ULOs Capacity Building Project
From Equality South West
Background and Overview
In January 2005 the Government published Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People which is available to download here: Life Chances.
A key recommendation in this report states that:
"By 2010, each locality (defined as that area covered by a Council with social services responsibilities) should have a User-led Organisation (ULO) modelled on existing CILs (Centres for Independent Living)".
A user-led organisation is defined as: "one where the people the organisation represents, or provides a service to, have a majority on the Management Committee or Board and where there is clear accountability to members and/or service users."
In 2006 the Government published a Health White paper called 'Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: A new direction for community services' . It describes the vision for development of a personalised approach to the delivery of adult social care. The white paper is available here: Our Health, Our Care, Our Say
This major programme of change is being introduced under the auspices of 'Putting People First', published by the DH in December 2007. This document is the agreement with the Local Government Association (LGA), the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the NHS and others. The Putting People First document is available here: Putting People First
It is a shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care over a period of three years. The document is available here: Transformation of Adult Social Care. Key elements are:
- Prevention
- Early intervention and re-enablement
- Personalisation
- Information, advice and advocacy
Councils will be required to move to a system of personal budgets for everyone who is eligible for publicly-funded adult social care support. They will also be required to provide universal information, advice and advocacy services for all who need services and their carers. This is irrespective of eligibility for public funding.
Funding has been made available from the Department of Health and the Office of Disability Issues to help develop the establishment and capacity of User Led Organisations in the South West Region, allied to the roll out of "Right to Control". More information on this is available here: Right to Control. This work is fundamental to the implementation of 'Putting People First' in terms of ensuring that people who need social care services have access to a broad range of support services outside of the statutory or private sector.
The aim of the funding is to ensure that by December 2010 a ULO or developing ULO exists in each Local Authority area with responsibility for delivering adult social services, within the South West Region. In the South West where a Regional Disability Equality Network (SWDEN) exists, a region wide strategic approach was implemented. More information on SWDEN can be found here: South West Disability Equality Network. This means that the work in the South West is being delivered in a co-ordinated way whilst incorporating individual local area requirements.
At the end of 2009 a call went out for User led organisations or groups of User led Organisations to apply to be a ULO Development hub covering one of seven geographic areas in the region. The Development Hubs were selected through an application process based on the 21 ULO design criteria which can be found here: ULO Design Criteria (PDF). These ULOs will act as development hubs for identified areas, both developing their own capacity and that of smaller organisations in a locality. They are also supporting development of User Led Organisations in adjoining localities where there is no or very limited ULO presence.
Through the SWDEN, and with regional co-ordination from Equality South West, the Department of Health identified the following seven lead organisations or partnerships to act as development hubs and deliver area appropriate capacity building work:
- Disability Cornwall - Cornwall development hub - more details on Disability Cornwall can be found here: Disability Cornwall
- DOTS Disability and Disability Cornwall - have produced a Workforce Strategy and out of this, a Template for Workforce Planning has been produced, which it is hoped other user Led Organisations will find useful in enabling them to plan for their future workforce needs.
- Fusion (A consortium led by Living Options Devon) - Devon development hub to include Plymouth and Torbay - Fusion's website is here: Fusion
- DOTS Disability C.I.C.- Dorset development hub to include Bournemouth and Poole - further information on DOTS Disability can be found here: DOTS Disability
- Compass Disability Services - Somerset development hub to include North Somerset - more information about Compass Disability can be found here: Compass Disability
- Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living - Wiltshire development hub to include Swindon - their website is available here: Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living
- West of England Centre for Inclusive Living (WECIL Ltd) - Avon and Bristol development hub to include, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset - further details on WECIL are available here: WECIL
- Gloucestershire Lifestyles - Gloucestershire development hub - more information is available on their website here: Gloucestershire Lifestyles
If you would like to know more about the development work happening in your area please contact the project officer for your local area their details are given below:
| Name | Organisation | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Wheeler | WECIL (West of England Centre for Independent Living) | Avon and Bristol | ulo@wecil.co.uk |
| Vaughan Temby | Disability Cornwall | Cornwall | vaughan@disabilitycornwall.org.uk |
| Debbie Stafford | Living Options | Devon | debbie.stafford@livingoptions.org |
| David Thompson | DOTS Disability | Dorset | david.thompson@dotsdisability.co.uk |
| Sue McClung | Gloucestershire Lifestyles | Gloucestershire | sue@gloslifestyles.co.uk |
| Natalie Stevens | Compass Disability | Somerset | natalies@compassdisability.org.uk |
| Geraldine Bentley | Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living | Wiltshire | Geraldine@wiltshirecil.org.uk |
Each Area has a Project Action Plan that they are working to, copies of these can be found by clicking on the relevant link on the left of this page.
Each development hub will also be sharing the lessons they have learned and any resources that they develop, so that other User Led Organisations both in the South West and other regions can use their experiences. These documents can found in the "Shared Learning and Resources" section on the right of this page.
We have also included useful links to work that has or is going on elsewhere in the country around User Led Organisations; transformation of adult social care and the Right to Control. We will be updating this project page as the Hubs develop their work, if there is any other information you would like us to post here please contact Colette Bennett by using the details below:
E-mail: Colette.Bennett@equalitysouthwest.org.uk
Telephone: 01823 240260