Conwy Learning Disability Service User and Carer
Participation Strategy
April 2013 -2015
Making Things Better
A Strategy to ensure that people with a learning disability help to influence the way in
which their services develop in the future
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Contents
Section 1. Introduction, context and background.
Section 2. What is the Conwy Learning disability service?
Section 3 The benefits of involving service users in planning services
Section 4 Why is involvement Important?
Section 5 Principals and standards for service users and carer participation
Section 6 Progress - What has Conwy done so far?
Section 7 What will service user Participation look like in Conwy?
Section 8. How will Conwy ensure that each service participates?
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Introduction, Context and Background
1. Introduction
This Participation Strategy shows the vision and broad priorities for service user and carer
participation within the development of Conwy Learning Disability Services over the next
five years. The strategy is based around a set of principles and standards and the
Participation Circle.
Aims
The strategy aims to ensure that all people with a learning disability have a say about how
services within Conwy are developed. Their participation will lead to better quality services
which will closely reflect the views of the people who benefit from the services provided.
This will ensure that they can participate fully as a citizen in their community
Scope of the strategy
To engage as many people with a learning disability within Conwy’s Learning Disability
planning and commissioning process. This strategy does not replace the requirement for
advocacy in any way. Service users will still have advocacy support to help them solve
individual issues affecting their lives.
This strategy has been developed and shaped through a large consultation process
involving service users and carers throughout Conwy. The strategy sits below the
overarching “One Conwy Working together for a better future 2012-2025
Plan”.
It embraces the principals laid out in the Learning Disability Advisory Group (LDAG)
practice guidance on commissioning services for people with a learning disability.
Wider context
This strategy is compatible with the Welsh Governments vision for citizen centred public
services as set out in “Making the Connections”. In developing this strategy we have
drawn on considerable research about service user and carer participation in Wales. This
includes linking the care council Wales standards for developing Service User
participation.
It is also in line with Conwy’s “Talking to our customers and communities, staff Guide to
community involvement “
The strategy fits with our internal polices to promote equality in our work and practice,
including the Race Equality Scheme, Welsh Language Scheme and the Disability Equality
Scheme.
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2 What is the Conwy Learning Disability Service?
The Conwy Learning Disability Service is led by Conwy County Borough Council. We work
closely with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to provide assessment, care
planning and service delivery process to meet the needs of people with a learning
disability. The service comprises of a number of different departments.
Our services include day care, work opportunities, residential/nursing care, domiciliary
care, direct payments and community living support.
Our aim is to ensure that people with a learning disability will have a better quality of life;
living locally where they feel safe and well, where they will be valued and included in their
communities and have access to effective personal support that promotes independence,
choice and control.
Our main responsibility is to develop services which will best meet the needs of people
with a learning disability in Conwy. In order to do this we aim to develop more
opportunities to listen to people with learning disabilities and their carers.
3 The benefits of involving service users in planning services
It is essential for those who use learning disability services to have the opportunity to
influence what type of services we commission. Our objective is to expand the range of
options available to service users and to enable them to make decisions and take control.
This includes maximising the options available at the top of the ladder of participation.
Participation Ladder
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Full Control - service users control decision making at the highest level
Sharing power -service users share decisions and responsibility, influencing and
determining outcomes
Participation – Service users can make suggestions and influence outcomes
Consultation - service users are asked about what they think but have limited
influence
Information - service users are told what is happening but have limited influence
No control - service users are passive consumers of service.
The Conwy Learning Disability Service recognises that resources are finite and increases
in resources and finance is unlikely over the next few years.
We believe that encouraging service user involvement can result in greater efficiencies,
better quality and choice about services. Bringing service users into our planning process
has the added advantage of opening up the service and achieving a high degree of
transparency.
The Conwy Learning Disability Service recognises values and wants to harness the variety
of skills, experience and knowledge held by service users. As an integral part of
involvement, we want to add to this by providing genuine work and up skilling
opportunities. This will benefit the service further and create real opportunities for service
users.
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4. Why is involvement Important?
There are many reasons why it is important to have your say:






