Chamber and committees

No – the recommendations setout in the The same as you? review of services for people with learningdisabilities continue to guide the Executive’s policy that people with learningdisabilities should be cared for at home, with an appropriate range of servicesto meet their health and social care needs.

The same as you? recommended that life plans for people with learningdisabilities who live with their parents should include plans for a time whenparents may no longer be able to provide care. Scottish Executive guidance onPartnership in Practice Agreements (PiPs), issued on 26 March 2001, stated thatPiPs should address all recommendations that apply to statutory authorities,and that they should specifically address ageing, and support for families andcarers. Guidance Circular CCD 3/2001 Implementing The same as you?: Partnershipin Practice Agreements (PiPs) and Change Funds is available in the Parliament’s reference Centre (Bib. number 12320).

Community Care policygenerally is that, where possible, people should be supported to live in theirown homes. Practical support for individuals to remain at home is providedthrough care services, notably health and community care.

We expect local authoritiesto secure a range of services appropriate to an individual’s needs across therange of community care client groups, including learning disabilities

Local authorities have aduty under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to assess the needs of, and provideappropriate services to, people who appear to need them.

I refer the member to theanswers given to questions S1W-30119 and S1W-29338 on 30 September 2002. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament'swebsite, the search facility for can be found at:

The pre-school facility atDungavel has been registered by the Care Commission under the Regulation ofCare (Scotland) Act 2001. Working with the Home Office and HerMajesty's Inspectorate of Education, the Care Commission will regulate theservice, taking into account the National Care Standards for Early Educationand Childcare services published by Scottish ministers.

We are keen to ensuredissemination of best practice. The principles of The same as you? A reviewof services for people with learning disabilities, published by the Scottish Executive, give a lead on good practice, and thatdocument has a number of examples of good practice.

We have provided funding forthe establishment of the Scottish Consortium forLearning Disability. Part of the consortium’s remitis to:

·       foster and develop best practice, and make it accessible. This isavailable from the consortium’s homepage (Good Practice in The same as you?) on its website at www.scld.org.uk Thisbrings together information on best practicefrom across Scotland for everyone, including local authorities.

·       develop a skilled and confidentworkforce by improving training standards and providing training. Localauthority staff attend such training. Allthe consortium’s courses have peoplewith learning disabilities and family carers as co-trainers.

We have establishedthe Partnership in Practice Network,comprising representativesfrom local authorities and the NHS across Scotland. This meets on aregular three-monthly basis to discuss current issues and to share experience,and it provides a forum for exchanging and developing good practice.

We haveestablished the Scottish Social Services Council, whose function includes toraise the standard of practice and to promote the education and training of thesocial care workforce, including those working in local authorities.

We ran three majorconferences on learning disabilities in 2002, looking at best practice andexperience in learning disability databases, autistic spectrum disorders andhospital closures. These had significant attendance form local authorities acrossScotland.