NDF Involvement with new local Initiatives
Best Value
Best Value is the Local Authority’s regime of reviewing all their services over a 5 year cycle in order to achieve continuous improvements. The Forum will be organising a workshop to ensure that disabled citizens are informed about the Local Authority’s commitment in terms of housing and Best Value.
New Deal for Communities
The Forum has become involved with the New Deal for Communities Project in the West End of Newcastle. This scheme is aimed at including local people in bring about lasting changes to the area in terms of jobs & businesses, education, housing and the environment, crime and health. At present, the Forum has representation on the New Deal Health Focus Group and the Jobs and Business Focus Group (including the Barriers to training and Employment Sub-group).
New Deal Health Focus Group
The last Chair has attended the Health Focus Group meetings that has been dealing with health issues in the New Deal area of the City. This has been a particularly difficult task because, for most of the year, it was uncertain whether the New Deal would achieve funding. Funding has recently been obtained and there will be initiatives within the first two years that will enhance health services for people living within the New Deal area, including disabled residents. The Forum has been able to highlight health issues with other colleagues within this group that affect disabled people, consequently the group has taken on board issues of inequality to health services for disabled people, amongst other excluded people.
New Deal Jobs and Business Focus Group
In addition to attending the monthly Jobs and Business Focus Group, the Forum has representation on the Barriers to training and Employment Sub-group with the aim of helping to create work opportunities in the local area, including disabled people.
The Health Action Zone (HAZ) - Disability Area of Special Action (ASA)
The Chair made the keynote speech at a conference in June 1999 that launched the Area of Special Action. Many Forum members attended this conference. Participants were able to highlight areas of concern regarding health services and to say what would make such services more ‘user friendly’ to disabled people.
The main focus for the ASA is awareness and accessibility. A part-time worker, Amanda Swire, was appointed last autumn to co-ordinate the work of this group. A training sub-group has been formed to take forward the training issues arising out of the ASA work. A current essential element is to ensure that access audits are undertaken for Health Centres and Primary Care Groups to highlight the implications for access to services under S21 of the Disability Discrimination Act, to come into effect in 2004.
Later in the year, it is hoped to evaluate what has occurred since the group was established and to consult with disabled people again.
Joint Advisory Group – Physical & Sensory Disability (JAG / PSD)
Several members of the Forum attend this group and its related sub-groups. This year, success has been achieved in making disability an issue that is central to the work of the statutory agencies and the voluntary sector. New projects have been achieved which include the Direct Payments Project.
The work of the ASA comes under the umbrella of the JAG / PSD. The JAG has also supported the setting up of the Communication Service for sensory impaired people and those who wish and need to communicate with them.
Health Improvement Programme (Disability) HiMP Disability
This group was established in October 1999 in order to improve the health of disabled people living across Newcastle and North Tyneside. The Forum is one of several voluntary organisations who have been invited to participate in the work of the HiMP group. Several sub-groups have now been formed to undertake the work of the HiMP: Access, Training and Employment (this group will arrange for the employment of staff to move the work of the HiMP forward). It is anticipated that a mapping exercise of existing services will be undertaken in the coming year, as will disability awareness training for personnel working within health services.
This HiMP arose directly out of the Forum’s consultation work on the Health Improvement Programme draft document 1998-1999. It is hoped that disabled people will experience improved health as a direct result of this work. Much of this work will be achieved by working with other HiMP areas, as disability is one of the overarching issues across all HiMP groups.
Local Authority Cabinet System
John
O’Shea, the late Cabinet member with responsibility for
social affairs and health, invited Forum members to meet with him
on a quarterly basis to discuss issues of mutual interest. The
membership of this group will be broadened by an election to be
undertaken by Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service in the near
future.