ODI - Responses to Fulfilling Potential

Fulfilling Potential Responses

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Fulfilling Potential Responses Church House, 22 March 2012

Introduction We published a discussion document, Fulfilling Potential, on 1 December 2011 and the discussion period recently closed. We have had 542 responses:

297 from individuals (253 of these are from disabled people).

182 from organisations.

60 combined responses following events or meetings. As most of the responses came to us in the final few days we have not had time to read and analyse them all. But we wanted to give you an early idea of what we have heard so far. This paper is in three parts, matching the three areas in Fulfilling Potential: raising aspirations, individual control and changing attitudes and behaviours. The first section under each part sets out the comments and issues people have told us are important to address in the strategy. The second section includes some of the ideas people have told us they would like to see in the strategy. We hope this is useful as we want to focus on practical actions we can include in the strategy, and look forward to hearing your thoughts on these and any other suggestions you have.

We have seen some comments on the overall approach to the strategy, for example:

The Government needs to be open and transparent about this discussion, and explain clearly how the experiences and


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ideas of disabled people will be used to shape the final strategy.

Emphasise that this new strategy builds on previous work, including the Life Chances report, the Roadmap, the Independent Living Strategy and the UK report to the United Nations on the Rights of Disabled People.

The new strategy should be based on the social model of disability. It should build on existing protected rights and entitlements, and promote the principles of independent living.

It should promote disabled people’s right to live in communities, and have services such as transport, and buildings and communications that are accessible and inclusive so that they can participate and contribute.

It should include risks that could affect progress.

It should have clear actions and timelines.

The strategy should have aims that are long term.

There should be commitment from the very top of government.

Disabled people should monitor progress and make sure that the strategy makes a real difference to disabled people’s lives.

Do not forget seldom heard voices and people who have multiple barriers to inclusion.


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Part 1: Realising Aspirations The Government is committed to encouraging appropriate support and interventions for disabled people at key life transitions, to realise disabled people’s potential and aspirations for education, work and independent living.

The problem

Disabled children and young people have the same aspirations as their non disabled peers for education, work and independent living – but have a lower employment rate and lower educational attainment.

Some themes from stakeholder discussions so far

Education is fundamental – not just in school, but in higher and further education, and lifelong learning. There needs to be genuine choice in education so that disabled children can achieve what they want to in life.

Education and training must be accessible.

There should be a clear route from education into employment, linked to career hopes.

Employment rates for disabled people must be better, particularly for some groups, and there needs to be more support for disabled people to be self-employed or set up cooperatives.

What older people want to achieve and do must be included.

There needs to be better support at times of change, for example when someone acquires an impairment.

There needs to be better support for parents, as they have a big influence on what their children want in life and their choices.


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Some themes from written responses so far

Education opportunities

• Easier access, help with fees. • Flexible learning - distance learning. • Opportunities for retraining. • Inflexible funding - not available for training wanted. • Funding for disability courses (e.g. lip reading training).

Employment opportunities

Lack of part time / flexible working – like home working, workplace support.

Employers need to be disability aware.

Need for more voluntary work / work experience opportunities.

Government departments

Is money being spent on young people at expense of others?

Need for stable financial support.

E-accessibility - cannot afford computers / internet access.

Ring fenced funding - councils claim they have no funding for support.

Impact assessments needed when things change, like DWP local offices closing.

Some themes from organisations so far

Government needs to say what the long term vision is for disabled children.

Barriers often begin in childhood and while evidence for inclusive education is strong, the home life situation of children is important too. So sometimes even when there is progress in one part of life, poverty and / or being badly treated can go against this.

Fulfilling potential should not just be about educational attainment.


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Education to be mainstreamed, inclusive, accessible (buildings / lessons etc), and there should be proper support based on each person’s needs.

Education professionals need to have higher expectations.

Supported internships are important.

There is a need for a government led campaign to challenge prejudice of employers and to enforce the law. Including information about Access to Work can help to stop smaller employers worrying about the costs of employing disabled people.

