Agenda item

The Board considered a joint report of the Strategic Director Health and Community and the Strategic Director Children and Young People which presented the Draft Multi Agency Transition Strategy for Young People with Complex Needs for consultation and endorsement to further consultation.

The Board was advised that the Transition Strategy would improve outcomes for disabled young people with complex needs.  The strategy ensured that young people and their families had an improved experience of the transition through adult and children’s services working closely together and providing a seamless service.

The Chairman reported that one of the young people had raised an issue relating to the use of wheelchairs for five a side football and the barriers to participating in such sports because of insurance costs. The young person had asked how the Authority could help to remove such barriers so that everyone could participate in various activities.

In response, it was reported that a special wheelchair was required to take part in sporting activities.  In addition, the Authority could look at equipment that was available to enable disabled young people to participate in sporting activities, identify ways of overcoming the insurance costs and investigate if any adaptations could be made to the wheelchair to enable them to be used for such activities.

The Chairman also reported that the young people had requested that the Draft Multi Agency Transition Strategy be presented to the Youth Forum.

Arising from the discussion, the following comments were noted:-

·        It was noted that young people involved in an assessment for a wheelchair at the Widnes clinic would very often be allocated a standard wheelchair which was unsuitable for sports.  It was suggested that multi-agencies would need to be involved in the assessments;

·        In relation to the wheelchairs, it was noted that the Primary Care Trust (PCT) was responsible for the provision of this equipment.  The issue had also been raised at the Halton Health Partnership Board.  In addition, funding was being progressed and other Local Authorities had been contacted to identify how they were dealing with such issues. 

It was reported, that in the first instance, the Authority would work with the PCT to obtain funding for all sporting activities.  It was acknowledged that there were significant insurance costs involved and various issues would need to be addressed, such as who would be responsible for the repair of a wheelchair and who would be responsible for any accidents?  It was also noted that guards could not be fixed onto existing wheelchairs and that each individual concerned would require a separate wheelchair for sport. 

It was noted that the Authority would look at obtaining funding to address these issues and the process for allocating such funding to ensure that all young people had an equal opportunity to take part in sporting activities.

·        That the young people and their families had been fully involved in the strategic planning for transition and would be involved in the process annually from 14 years of age, up to, and beyond the age of 19;

·        The promotion and process of direct payments and that they were monitored on a regular basis was noted;

·        Person Centre Planning (PCP) – Clarity was sought on this as it was suggested that this was not a new development but that the Authority had been undertaking PCP for over 14 years.

The Board was advised that PCP had changed the nature of how the young person contributed to their annual review in relation to their progress and aspirations. The young person would drive the debate through total communication needs and aids.  The difference now was the emphasis from the Government in relation to the degree of participation by the individual concerned.

RESOLVED: That

(1)                    the consultation phase of the Strategy be endorsed; and

(2)   the Strategy be presented to the Youth Forum.