Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Director of Adult Social Services

Further to minute 28 of the Scrutiny Board (Health and Wellbeing and Adult Social Care) meeting held on 28^th October 2012, where the Board considered a request for Scrutiny in relation to meeting the needs of blind and visually impaired people in Leeds and established a working group to consider this matter, the Board considered a report of the Director of Adult Social Services providing feedback on how the previous Board’s recommendations had been progressed. 

It was noted that a visit had been made to the facilities at Fairfax House by representatives of the Scrutiny Board, earlier in the week.

Attending for this item to present the report and respond to questions and comments from the Board were:

• Tim O’Shea (Head of Adult Social Care Commissioning) – Leeds City Council, Adult Social Services;
• Sinead Cregan (Adult Commissioning Manager) – Leeds City Council, Adult Social Services; and,
• Helena Hughes (Area Operations Manager) – Action for Blind People/Leeds Vision Consortium.

The Board was presented with a report that outlined the measures carried out immediately following the previous Scrutiny Board’s recommendations about improvements to aspects of the service provided. 

A brief introduction of te re[port was provided, following which the Board raised a number of questions about the services provided for blind and visually impaired people in Leeds by Leeds Vision Consortium.

The main points of discussion related to:

• The fundamental shift in service design – moving from a centre based service to a community/ outreach based service, focusing on individuals needs;
• the need to provide a range of services for blind and visually impaired people across Leeds, to suit all age groups, especially younger people;
• the referral process to services and the importance of the role of the hospital-based eye clinic liaison officer;
• the importance of assistive technology in helping to maintain service users’ independence;
• the increased number of service users from BME groups;
• the role of the employment officer; the scale of the challenge in securing employment opportunities for people with visual impairments in what was currently a difficult labour market ;
• the outcomes achieved by people being assisted to find employment;
• the raised expectations for people with disabilities as a result of the success and legacy of the Paralympics;
• the importance of stakeholder involvement in shaping services.

Whilst welcoming the changes that had been made to services and noting the positive feedback from the recent visit to Fairfax House, the need to obtain direct feedback from service users/ stakeholders was highlighted – particularly in cases where an issue had been raised with the Scrutiny Board for investigation.

RESOLVED -  

a)  To note the report and the actions that were undertaken by Adult Social Care and Leeds Vision Consortium to address the recommendations of the previous Scrutiny Board;

b)  To note the comments made and the information provided;

c)  That a further report be provided in six months time that included the following information/ details:

·  The number and age profile of blind and partially sighted people across Leeds;

·  The number and age profile of service users accessing/ using  the various elements of services commissioned by the Council and provided by Leeds Vision Consortium;

·  Specific outcomes relating to employment service provided and take-up of employment, training and/or volunteering placements;

·  The number and age profile of service users from BME groups;

·  Direct responses from service users to the actions taken to address the concerns raised at Scrutiny Board (Health and Wellbeing and Adult Social Care) in October 2011.