Agenda item

The Chairman thanked the witnesses for attending the meeting. The witnesses that were in attendance were:

• Naeem Arif - Executive Director, Ideal for All, Sandwell
• Vicki Phipps - Lead Officer for Personalisation, Ideal for All, Sandwell
• Chris Commerford - Chief Officer, Age Concern
• Sam Taylor - Change Manager, Transformation Team
• Steve Cross – E-Communications Manger, ICT

Naeem Arif and Vicky Phipps from Ideal for All began the witness session with a presentation on Ideal for All. The presentation focused on how the organisation developed and what resources they used to make it a success. It was a user-led organisation, but had developed from this model.

Ideal for All had started out 20 years ago and developed more aggressively over the last 10 years. They discussed the perceptions of disabled people and what the experience in reality was like when disabled people were able to take control themselves.

Disabled people, Sandwell Health Authority and Social Services worked together in the 1990’s to create Ideal for All and improved the lives of disabled people by providing them with accessible services that they required.

In 1996 Sandwell Council and Sandwell Health Authority helped disabled people to set up their own Organisation, Ideal for All. An initial budget of £54,000 was awarded. Ideal for All was a registered charity and not for profit voluntary sector organisation.  It was run by people of the community it served. Current staffing levels were 47; 43% had a disability.

The role of Ideal for All was to help disabled people, their families and carers and the elderly to live independent and fulfilling lives. They raised almost 50% additional funds themselves for programmes that could not be funded through the core contract. A centre was completed in 2000.

Ideal for All had a growing membership of over 2000 members; they listened to what people said.  They also engaged with people through their growing network of over 150 local organisations.

A garden and market garden had been developed through funding and raising money.

Ideal for All supported people with Personal Budgets, assess for and issued items to support independent living and gave information and advice.  They also produced information and learning materials in accessible formats. They helped people learn how to use computers, find work or go to college for further education. 

Ideal For All supported a Social Events group to help disabled people go on accessible short holidays and day trips. Within the Centre they had a service for people with visual impairment and a wheelchair service managed by Sandwell Council and Sandwell PCT respectively. They were their tenants.

Members asked if this business model was being adopted anywhere else. Different organisations had visited them and they offered to help others for no charge. They wanted to inspire others to develop in ways to help others.

Members asked how they were so successful in raising funds independently. Money was raised from sources such as local businesses and national lottery. Naeem would send a list to the Beverley Grayley on the websites they could use for funding.

Chris Commerford spoke about Age Concern. She could relate to both Hillingdon and Sandwell. They were developing Townfield Community Centre and were working with DASH and have acquired some allotments. Age Concern had applied for local food grants from the lottery.

There were a large number of older people that were disabled. And services needed to be suited to all needs.

Age Concern worked with HCIL and were involved in the planning group with helped to re-launch the centre. They also recommended HCIL to service users for advice on purchases. The feedback they had back from users on the HCIL service was very good. Particularly from older people who preferred face to face interaction.

Sam Taylor, Transformation Team, spoke about the information, guidance and advice that could be given to service users. User led opportunity was key in this. There was a vision, and they were looking at, having a network of organisations delivering a range of functions.

Disabled people, the service users, would be part of discussions on how to develop the service. 

Witnesses, Officers and Members spoke of the ‘control’ of the organisation in providing the service. With support, choice and independent living more control was being given to the user, but the authority still had a duty of care to consider.

Chris Commerford spoke about a possible location of a centre for service users. The old post office in the Pavilion Mall, Uxbridge. It was a central location which would be accessible to many people. The downside to this location was that it was available on a short lease and the capital investment that would be required to develop the service.

Officers explained that currently the PCT and the Council directly fund HCIL.

Steve Smith, ICT, spoke about how IT could help in providing information in engagement and support. Technology was used to show the tools and equipment already and this could be developed.

Technology could be used to promote, for funding, accessibility, having online forums/communities so users could provide feedback/views. They could use various sites to promote the service and use others thoughts on how to develop the IT service.

The Council was looking at designing a website where people can budget and shop for their needs.

The Committee also discussed training with officers and witnesses. The information that H-CIL staff gave service users was vital and therefore important that It was accurate, and that staff had the necessary tools to provide users with the service they needed.

Resolved –

1. That the chairman and the committee thanked the witnesses and officers for attending and providing useful information.
2. That the committee recommended that user groups are involved in the development of HCIL. This was vital for feedback and improving the service.
3. That the committee recommended that access and visibility of the service provided by HCIL be improved through technology.
4. That the committee recommended that employees at the HCIL centre were fully trained in order to be able to give accurate advice to service users.