Health Services Statement | Social Services Statement | Social Security Statement

15.4 Social Services

15.4.1 Specific Policy

Emphasis is placed on providing quality services that meet identified needs. In pursuit of this aim views are sought from service users and their carers as to what they feel they need. The vast majority of people wish to live in their own homes for as long as possible and, when this is no longer possible, to live in a homely environment.

The next twelve months will see:

• the development of an implementation programme following a review of the need for further housing in the community for people with a learning disability
• the preparation of a strategy for the care of older people with mental health problems in the community including the development of residential units . This will include the transfer of responsibility for the service from Mental Health Services to Social Services
• firmed up plans to provide an 86 bed Southern Community Care facility for older people in Port Erin which will provide continuing care beds, EMI and rehabilitation beds in addition to day care facilities
• a review and audit the operation of the Community Mental Health Teams
• the implementation of the Chronically Sick & Disabled Persons (Amendment) Act 1992 with the appointment of two additional social workers to undertake responsibilities defined in the Act
• the commissioning of a four place residential unit for people with autism spectrum disorder
• the development and implementation of a quality assurance scheme for Learning Disability Services
• development in consultation with the relevant Government Departments of Disability Discrimination legislation for inclusion within the legislative programme.

• the research on the incidence of physical disability and discrimination of this group has been completed and the findings have been analysed and will contribute to the development of legislation
• the appointment of a Domiciliary Care Services Manager has been made and the practice of classifying some service users as ‘private’ cases has ceased
• detailed reports have been received outlining the findings of the research into the needs of older people. A summary report has been presented to the Department and is being used to inform plans for services to the elderly
• a further seven properties to provide homes in the community for those adults with a Learning Disability were purchased and commissioned during the year enabling the appropriate units at Ballamona to close in April 2000
• the outreach service in partnership with the Leonard Cheshire (Isle of Man) Foundation commenced in April 2000
• provision of a safer and more efficient transport service (for learning disability adults) has been achieved by contracting-out to a private operator
• independent research into the effectiveness of the Community Homes programme has been undertaken by the charity, United Response, who found a significant enhancement in the quality of life of those living in the homes.

15.4.2 Specific Policy

The welfare of children is paramount and for the vast majority of children their welfare is best promoted by the provision of services that support families. Even in those extreme cases where children are in need of protection this is achieved most effectively by working in partnership with their families. Over the last twelve months as last year the child population has increased as has the level of referrals to the child care services. Within this the number of child abuse referrals is also increasing and these represent the most complex element of child care work. The number of children in care overall has remained high and the proportion of those in Foster Care has slightly reduced reflecting increasing difficulty in recruiting foster parents.

At anytime there is a small but significant group of very troubled and troublesome young people who fully occupy our services, the majority are in residential care either on or off the Island.

The last year has seen a further growth in the number of young people in this group who have absorbed significant resources. We have also decided, by mutual agreement, to part company with National Children’s Homes who were the major provider of service and two new providers have been selected.

The next twelve months will see:

• the development of secondary legislation and training to support the Children & Young Persons Bill that will be introduced into the Branches.
• the finalising of contractual arrangements bringing two new providers for Children’s Services to the Island.
• construction work commence on a new Secure Unit.
• the bringing into operation of the 5 bed Adolescent Unit at White Hoe
• the bringing into full operation of a 5 bed Leaving Care Unit
• Leece Lodge becoming fully operational as a residential care complex
• the development of a family support service in the South and West of the
• the introduction into the Branches of a new Adoption Bill to harmonise arrangements for Adoption with legislative changes in England & Wales.

• the Children & Young Persons Bill has been finalised and will be introduced into the Branches in the Autumn
• a fostering and adoption team was established in October 1999 in partnership with the Manx Churches Adoption & Welfare Society and the Nugent Care Society. An extensive recruitment campaign has been undertaken and substantially increased levels of support and guidance provided to the Island’s Foster carers
• the development of a 5 bedded ‘leaving care’ unit was contracted out to NCH but was not completed within the required timescale. However arrangements for outreach support by NCH were put in place
• the new adolescent unit at White Hoe is scheduled to function from November 2000 under contract with the Nugent Care Society
• research into the needs of children and their families has been commissioned from John Moores University and is planned to commence in September 2000
• proposals have been finalised for the Secure Unit development and an appropriate submission included in the capital programme. It is expected that the Unit will be operational in 2002.

15.4.3 Specific Policy

There is a vital role to be played by informal carers in supporting people who by reason of disability, age or other causes need assistance in aspects of daily living. Research indicates that one in eight people are carers and that helping carers is also one of the best ways of helping the people they care for.

The Island has a network of support to carers the main elements of which are Home Care, Day Care in Homes for Older People, Respite Care in Homes for older people and those with disabilities and a Home for Children with a Physical Disability. Work is also undertaken in partnership with Crossroads Care, a voluntary organisation that provides much support to carers by placing a trained carer in their home to give the carer a break. During the last year Crossroads Young Carers initiative has continued to develop and there has also been an extension of the Summer school holiday scheme for children with special needs.

The next twelve months will see:

• A report to the Department outlining the findings of the Working Group examining the "National Strategy for Carers" in England and Wales.
• Firming up of the plans for the Southern Community Health Care facility including the provision of additional respite, EMI, rehabilitation and emergency beds.

• the 12 place Day Centre at Peel is now fully operational, being managed on behalf of the Department by Age Concern
• the 3 additional respite beds have been available in the Corrin Home since September 1999 and have been well used
• other respite beds have continued to be provided and supplemented as demand has arisen
• a working group, including carers, has been established to examine the findings of the "National Strategy for Carers" in England and Wales. The group is making good progress and when their task is complete will report to the Department.

15.4.4 Specific Policy

The statutory sector cannot undertake responsibility for every aspect of provision and there is much to be gained from partnership with the non-statutory sectors.

Last year almost 30% of the Social Services Gross Budget was spent on funding non-statutory or voluntary organisations under contracts to deliver a range of care services.

The next twelve months will see:

• the development by Praxis of supported housing for those with mental health problems.
• the development with the Manx Foundation for the Physically Disabled of additional provision of individualised daytime activities for people with a physical disability.

• Praxis, a leading mental health charity, is now established on the Island under contract to the Department, the first element of which sees them providing support services in the home to people with mental health problems
• the supported employment service has been established in partnership with United Response and has assisted 17 people with learning disabilities in obtaining and retaining employment.

15.4.5 Specific Policy

See paragraph 15.3.4 above. In addition, the Director of Social Services has been brought into membership of the Health Services Policy Group.

15.4.6 Specific Policy

The main focus of activities is the ‘customer’ that is people who use services and their families and carers. By establishing what the needs of customers are and by continuous review it is the aim to ensure that services are meeting those needs. Where gaps in services are identified it is the aim that they be filled.

The care process which enables this to happen involves staff undertaking needs based assessments and then in consultation with service users and their carers developing a Care Plan to meet those needs.

During the next twelve months the Department will:

• introduce a comprehensive training and development process into its four homes for older people.
• Commission an external quality audit within its 4 homes for Older People and seek accreditation within ISO 9000.
• Complete the implementation of the individual planning system into all its residential and day care services for people with a Learning Disability.

• additional posts have been provided in the Department’s residential care homes for the elderly
• a quality manual has been devised and there has been a programme of consultation with and training of staff at all levels in those homes
• research into the social welfare needs of older people and their level of satisfaction with existing services has been undertaken by John Moores University (see 15.4.1)
• an individual planning process and procedures have been devised in consultation with staff involved in the care of adults with learning disabilities. Staff training has been undertaken and the implementation process begun in the residential care units for those clients.