Rights – You have a right to tell us what services you need and how they should be
delivered.
Decisions-You can provide the facts and opinions to inform our decision making,
so that we can make the right decisions
Voice - your views are important and we want to listen and respond
Resources _ resources are limited and we want to ensure that we are doing our
best to meet your needs
Change _ You can make a difference
Confidence – we can work together so you have more confidence in what the
learning disability service does
5. Principles and standards for service users and carer
participation.
The Care council for Wales sets out 4 principles and 11 standards which underpin the
Conwy Learning Disability Participation strategy. The principles and standards reflect our
commitment to service users and carer participation and our desire to ensure influence in
all areas of our work.
PRINCIPLE 1
Equality of opportunity and people focused
All service users and carers have the right to participate.
Standard 1.1
Service users, carers and other groups’ contributions will be
treated with equal value and respect.
Standard 1.2
We respect and value differences and will actively seek the
views of people with a range of backgrounds and experiences,
including those we sometimes find harder to engage.
Standard 1.3
We will provide clear information and support for people to make a
choice about participating.
PRINCIPLE 2
Openness and Integrity
We will work in a clear, open and transparent way that
promotes trust in the Conwy Learning Disability Services
Standard 2.1
We will provide clear and accessible information.
Standard 2.2
We will ensure that all our areas of work are influenced by
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service users and carers.
Standard 2.3
Those who have been involved in a consultation process will be
kept informed of the progress and results of their involvement.
Standard 2.4
We will evaluate how successful we have been at involving
people and the difference their participation has made.
PRINCIPLE 3
Valued Partnerships
We value the knowledge and expertise of service users and
carers and want to work together with individuals, groups and
organisations to develop meaningful participation.
Standard 3.1
We will work together with individuals, groups and organisations
in a way that recognises their experience and expertise.
Standard 3.2
Through our partnerships, we will listen and learn, and develop
our own and others skills and knowledge about participation.
PRINCIPLE 4
Striving towards Excellence
We are always learning and improving.
Standard 4.1
We will develop our culture of participation, and ensure the
people and resources are in place to achieve it.
Standard 4.2
We will test out new ways of involving people and be creative in
developing best practice.
We have made the commitment in our participation standards that all our areas of work will
be influenced by service users and carers.
We recognise that service users and carers will be interested in different aspects of the
Conwy Learning Disability services’ work and they may want to participate in different
ways.
Some service users and carers may choose to get more actively involved at work planning
and development stages whilst others may participate by taking part in a consultation
event. The challenge is to ensure we get a balanced service user and carer perspective
and influence at each of the different stages of participation.
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The particaption circle
Informing
Joint
Decision
Making
Joint action
consulting
Evaluation
6. The Conwy Learning Disability Service Participation
Progress
The Conwy Learning Disability Service’s values reflect it’s commitment to making sure that
service users and carers are at the heart of the planning and commissioning process.
Conwy County Borough Council has commissioned both an advocacy service and a
consultation service through Conwy Connect to ensure that the views of service users are
considered through the planning and commissioning of services.
Service users are an important part of the planning process and are represented on the
Management and performance group.
Individuals with a learning disability are also encouraged to take part and represent Conwy
as part of the Regional Learning Disability Partnership.
7. What will Service User Participation look like In Conwy?
Each provider service will be encouraged to set up a service user group. The group should
meet no less than every two months. The group should be facilitated in a person centred
way taking into account the communication needs of those participating. The meetings
should be recorded in a meaningful way for those involved. This can mean using
graphics, photographs, minutes, recordings which ever method is an appropriate for the
majority of the group. The group should attempt to involve all service users receiving that
service.
The regular group meetings can be used for a number of purposes, for example
consultation about new developments, seeking feedback about new staff, or new projects,
Getting views re service user satisfaction, getting new ideas for taking the service forward.
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Sample agenda
What is working well?
What is not working well?
What changes have been made?
How has that affected the service?
What changes need to be made to make things better?
Each of the provider service groups would then nominate a representative to attend the
Conwy Service User Forum to update others about the services they receive & bring any
issues of concern which have not been resolved to the forums attention.
The role of the service representative
The service user representative will be someone who is able to learn to speak to others in
their service and represent their own views and the views of others receiving a service in
the forum meetings.
The representative will be issued with a record book and would be supported by the staff
in the service to keep a record of the concerns of service users receiving the service and
record who had been told about the concerns and what had been done as a result.
The service user representative will be encouraged to attend the Service user forum to
report about what was happening in their service which is of importance to them. They will
be able to report to the Service user forum if the service was not listening to their
concerns.
The Service User Forum can then discuss and agree a plan of action about how to deal
with any service issues identified by the representative. The plan can involve a number of
different ideas such as supporting the individual to engage with the service manager, or if
the group decide it is a common issue which needs talking about in the Management and
Policy Group (MAP) or it may be an issue that is common for all people with a learning
disability in the region and could be taken through to the Regional Partnership.
The role of the Conwy Service User Forum
The role of the Conwy Service User Forum is to ensure that where service users are
unhappy about services they receive they get the opportunity to develop a plan to help
effect a change. Where an individual has a particular personal problem the Service User
Forum will be able to ensure that they are directed to the advocacy service.
The Service User Forum should be made up of service representatives from each provider
service with additional service users who use the wider resources in the community. It will
be arranged and facilitated by Conwy Connect and a member of the commissioning team
will attend on a regular basis.
All meetings will ensure that they are carried out in a person centred way using the person
centred tools available. The facilitators must ensure they select methods of communication
and recording that are meaningful to those who are participating.
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The Service User Forum needs to nominate one or two representatives who are able to sit
on the Management and Policy Group and on the regional Learning Disability Forum. They
may also encourage service users to participate in the national networks such as All
People Wales, or the LDAG if there is a rep that is keen to contribute to any national
development strategies.
The Service User Forums will support individuals to develop action plans which will ensure
that issues are dealt with. The action plans may include referring an issue to the MAP or
the Regional Partnership or it may be about trying to support the person to address the
provider assertively to make sure their voice is heard. Only where a provider is unable to
accommodate the changes suggested by the service users should an issue be escalated
to the Management and Policy Group.
Where a service user has an individual personal issue this will referred to the Advocacy
service. The Advocacy Service will support that individual to carry forward individual
problems with individual action plans.
8. How will Conwy ensure that each service participates?
Conwy Local Authority Learning Disabilities Service has funded Conwy Connect to drive
the participation strategy through. It will support each provider service during the set up
stage to ensure that each group will work in a person centred way. Conwy will monitor the
standards set within the Service Level Agreement with Conwy Connect twice a year.
Conwy Connect will help groups to source person centred tools and will make sure that
current best practice is shared across different services.
Conwy Connect will provide support and guidance to the facilitators of the service user
groups.
Conwy Connect will facilitate all the service user forum meetings.
Conwy Connect will continue to ensure that service users are confident to attend and
contribute to the Management and Policy Group.
Milestones
Conwy to consult with Providers in May 2013
Conwy to work with Conwy Connect to map current services by July 2013
Conwy to work with Conwy Connect to identify current service user groups
Conwy Connect to facilitate Good practice workshop with providers by September 2013
Conwy Connect to develop starter/resource pack for setting up a group by October 2013
First Service provider training sessions to start November 2013
Service providers to set up their first meeting by December 2013
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Service providers to identify their service representative by January 2014
Conwy Connect to set up New Conwy Service User Forum by February 2014
Conwy Connect will provide training and support for the reps in February 2014
Feedback re the process for Provider Forum In March 2014
Review of the Service level agreement in April 2014
First review of the implementation of the strategy in June 2014
Service User Forum to develop its terms of reference by June 2014
Service user reps to develop democratic voting system to ensure that everyone gets an
opportunity to work for the Map or the forum by Dec 2014.
Service providers to have held at least 4 sessions by Dec 2014.
Evaluation of the strategy in January 2015. This will be a shared evaluation process which
involves service users, their carers, service providers and commissioners.
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CONWY PARTNERSHIP FOR HEALTH, SOCIAL CARE & WELL- BEING
Roles and Responsibilities of Learning Disability
Management and Policy Members
What we want to achieve

