Getting out of the woods

Self Directed Support Scotland AGM 2018 #SDSSAGM18 Welcome to Self Directed Support Scotland’s AGM With Adult Social Care Reform and 2018: Getting out of the the revised SDS Implementation Plan on the horizon this year’s AGM woods. will be an opportunity for members to reflect on the year, and discuss Last year’s AGM asked how we go moving forward in order to really from policy to practice with SDS, ‘get out of the woods’ and see and over the last year we have effective SDS implementation with had the opportunity to address people fully in control of their own members concerns regarding this lives. on a national level: earlier in the year Jess presented evidence from Today we look forward to giving our members to the Public Audit and members the first look at our new Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee website. This will include a new and on SDS progress, and our event improved searchable database in March allowed us to showcase which will showcase the work that good SDS practice from across you do and serve as a valuable Scotland. resource for those at each stage of their social care journey. At SDSS we know that it is difficult to measure where we currently are The SDS Scotland team. with SDS implementation. Recently released the latest Data Under Development statistics which suggested a 70% SDS implementation rate, however Social Work Scotland’s report looked at the inner working behind SDS and recognised that we still have a way to go before the vision of SDS becomes a reality. In response we are conducting research in partnership with The Health and Social Care Alliance to look at Service User experiences of SDS across 8 Local Authorities to get a better picture of how SDS is working for individuals across Scotland. We look forward to launching this new research as part of today’s event, we will also discuss upcoming research on SDS particularly in relation to people from BME backgrounds.

Programme 10:00 Registration 10:30 Welcome and pre-evaluation - Jess Wade, SDSS Manager

10:45 Reflecting on the year How can - Florence Garabedian, SDSS Chair 11:00 What’s next in SDS we get SDS - Karen Geekie, Scottish Government SDS Policy Team ‘out of the 11:30 Self Directed Support Scotland’s AGM: We welcome members to join us woods’? to reflect on the organisation’s performance over the last year and decide on the future governance What can you arrangements do to improve 12:00 SDS research plenary: Hear about the ‘My Support,

My Choice’ project and other referral upcoming SDS research.

#mysupportmychoice19 pathways in 13:00 New SDSS website launch: your Local SDSS new and improved online service and search for independent Authority or support. 13:15 Working lunch: HSCP area? Catch up with fellow SDSS members, meet the researchers and try our new site #SDSSAGM18 14:45 Workshop session: A range of practical workshop sessions to choose from 15:45 Final questions, evaluation and feedback 16:00 Close Speakers Florence Garabedian, Karen Geekie, SDSS Chair and CEO at Scottish Government SDS Lothian Centre for Inclusive policy Team Living Karen is the Self-directed Florence has been the Support Policy Lead for Chief Executive of the the Scottish Government Lothian Centre for Inclusive and has been with Living (LCiL) since 2008. Florence’s the team since December 2016 experience is rooted in community and Scottish Government since development and user-led 2003. Her previous experience is organisations working with minority primarily in community learning and groups at local, national and development / adult literacy, with international levels. Through LCiL various roles including setting up a and SDSS she is actively involved in professional body for Community the Independent Living Movement Learning and Development (CLD), and she currently chairs the SDSS implementing new legislation, and board of trustees. developing training and support for practitioners. She is professionally qualified in CLD and actively Jess Wade, involved with a range of community SDSS, Manager organisations outside work. Jess has worked in the Scottish voluntary sector Mary Njoki, since 2004, when she Stirling University, second graduated from the year PhD student. University of . She is currently manager at Previously Mary was a Self Directed Support Scotland social worker working in (SDSS), working with local disabled a Funding Independence people’s Self-directed Support Team that specialised organisations throughout the in offering advice in Direct country. She has previously worked Payments (DP). Mary’s PhD project in a range of roles in the sector, explores the experiences of black including fundraising, volunteering and minority ethnic people with and campaigning, is a Trustee of dementia in receipt of direct a local family support charity and payments. The project aims to was appointed to the board of the explore if Direct Payments are an Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) effective and culturally sensitive in 2016. She has a Masters in Public response to meeting the specific Administration from the University challenges currently faced by of York and is a long time human BME people with dementia. It is rights activist. intended that the research findings will contribute to informing policy makers and practice in planning, delivery and evaluation of DP to in to the housing experiences of BME people. It is also aimed that disabled people across Great by giving the participants a space Britain. She joins Self Directed to express their voice it will provide Support Scotland as Service User valuable insights into how they Experience Research Officer along experience, receive and perceive with guide dog Merlin in June personalised support and also 2018 and is seeking to promote a contribute to new knowledge in this co-production approach towards underexplored area. This research research. will use qualitative research methods with a narrative approach to collect data. Colin Young, the ALLIANCE, Senior Policy Officer Colin works to promote the My principles of Self-directed support Support throughout the my third sector, and leads on the ALLIANCE’s research choice exploring the experiencing of people accessing Self-directed support throughout Scotland. He is also My Support My Choice working on policy implementation relating to Hate Crime and Children Dr Dianne Theakstone, and Young people. Colin will be SDSS Service User leading Alliance’s part of the ‘My Experience Research Support, My Choice’ research. Officer Colin’s interests include: Dianne recently completed • Self-directed Support a Doctorate in Applied • Equality and Human Rights Social Science at the • Children and Young People University of Stirling where her • Hate Crime Prevention comparative research examined disabled peoples access to Welcome also to the My Support My independent living in Scotland Choice project team and Norway. This also highlighted the important role that user led Today we are also joined by Centres for Independent Living My Support My Choice Project play in developing the ethos of Advisory Group Members and Peer independent living. In 2017 Dianne Researchers. was the researcher responsible for the Scotland and Wales field work in connection with the Equality and Human Rights Commission inquiry Workshops and look for solutions to overcome these longterm. https://sdsforumer.org/ Where next with Self-directed Twitter: @SDSforumER Support? Scottish Government SDS Policy Team. This workshop will form part of Data protection: the engagement around a new Your questions National Implementation plan answered. for Self-directed Support. The Alison Johnstone, current implementation plan Information Commissioner’s Office. runs 2016-2018, and Scottish This workshop will firstly introduce Government wants to hear from attendees to the principles behind you what is working well, what data protection and discuss issues needs to change at national level, relevant to members specifically, and what you would like to see in for example supporting those the National Implementation Plan who employ Personal Assistants 2019-2021. to understand data protection. www.selfdirectedsupportscotland. This will also be an opportunity org.uk for members to feedback on the Twitter: @SG_SDSPolicy idea of developing a toolkit that SDSS are looking to develop in partnership with the ICO Breaking down to give independent support barriers. organisations the information SDS Forum East and resources they need, in the Renfrewshire. context of the work that they do. SDS Forum https://ico.org.uk/ East Renfrewshire has been Twitter: @ICOnews working with approximately 30 clients over the past six months, to gather information around common issues people experience when obtaining and maintaining SDS budgets. Clients have highlighted a number of areas of concern, and we are working jointly with other partners to help improve services. Come along to our workshop where the focus will be to identify common problems regarding the implementation and management of Self-directed Support budgets, My Rights, My Say. Option 2 Partners in Resources: Advocacy, CCPS- Children in Providers and Advocacy, Enquire Personalisation and Cairn Legal.

