent Living (CCIL): Learning Service

Lynne Turnbull is an Ambassador for the Strengthening DPULOs Programme. In her day job she is Chief Executive of Cheshire Centre for Independent Living, which was recently awarded a Skills for Care Accolade for their learning service. Below, CCIL write about their service and why it’s different when it’s run by a Disabled People’s User-Led Organisation.

Centre for Independent Living (CCIL) has won a prestigious Skills for Care Accolade award for the second year running – recognising our excellence in delivering adult social care services to people across Cheshire.

The Skills for Care Accolades recognise and celebrate outstanding achievement in workforce development for the social care sector, and are awarded to organisations in the private, voluntary or public sector.

CCIL won the Accolade for ‘the best provider of learning and development’.

The accolade was awarded in relation to our innovative Learning Service which enables disabled people, who are also employers, to access free, independent, tailor-made learning and development opportunities for themselves and their Personal Assistants (PAs).

99% of Learning and development opportunities for employers and PAs are accessed in the employer’s home (PA workplace).

However, employers can also choose to access learning and development opportunities in their choice of accessible external venues or via e-learning/distance learning.

Individual employers can choose from a range of learning opportunities via a directory  of independent learning providers – allowing them to choose who they work with in order to improve their leadership and management skills or to improve the knowledge, skills, competency and employability of their Personal Assistants.

The learning service meets the requirements of the personalisation agenda by providing choice and control to employers in designing, developing and accessing training and development opportunities for themselves and their PAs, in a way which is aligned with their individual needs.

The learning service is driven by a user-led project steering group of employers, carers and PAs who help identify and promote the views and principals which should govern the development and implementation of learning programmes.

In addition to this personalised, tailor-made approach to learning and development; feedback from employers, PAs and the project steering group identified the need for a more structured approach to training and development. These stakeholders expressed a specific interest in accessing the Apprenticeship framework in Health and Social Care.

In response to this feedback CCIL, in partnership with Skills for Care have developed the ‘PA Apprenticeship Pilot Project’ which includes provision for 11 PAs to access the Apprenticeship framework in their role supporting disabled people who are also individual employers.

The learning service and PA Apprenticeships Pilot provide an innovative, model of best practice cited in the Strategic PA Framework published by the Department of Health. It delivers a high level of quality and excellent value for money by offering bespoke, tailor-made training which is designed and developed by individual employers for themselves and their PAs.

We are very proud of this prestigious national award in the ‘Best Provider of Learning and Development’ category and to have its recognition as a user-led organisation, to delivering services which are shaped and driven by the needs and aspirations of disabled people and carers.

What the Skills for Care verifier said:

Cheshire Centre for Independent Living (CCIL) provides a very personal learning and development service to direct employers and personal assistants. The employer is the expert and so their journey is one where they are in control with CCIL providing support. CCIL have ensured training providers adopt their person centered ethos and offer creative and personal training and learning opportunities

CCIL pave the way for employers and personal assistants to have tailored, high quality training which is in the context of their environment and individual needs. This has led to direct employers understanding of the world of employment and having a safe, competent and caring personal assistant workforce.

If you would like to find out more about CCIL, please visit their website.

Tags: ambassadors, ccil, disability, dpulo, DPULOs, equality, ulo, ULOs, work

DPULOs Making a Difference: Working with commissioners – Expression of Interest

Introduction

Commissioners working in all areas of the public sector – social care, health, children’s services, employment, justice system, education etc. – will be vital to the future strength and sustainability of Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations.

Yet the experience DPULOs have of commissioners – and that commissioners have of DPULOs – can be very varied. This gives rise to a wide variety of outcomes for DPULOs themselves and the work they do: from thriving and growing year on year to struggling to survive from one month to the next.

Great examples exist of where DPULOs and commissioners have worked well together for the benefit of disabled people in their communities. These examples include innovative use of commissioning and procurement, as well as through softer approaches such as partnerships and relationships. Such “working well” leads to:

• The voice of disabled people being captured and represented in a local area
• Innovative and effective service delivery by DPULOs.

However, these examples aren’t necessarily well known – to either DPULOs or commissioners. Furthermore, the factors underpinning why this work happens in some places and not in others isn’t as well understood as it should be.

