‘Strong Voices, Big Ideas’ looks at how services for people with learning disabilities should develop over the next three years. It is a joint strategy led by East Sussex County Council, Hastings & Rother and East Sussex Downs & Weald Primary Care Trusts, but underpinned by a clear set of messages from people with learning disabilities and their families.
It was this commitment to involve the people that use the services in their strategic development which ultimately won the county its award in the ‘Public and Patient Involvement’ category.
At the heart of ‘Strong Voices, Big Ideas’ was a drawing of a large road map, developed to support the involvement of people with learning disabilities. It illustrated four main areas for discussion:
- Being part of the community
- Better health
- Support to make choices and have more control
- Maximising their independence and keeping safe
The road map was then taken across the county to people with learning disabilities and their carers, who were supported to give their ideas on what they wanted from support services – both now and in the future. Their ideas were put onto the road map, using different cars to show where each idea fitted into the overall discussions. In this way, people of all abilities could talk about complex issues in a meaningful manner.
Michael Farbrother explains why this was so important:
“It was good to be involved, I thought the cars on the road map were great and made it fun. I liked giving my ideas and I thought voting at the stakeholder event was a good way to be involved. I enjoyed being part of making the plan and I will be part of checking that the things it says will happen.”
Michael Farbrother is a member of the Learning Disabilities Service User Reference Group, an active group of local people with learning disabilities that gave valuable input to ‘Strong Voices, Big Ideas’ to make sure their ideas and opinions were truly represented.
Cllr Bill Bentley added:
“It is excellent to see local people working together with the County Council and the Primary Care Trusts in such a successful way. I’d like to thank everyone for their hard work – and to pay especial tribute to the energy and enthusiasm with which Michael, the Learning Disabilities Reference Group and all of the service users and carers that took part in developing ‘Strong Voices, Big Ideas.’ This was a truly excellent project.”
David Fordham, Lead Commissioning Manager at Hastings & Rother Primary Care Trust:
"The award recognises the real strength of the messages that emerged from the people that contributed. For the PCTs this is particularly about access to the whole range of mainstream healthcare. Experiences have been expressed clearly and the partnership will continue to make sure that improvements really do happen."
Notes to editors
- The full report and an easy read version of ‘Strong Voices, Big Ideas’, is available from our web page Commissioning strategies
- The Acorn Award ceremony was held in Manchester on the 23rd of November at the Central Convention Complex. Information on the Acorn Awards can be found at NHS Alliance – Acorn awards
- This win was the second recognition of successful East Sussex partnerships in two weeks. Joint efforts within East Sussex to integrate health and social care services for older people were recognised nationally, at the Health Service Journal (HSJ) awards on the 9th November 2007. Over the last 18 months, senior managers across the county have worked together to create a ‘Whole System Improvement Programme’ to give older people in East Sussex a seam-free, efficient experience of care – whatever their specific health or social needs. The resulting achievement made East Sussex a 2007 finalist in the HSJ award category for cost-effective partnerships.
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