My Rights, My Say is a partnership Option 2 of Self-directed Support between Partners in Advocacy, is proving particularly challenging Children in Scotland and Enquire, to make a reality. Practical and Cairn Legal. My Rights, My difficulties around complex Say can support children to find systems, contracting; risk sharing; out about and take up their new costing of support; reporting and rights through advice, advocacy ensuring a diverse market of care and legal representation. My and support for people to choose Rights, My Say will also support from are common. The purpose organisations to independently of Option 2 of SDS is to enable seek children’s views. individuals to have choice of their support provider and greater From 10 January 2018 the rights control over their support. But of children aged 12 - 15 who have traditional ways of contracting additional support needs have for support through competitive been extended to give them many tenders, restrictive frameworks of the same rights as their parents and lengthy contracts are often and carers and young people over restricting choice. 16 under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Providers and Personalisation Act 2004 (as amended). A new (P&P) has been working in children’s service funded by collaboration with a range of Scottish Government - My Rights, stakeholders to develop some My Say - has been created to new resources and solutions for make sure children know about Option 2 including: and understand their rights and are able to access advocacy • A Definition of Option 2 and legal representation where • A Minimum Process for Option 2 needed when using their rights. • A Model Contract for Option 2

Come along to this workshop to http://www.ccpscotland.org/pp/ find out more about My Rights, My Twitter: @PPProgramme Say project. http://enquire.org.uk/myrightsmysay Twitter: @PIAScotland, @ASLadvice Your hosts SDS Scotland: Manager Jess Wade [email protected] Membership Development Mark Han Johnston Executive [email protected] Operations Manager Jeremy Adderley [email protected] Communications Anna Carr and Events Officer [email protected] Service User Experience Dianne Theakstone Research Officer [email protected]

SDS Forum East Renfrewshire: Manager Noleen Harte [email protected] Information & Development Scott Macphee-David Officer [email protected] Information & Development Veronica Dunn Officer [email protected]

@SDSScot @SDSScotland www.sdsscotland.org.uk

SDSS is funded by the Scottish Government. Company registered in Scotland SC371469. Scottish Charity No SC039587. Norton Park, 57 Albion Road, Edinburgh EH7 5QY 0131 475 2623 Thank you to our SDSS membership and partners.