Access to work is good at assessing some groups of disabled people, but it needs to be more flexible, like individual budgets, at the moment it can have a rigid approach - so need to expand and redesign it to make it easier to use and make sure it’s used more effectively.

It is important that people who work in education, including special education, want to raise children’s aims and aspirations. Too often, they don’t expect much of disabled people.

Parents of disabled children need to be able to make informed choices and medical decisions for their child on health and education.

Disabled children’s voices must be heard.

Transition support from age 14 has helped young people. This should be until age 25, which would then see young people through education (and higher education) and training into employment, where some support may still be needed.

The needs and expectations of older disabled people must be included and there should be local plans to support older disabled people.

Better working together, information for making assessments easier and involvement of families in decision making - things like a key worker system, joint assessment processes between children / adult services, sharing data.

Greater flexibility in working practices.


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New ideas for realising aspirations

Employment

Employment support (including Access to Work) to extend to internships, work experience, volunteering, and job search activities.

Enable disabled people to ‘trial’ jobs for e.g. 2 weeks before applying.

Ask major employers to contribute to a fund for disabled people’s work experience (like mobile operator’s charity worker fund).

Encourage a group of major businesses to create a fund to help new entrepreneurs with £10K start up capital and proven entrepreneur mentors (someone has offered to help as a self-made entrepreneur with £2m business, for example by pitching to business to take part).

Promote list of top 100 disability employers, including a small business category (similar to Stonewall’s list).

Publish positive experiences of disabled people in work.

Careers advisers to encourage employment aspirations.

Better promote the Two Ticks scheme.

Publication of a 3 year cross government employment strategy.

Set up a mentor scheme.

Positive action employment schemes like Pathways to Work for Women.

Government to lead by example

Every government department to sign up to Employers Forum on Disability.

Government departments to sign up to an accessible technology charter - to commit to only using accessible software, etc.

Promote employment diversity data.

More internships within government.

ODI to have their own red tape challenge – asking disabled people to identify wasteful and bureaucratic barriers.

Sponsor awareness raising / capacity building programme (like Scottish Government’s series of ‘webinars’).


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Education

Remove UK reservation on UN Convention on education.

Work with Local Education Authorities to increase choice in mainstream education.

Rebalance SEN budget to ensure an increased percentage of the current budget is used to support mainstreaming education.

Promote case studies of students supported to move into higher education.

SEN coordinators to commit to championing aspirations of disabled children and young people.

Look at flexible ways of getting qualifications and how they are viewed.

Partnership working

Encourage partnership working, e.g. between schools, local disabled people’s organisations, local employers, and local authorities, or have a key worker.

Similar to work clubs, encourage networks of disabled people to discuss realising aspirations in the community.

Parliamentarians

Parliamentarians to mentor / champion disability in their constituencies / sectors.


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Part 2: Individual control We are committed to enabling disabled people to make their own choices and have the right opportunities to live independently. We want to ensure that disabled people have personal control over the services they receive and that support is delivered in the way they want it, across every area of their day to day lives, for example accommodation, travel or employment.

The problem

Disabled people tell us that that decisions about their lives are still too often made for them - not by them, and they also report barriers to accessing many services and activities including education, transport, health, social care and sport, social and recreational activities.


Disabled people’s ability to make their own choices should be strengthened, especially in health care and support from local authorities.

Choice and control isn’t only about personal budgets. There also needs to be a focus on things that often stop choice and control - like in particular buildings, transport, and information that disabled people cannot access.

All disabled people must be involved in decision making, for example those in residential care settings.

Better joined up services are needed. It also needs to be clear who is responsible for providing services, and how they can be held to account for what they do. With more about Big Society and local decision making it needs to be clear how disabled people will be included in service delivery and able to play a full and active role in designing services.

Advocacy programmes need to be improved, and disabled people’s user-led organisations need to be strengthened.


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Some themes from the written responses so far

Information

Sharing of information provided by peers.