To work together to make services for people with a
learning disability in Conwy better

To make sure that everyone’s ideas are listened to

To make sure things are done on time

To make sure everyone knows what’s happening
What your job as a member is

You will go to the MAP meetings

You will follow the ‘How the meeting Runs’ rules

If you can’t come to a meeting, you should try to send somebody else instead. You
need to tell that person what is going to happen at the meeting.

If you can’t come to a meeting or send someone else, you need to let the minute taker
or Conwy Connect know.

If you were going to talk about something at the meeting, and you can’t come to the
meeting, you should send a written report to the minute taker or Conwy Connect.

There are some things that are talked about at the meetings that are confidential. You
should not talk about these things to other people who did not go to the meeting.

You and every other member have a right to say what you think at the meetings. Other
members should respect what you have to say even if they don’t agree.

If you think of something to go on the agenda in between meetings, you should tell the
Chairperson.

You should tell the Chairperson if you might benefit from an agenda item or project
proposal. This means finding out information that would benefit you or who you
represent, before other people have the chance to find out. The Chairperson will decide
whether you can then take part in what is being talked about.

You should do the actions you are asked at the meetings as soon as you can, and tell
the group what you have done at the next meeting.
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
You should make sure that you tell these people what happens at the meetings:
 your organisation,
 or the people you are representing
. You should tell them if they need to do anything
What you need to be able to do
 You should be able to come to the meetings
 You should be able to give your views at the
meetings
 If you are representing someone at the meeting, you should be able to give their views
 Able to work in a fair and open-minded way
What you need to know
 You need to know about learning disability
networks and services
 You need to know how having a learning
disability can affect people and their carers
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Service User communication channels for involvement in the commissioning process
All Wales
people First
WAG
LDAG
Parent Carer Groups
Regional LD
Forum
Conwy
Connect
Parents
consultations
Conwy Management
and Policy Group
Transition
Coffee
mornings
Conwy Service Users
Forum
ASD
steering
group
People with LD
who do not use
statutory
services
Residential
Community
living groups
Work
opportunities
Service users Groups
Direct
Payment
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Adult
placement