A collection of case studies

Building on and extending work that others have done (such as SCIE and ripfa) the Strengthening DPULOs Programme is commissioning a collection of case studies to address these gaps. The collection will show how DPULOs and commissioners have worked successfully together and the reasons for this.

The collection will cover:

• Examples of how commissioners and DPULOs have worked together
• The practicalities of how the relationship worked
• What the successful results were of this relationship
• The key factors that enabled this success to happen
• What general lessons we can learn from DPULOs and commissioners working successfully together.

Case studies could potentially include examples of:

• Commissioners reserving contracts for DPULOs using existing legislation and regulations
• Significant contracts being issued for voice/engagement-related work
• How DPULOs and commissioners have worked together to deliver value for money at a time of austerity
• Strategic partnerships between DPULOs and commissioners
• Commissioners working with DPULOs to support their move into new service delivery areas
• Effective engagement between DPULOs and emerging Health & Wellbeing Boards and local HealthWatch organisations.

Complementary work

This collection of case studies would complement other work we are doing on the role of commissioners in the sustainability of DPULOs. This other work includes:

• Promoting DPULOs through funding and procurement – targeted work with local authority commissioners in a particular region
• A piece of qualitative research with commissioners to understand their views and perspectives of DPULOs, and the barriers that may affect commissioners being able to buy the services of DPULOs.

Dissemination

The collection of case studies would be widely disseminated through the DPULO network associated with the Strengthening DPULOs Programme and all its communications channels, including the ODI website, monthly email and social media.

We would also wish to disseminate this report to each local authority in the country, as well as relevant representative bodies (such as the Local Government Association). A full stakeholder map will be developed as part of this work; any suggestions that people have of networks we should share this work through would be welcome.

The collection will also inform the work of the Strengthening DPULOs Programme and others on how best to support DPULOs in their work and relationships with commissioners.

How you can get involved

The collection of case studies will be coordinated and written by a DPULO. Support will also go directly to the DPULOs whose work is being profiled in order to support their effective contribution.

The role of the coordinating DPULO will be to:

• Scope and agree potential DPULO case studies
• Produce a case study template
• Liaise with each chosen DPULO in writing their case study
• Contribute to writing an introduction and conclusion for the collection
• Draft the final collection
• Support development of a stakeholder map for dissemination.

We anticipate this work will take approximately 10-15 days in total.

Expressions of Interest

We would like DPULOs to submit a brief (no more than 3 sides A4) Expression of Interest to coordinate this collection of work.

Your Expression of Interest should cover:

• The DPULO’s knowledge, understanding and expertise regarding commissioners and commissioning/procurement
• The DPULO’s knowledge and understanding of the barriers DPULOs face when it comes to commissioning and procurement
• Demonstrable evidence of the DPULO’s networks and contacts with other DPULOs
• The DPULO’s experience in project management
• The DPULO’s experience in delivering high quality written materials in relatively short timescales
• The DPULO’s capacity to demonstrate the ability to deliver this work within the next 2-3 months
• Your proposed daily rate for this work.

This Expression of Interest will be considered and marked by the Strengthening DPULOs Programme team, and the coordinating DPULO will be chosen solely on the basis of the information provided. The work will be resourced through a grant to the coordinating DPULO.

Please submit your Expression of Interest to Richard.Watts1@dwp.gsi.gov.uk by 5pm on Wednesday 25 April 2012.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Rich above. Similarly, if you know someone who may be interested, please pass this information on to them.

March 2012

Tags: commissioners, commissioning, disability, dpulo, DPULOs, equality, gov, localgov, procurement, ulo, ULOs, work

Your work on disability hate crime: be a #dpulo case study

A couple of weeks ago, I highlighted some work I was commissioning about the role Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations (DPULOs) play in addressing disability crime.

I’m pleased to say that Access Dorset has been chosen to coordinate this work: a collection of 10 good case studies of the varied and practical work that DPLULOs are undertaking in the area of disability hate crime, and the difference that they are making.

This work is part of the “DPULOs Making A Difference” series, commissioned by the Strengthening DPULOs Programme at the Office for Disability Issues (ODI). (You can find out more about the programme by visiting the ODI website or Facebook.)

How you can get involved

We are now looking for DPULOs who could potentially be case studies for the collection.

