Flintshire Disability Forum
Meeting Report of the Flintshire Disability Forum Meeting
Flint Pavilion Leisure Centre, Tuesday 27th July 1999
10:30am Welcome
Brian Harrison, newly elected Chair of the Flintshire Disability Forum introduced himself and welcomed members to the meeting.
Brian gave a summary of the meeting’s programme. He informed members that two guest speakers had been invited to today’s meeting, following member suggestions at previous meetings. Maggie Berry from Disability Wales had been invited to inform members of the work of Disability Wales; Tom John of Flintshire County Council Social Services had been invited to discuss issues relating to social care planning and involving disabled people in planning/reviewing services. He also informed members that workshops were being held to discuss the Forum’s ‘work agenda’ for the forthcoming year, in particular, issues which members wished to address, guest speakers for future meetings and any regular features to be included in future meetings.
Maggie Berry, Disability Wales:
Maggie Berry thanked members for the invitation to the Forum meeting. She informed members that she was a paid member of staff for Disability Wales, the national umbrella organisation for disability groups operating in Wales, who were currently based in Caerphilly. Her particular area of interest was welfare benefits, although she had also been recently involved in developing the issue of direct payments. She explained that Disability Wales was a campaigning organisation which also provided information to members upon relevant issues in Wales. Particular issues of concern recently included the New Deal, the Welsh Assembly and the new Social Services White Paper ‘Building for the Future’, for which she had recently completed a consultation response.
She explained that Disability Wales were actively seeking to develop their presence in North Wales. Firstly, they were wishing to extend the representation from North Wales members, upon the Disability Wales Executive Committee. Secondly, Maggie reported that Disability Wales had no office-base in North Wales, but were keen to establish points of contact in the area. They wished to develop ‘hot-desking’; a way of establishing bases in North Wales by having a desk with a telephone line in a number of organisations’ offices. Each base could be visited a few times per month by Disability Wales staff. The telephone line would also provide a local number for people to contact, but would be diverted to Caerphilly at no extra cost to the caller. Disability Wales were therefore asking the Forum to consider hosting the pilot ‘hot desking’ project at the Forum’s office in Ty’r Binwydden, Mold.
A member raised the issue of medical examinations required by the Benefits Agency. Maggie agreed that the examinations had caused distress to claimants and very few avenues for complaint had existed. However, the Agency had recently ‘contracted-out’ its medical examinations to a French company and therefore more avenues for complaint now existed as a result of the examinations being conducted by an external body.
Another member raised her concern regarding the location of Disability Wales’ committee meetings. She explained that all committee meetings had been held in South Wales in the past and therefore North Wales members would be reluctant to join the committee if they were required to travel to Caerphilly. Maggie explained that the committee themselves would determine where meetings would be held and the current committee were supportive of moving meetings, to meet the needs of all committee members. By having more North Wales members represented on the committee, committee meetings would need to alter their location accordingly. She explained that the current committee were fully supportive of paying travel expenses and overnight accommodation too, which would enable committee members to travel to meetings across Wales.
Another member commented on Disability Wales’ Welsh Language Policy. Maggie explained that Disability Wales were committed to developing bilingual information and to funding training for staff members to learn Welsh.
The Chair asked members to consider the proposal that the Forum should host Disability Wales’ pilot ‘hot-desking’ project. Members unanimously agreed to the proposal. The Chair thanked Maggie for attending the meeting and informed members that Maggie would be remaining after the meeting to answer any further member questions.
Member Workshops:
Members divided into three workshops, facilitated by Alex Warr, David Jones and Wendy Jones. Members were asked to discuss the following questions: Which issues do you want the forum to address in the future? For example: social care issues, education, transport, campaigning, information etc. Which speakers would you like at future meetings? Are there any regular features which you would like to be included in future meetings? For example: information sharing session etc. Workshops were held for 30 minutes.