Receiving the right training to help overcome barriers.

More awareness and publicity for local disability groups.

Access to basic communication / internet training.

Clear signposting for support.

Services

It must be clear what services are provided.

Ability to self refer for National Health services.

More activities for disabled children – such as sessions at swimming pools.

Disability awareness training for professionals.

Accessible activities to encourage disabled people to participate.

Personalised social care assessments and not just offering services that are already there, tailored to existing services, for example a single assessment to include carers and families.

Accessible buildings and transport and communications.

Access to funding

Funding when it is needed for example specialist footwear / home adaptations.

Ability to self-refer and pay for services directly.

Independent agencies funded for long term projects.

Software updates / internet at reduced cost.

Concern and fears about work capability assessments, both the assessment itself and loss of benefits.

Social / support services

Support services need to be local, and not limited by council / county boundaries.

There can be territorialism and arguments between services / support.


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Some services are only for those in critical need because of less money.

Need for individual services built around individual needs.

Any changes need time to get used to.

Improved transport

More help with taxi and other fares.

Lack of suitable public transport (especially in rural areas).

More help to adapt cars and other vehicles.

Problems with the NHS

Need faster access to medical services.

Need more support from GPs.

NHS seem more interested in making savings than helping disabled people.


Disabled people should be involved in government decision making so decisions are clear and transparent.

Disabled people who employ their own assistants need good training and support to reduce the risk of being taken advantage of.

The ambition for every disabled person to be in control of their support should be a priority across the country and it should be monitored nationally, rather than left to local decisions.

Care plans must be person centred and outcome focused rather than need focused.

Security of support is important (especially when moving from one place to another).

There is a need for the impact or effect of welfare reform to be better understood - e.g. effect of passporting, and the taper on universal credit.

Too often individual budgets are a tick box exercise only and do not offer choice and control.

Portability of support packages, integrated assessments (personal health budgets integrated with Right to Control), importance of disabled people’s organisations in this.


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Making it easier for services to be bought with individual budgets for example, pooling a group’s individual budgets to buy services.

Access to services not only depends on physical access but also availability of things like transport.

Many disabled people will themselves become carers, they need support. This means providing support to the family as a whole not just as individuals.

Advocacy is very important to make sure that choice and control really happen.

New ideas for individual control

Personalisation / personal budgets

Culture change in Residential Care Homes to bring about personalisation / choice and control - by growing market for providers to provide outreach individualised support in older people's homes.

Cost / benefit analysis of decreased dependency on the state, e.g. individual budgets, Project Search.

Integrate health, social and employment support into single, holistic personal budget – not just single assessments.

Support individuals to pool their budgets to pay for group activities.

Set up systems (maybe using social networking) where activities and support volunteers can be ‘matched’.

Assessments

Enable individuals to ‘own’ their information used for assessments - have a personal information record.

Commissioning / government contracts/ funding decisions

Longer-term contracts.

Enable smaller organisations, particularly disabled people’s organisations to compete.

Include specifications on co-production, accessibility and disability awareness in contracts.

Longer-term contracts.

Enable smaller organisations, particularly disabled people’s organisations to compete.


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Co production of commissioning strategies locally, and / or outsourcing it to disabled people’s organisations.

Advocacy

Increase numbers and ensure they are well skilled for their roles.

Change the law to enable disabled people’s organisations to advocate on behalf of groups of disabled people.

Right to advocacy in 1986 Act to be modified and implemented.

Independent living

Review of independent living legislation in 2013 (this was a commitment in the Independent Living Strategy) - assessing new legislative framework, for example on social care.

System analysis of barriers to local implementation locally.

Social care

Include early intervention strategy in Social Care White Paper.

Ensure social care is assessed on outcomes not care needs.

Information provision

Local news sheets, or pages in local council / disabled people’s organisations publications, targeted at different age groups (and using appropriate language) highlighting all the services and social activities available for that group in the local area.