Though there is a lot of good work that DPULOs are doing to address disability hate crime, we are looking for case studies that will demonstrate to the police, local authorities and others the difference DPULOs can make. The case studies will be chosen on:

• The different types of work that DPULOs are undertaking to address hate crime
• The practical difference they’re making
• The basis of geographical spread
• Good coverage across impairment groups.

This means we won’t be able to include every DPULO who has been doing good work in this area (though we’ll happily promote your work!).

To help us choose the 10 best case studies, we’d be very grateful if you could let us know (max 150 words each):

• What work have you been doing in relation to Disability Hate Crime?
• What practical difference has it made? I.e. What outcomes have been achieved for disabled people? What evidence do you have that your work has made the difference? This could be numbers or feedback from disabled people / the police. Your work could be in any area of addressing disability hate crime, for example: increasing third party reporting; educating and increasing understanding; training delivered to police/local authorities; securing funding to carry out your work; securing contracts to carry out your work? etc.

Please send your reply by email to: Jonathan Waddington-Jones (CEO, Access Dorset), jonathan@accessdorset.org.uk. If you’d like to find out more about this work, please call Access Dorset on 01202 771336.

Closing date: Monday 2 April 2012. We aim to let you know if you are chosen as a case study by Wednesday 4 April 2012

Resource

The ODI and Strengthening DPULOs Programme recognises that producing case studies will be a call on your resources. They have agreed to pay for 1.5 days work at £275 per day (a total of £412.50) to each of the 10 organisations that are chosen to undertake this work.

Please share this information with any other people / networks who you think might be interested. Thank you.

Tags: dhc, disabilityhatecrime, dpulo, DPULOs, equality, police, ulo, ULOs, work

#Remploy changes and #DPULO: the £1.5m Community Support Fund

The week before last, the Government made an announcement that disability employment support services will be focused on individuals rather than institutions.  This was in response to the Sayce Review and how the £320m protected budget for disability employment could be used more effectively to support thousands more disabled people into work.

As part of the announcement, the Government guaranteed an £8m package of tailored support for up to 18 months to support all disabled Remploy staff affected by the changes.

As some of you might know, my work focuses on what Disabled People’s User- Led Organisations can and already do contribute to public service reform and society more generally. This includes looking at ways of (a) how to ensure there are more DPULOs, and (b) how to ensure they are sustainable.

After the disability employment support announcement last week, some people on Twitter and in other places highlighted that there could be a role for disabled people’s user-led organisations and voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations to play in providing support or opportunities in the changes taking place.

For example, Julie Newman of the UK Disabled People’s Council suggested:

Disabled Remploy workers should be supported to set up user-led social enterprises.

Similarly, Mark Brown (of One in Four magazine) asked:

How about each threatened #remploy factory looking at becoming #dpulo (disabled people’s user led org) or #socent? Do you think it might work?

(A question that was reported in Society Guardian Daily, no less!)

Such suggestions very much informed and tallied with thinking on how best the support package could be distributed or used.

What I’m very pleased to say, therefore, is that the Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller MP, highlighted that part of the £8m support package announced – some £1.5m of it, in fact – will be made available to DPULOs and VCS organisations through a dedicated Community Support Fund. (This was mentioned in the oral statement and the Commons debate – columns 952 and 965 here.)

This Community Support Fund will provide grants to local DPULOs and VCS organisations to support Remploy employees in making the transition from sheltered employment to mainstream employment. The CSF would be focused particularly in the geographic areas in which Remploy employees will live, and so will include working in Wales and Scotland as well as England.

What that support looks like, though, is very much down to the local DPULO to determine, working with the people they support and taking account of local circumstances.

Personally, I think this is a tremendous opportunity for DPULOs to show how they can provide local, personalised support that responds directly to the requirements of disabled people in their local communities. They will specifically make a difference to people affected by the announcement made about disability employment support services. We have some funding to support this role and have a great opportunity to positively and constructively shape this so the support is made available in the best way possible.

You can keep up-to-date on the DPULO work I’m involved in via Twitter (@rich_w), through the Strengthening DPULOs Programme Facebook page or use the #dpulo hashtag.

Tags: equality, disability, employment, work, vcs, ULOs, DPULOs, dpulo, ulo, communitysf, remploy