Presentation by Tom John, Flintshire County Council Social Services Dept: ‘Involving Disabled People in social care planning/consultation’.
Tom John, Planning and Development Officer, presented members with the following information:
‘The expectation by Government for the content of the Social Care Plan is changing. Previous Plans have been directed to a very wide audience - members, officers, users, carers, providers etc. Future plans will need to concentrate more on providing information to agencies to help them plan the delivery of care, it will describe future trends and the planned investments and priorities.
In producing the plan there will still need to be consultation with users and carers. Initial guidance from the Welsh Office has highlighted:
the expectation that the plans will need to include how the Best Value approach will be integrated into the plans. the requirement on the Department to review each of its services every five years and consider if the service is needed, how it will be delivered and who by. Each member of staff needs to understand their roles and responsibilities with written standards of performance. County Council and Health Authorities have to produce a range of different plans, however these tend not to be well co-ordinated or integrated. In future more joint planning will need to take place, in particular with the NHS.
There will be enormous changes taking place in the health and welfare services over the next few years. It is important that users, carers and the voluntary sector are involved as much as possible and supported in making a contribution’.
Alex Warr explained that she felt it had been important to provide members with an opportunity to meet Tom John. This would enable better working partnerships in the future. The Chair thanked Tom John for attending the meeting.
Feedback Session
Alex Warr, Wendy Jones and David Jones reported back on the issues raised from their workshops.
The feedback demonstrated that there was consensus on a number of points:
Which issues do you want the forum to address in the future?
Access to employment, Occupational Therapy, Transport, Benefit Updates, Information and Advice, Advocacy, Access to Education, Legal Advice, Stress, Assertiveness/Disability Equality Training and Raising Disability Awareness.
Which speakers would you like at future meetings?
Barry Jones MP and David Hanson MP, Employment Service, Highways and Transport Department, Tom Middlehurst AM and Alison Halford AM, Occupational Therapy Team, Benefits Agency, Citizens Advice Bureau, North Wales Resources Centre for Disabled People, Joe Wilson MEP, the Leader of Flintshire County Council, SCOPE, a specialist solicitor, Flintshire County Council’s Access Officer, Crossroads, Community Transport, Carers’ Groups, F.C.C. Welfare Rights Unit, and a specialist travel service/centre.
Are there any regular features which you would like to be included in future meetings?
Regular spoken and written feedback from the Forum’s Committee, Information Sharing Session and exchange of ideas, a Display area for information and equipment, an update from the Welsh Assembly (through WCVA), member feedback for the development of a good practice guide.
Any Other Business:
The Chair thanked both guest speakers for attending the meeting. He stated that he personally welcomed the involvement of Disability Wales with the Forum, for it would ensure that Disability Wales could play a more active role in the North, which disability groups had been seeking, for some time.
Maggie Berry informed members that Disability Wales were organising a series of Independent Living Seminars in North Wales. A free seminar was being held at the Flint Pavilion Leisure Centre on the Thursday 16th September, 11am-4pm. Please contact Sherall Morris at Disability Wales for further details on 01222 887325.
The Chair informed members that Joan Murphy, a member of the Forum’s Committee, had been delegated responsibility for fundraising. Joan informed members that it was important that the Forum developed a strategy for fundraising and encouraged all members to participate by giving ideas and contributing through their support. Although the Forum had fortunately received £4,000 funding from Flintshire County Council Social Services, further funding would allow the Forum to develop its role and provide more services to members.
The Chair invited Alex Warr to address members. She stated that this would be the last meeting which she would be attending, due to the closure of the Disability Association in September. She thanked members for all of their support for the Forum; she urged them to continue attending meetings and contributing, for the Forum would only thrive with the support of a strong membership. She also gave her best wishes to the Forum’s newly elected committee.
The Chair thanked Alex, Annie and the Association’s volunteers for all their hard work and support and wished them will in the future.
1:00pm Close. Followed by Buffet Lunch.