Use libraries, GP surgeries, council offices, local newspapers, churches, food banks, etc as information points.

Have a One Stop Shop for disabled people to find out about health, employment, education and leisure services.

Produce something similar to the ‘directme.org’ leaflet.

Disabled people’s organisations to support people to make informed decisions about support plans.

Promote positive technology advances, e.g. latest accessibility features.


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Local Enterprise Partnerships to be focal point for advice linked to employment and careers.

Have a ‘innovation and learning’ hub - good practice in relation to disability equality etc.

Infrastructure

Universal design and accessibility project - for example with British Standards Institute project (e.g. guidance and standards on the design of the built environment in relation to people with neurologically related impairments).

Accessibility of hospitals - include coloured lines on the floor for people with visual impairments.


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Part 3: Changing attitudes and behaviours We want to promote positive attitudes and behaviours towards disabled people, to enable participation in work, community life and wider society, tackling discrimination and harassment wherever they occur.

The problem

Nearly 8 in 10 people feel there is still prejudice against disabled people and many disabled people have told us they continue to experience discrimination on a daily basis. If unchecked, preconceptions and unfounded prejudices against disabled people can lead to antisocial behaviour, harassment, hate crime and, in extreme cases, murder, as well as being a barrier to participation in communities and wider society.


Positive images of disabled people and social model language need to be used, particularly by government and in the media.

There should be a greater focus on implementing and enforcing the Equality Act - and greater leadership from government in saying that discrimination and harassment are wrong and challenging where things go wrong.

Awareness of disabled people’s rights and their needs should be raised among non-disabled people, professionals and service providers, especially among health care professionals.

There needs to be more disabled people working in the professions, for example as teachers, healthcare professionals, councillors.

Improvements are needed so disabled people are treated properly, particularly in prison, health care and residential care situations.

Disabled people need better access to justice, particularly in light of legal aid reforms.


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Some themes from the written responses so far

Current media portrayal of disabled people

Too often branded as benefit scroungers and cheats.

Government press releases on fraud seen as unhelpful.

Disabled people see link between this and increased hate crime.

Greater education and awareness about disability

Include disability education in schools.

Awareness: anybody can become disabled.

Greater representation by disabled people

More disabled people representing themselves / their work organisations in public.

Encourage disabled people to become teachers and role models for the young.

Need for strong positive media stories

Publicise good and positive case studies.

Focus on what disabled people can do.

Have positive role models in children’s TV and books.

Positive statistical releases

Publicise the numbers of working disabled people.

Publicise the number of disabled people who volunteer / help others.

Publicise disabled people’s contribution to the economy.

Attitudes need to shift

Move away from idea that some impairments are more deserving than others.



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2012 Games opportunities - e.g. ‘Welcome Host’ training programme.

Arguments about benefit fraud and at the same time trying to get the public to respect disabled people as equal citizens look odd and incompatible.

Employers, health professionals, people in the street all look at disabled people in different ways. The strategy needs to think about the ways these groups are getting their views - particularly ‘institutional disablism’ in health and social care.

Case studies should come in pairs, where one is an unacceptable situation and the other is how the situation can be better.

Emphasis on awareness raising and social model.

Good opportunities (e.g. Healthwatch) but fear of inconsistencies across areas.

Strong disabled people’s organisations are needed – development of their capacity to deliver services, drive change locally and so help change attitudes.

New ideas for changing attitudes and behaviours

Media portrayal

Get broadcasters to sign up to a disability code of conduct about portrayal

Include a responsibility for positive portrayal in BBC contract - to stop programmes like ‘Saints and Scroungers’ being made.

Challenge poor messaging by government departments and the media (e.g. on ODI’s website) and correct wrong interpretation of government messaging on disability.

Disabled people’s organisations to be given tools to challenge directly.

Public attitudes

Learning from Time to Change programme and See Me in Scotland (http://www.seemescotland.org/).

Include questions in You Gov opinion tracking surveys.


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Hate crime

Build on ‘safe places’ - via British Chamber of Commerce for example (perhaps a national disabled people’s organisation to spearhead this?).

Have a Police Disabled Person Liaison Officer (akin to neighbourhood watch for disabled people) in an area or town. This person would be the first point of contact for all disability related issues / problems and enquiries.

National targets for all police forces to tackle disability hate crime.

Better understanding and action on domestic violence and disabled people.

Partnerships at local level like Safe in Doncaster (councils, disabled people, businesses etc).

Attitudes of healthcare practitioners

Promote existing good practice, e.g. positive attitude of midwife towards disabled mother on ‘One Born Every Minute’.

Include mandatory disability training for Public Health England.

Obtain agreement from DH to include commitment in their next NHS Outcomes Framework around ensuring that disabled people have a positive experience from their healthcare providers.

Schools awareness programme

Get different groups together to share their experiences with young children at school.

Campaign in schools through head teachers, school governors etc.

Include disability as part of the school curriculum.

Citizenship training in schools to include disability awareness.

An equivalent to Jamie Oliver’s Better School Meals to educate children’s attitudes towards disabled people.

Programme of work with e.g. Channel 4 or Changing Faces to engage young people.

All pupils to take part in disability sports.


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Make use of existing material to inform young people about their rights.

Disability History Month offers an opportunity to distribute materials in classrooms.

Invite parents to awareness sessions.

Disability awareness training for school management to ensure prospective students aren’t put off, e.g. by attitudes or lack of accessible information.

Employer engagement

Broad engagement needed, for example with Employers Forum on Disability, Federation of Small Businesses, British Chambers of Commerce, Confederation of British Industry, etc.

Some organisations are doing some work on employer engagement - spread their best practice.

Offer incentives to private businesses to provide training to other businesses about working with disabled people.

Check what Investors in People covers on disability.

Awareness training / capability building

Introduce disability awareness (in a relevant way) to all vocational university and college courses. Currently (even in medical related courses) there’s nothing.

Speak to whoever runs NVQs in customer service to make sure disability is considered. Ditto for event management / facilities.

Make sure all public-facing staff in public sector jobs receive training on working with disabled people.

Include disability awareness training in professional qualifications.

Disability awareness training for Job Centre Plus frontline staff.

Raise awareness in other government departments – e.g. to think about wider policies such as housing for injured soldiers.

Look at how other government departments collect data.

Publish Jobcentre Plus case studies of positive attitudes and the outcomes for disabled people on the DWP website.


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London 2012

Seek commitment from Paralympic sponsors following the Games to ‘keep the flame alight’ on disability.

Hold a conference / media round table on attitudes related to London 2012.

Government Olympic Communications group - hold training session for them.

Implementing the Equality Act / promoting awareness of rights

‘Sharing Knowledge’ courses for disabled people and carers (similar to Partners in Policymaking). Aimed at giving disabled people knowledge / information of what their rights are so they are empowered to have a voice/challenge.

Series of one pagers explaining rights in a particular area, e.g. employment based harassment.

Confidence and assertiveness courses for disabled jobseekers, to empower them to challenge working practices.

Round-up of Equality Act successes to show business./ public how small changes can lead to positive experiences for disabled people.

Recognition for accessible businesses, similar to the Two Ticks scheme for employers.

Involvement

Spread best practice on what makes a third sector organisation sustainable and effective at both local and national level.

Encourage young disabled people’s groups to form a consortium.

Encourage Big Lottery to introduce a funding programme on disability - particularly to support disabled people’s organisations.

Establish a cross-government ‘early ideas forum’ to consider new policy / strategy ideas, and prioritise them within Equality 2025’s workplan.

Health Watch to involve disabled people in decisions about disseminating funding.

Disabled people managing./ delivering extra costs benefits at a local level


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Participation

Big Society initiatives to include a mandatory requirement to support participation of disabled people.

Get commitment of political parties to promote disabled candidates in the same way they promote women female candidates.

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