Memorandum from Dimensions (SPP 106)

Introduction

1. My Name is Simon Cramp, and I have a mild learning disability and am employed by Dimensions as their Learning Disability Advisor. Dimensions support over 2,000 young people and adults with a learning difficulty and/or autism to live the lives they want. With regions throughout the UK, we are the second largest voluntary provider of support for people with learning difficulties. For more information please visit the website at www.dimensions-uk.org

2. I have drafted this submission with the aim of highlighting a few key facts regarding Supporting People and its impact upon the lives of the people we support.

3.We asked our regional directors what happened on the ground with some key areas that pick up your themes

Submission

4.In some areas we anticipate a reduction in funding, but the people we support and their circles of support are frustrated at the on-going uncertainty. This makes planning for people very difficult.

5.We strongly favour SP funding being incorporated into individual budgets. There seems little sense keeping separate pots of money and this only increase levels of uncertainty in peoples lives.

6.We accept that there will be reductions in funding and agree that for some people this will not necessarily be a bad thing. It can lead to greater independence, although often at the end of a difficult period caused by the suddenness of the funding reduction.

7.Where such decisions have been well communicated in advance, some of the people we support have been able to prepare for less support. The time has allowed them to focus on increasing their circle of support and find alternative (unpaid) support mechanisms.

8.We do believe very strongly that there needs to be greater transparency around funding decisions. If people don't understand why, it's difficult to accept decisions that can have an adverse impact upon your life. Knowing why need not make it easy to accept, but it can help and at worst can't do any harm.

9.Regarding individual Budgets: if the government is serious about implementing these - and we believe these are essential - then all funding needs to be included. Establishing walls through ring fencing and requiring different hoops to jump through just leads to frustration. More effort is spent by people with learning disabilities and their circles of support on the fight to get and retain funding than on ensuring it is well focussed and leads to the outcomes we all want to see.

Conclusion

10.In brief I'd like to recommend:

Ø transparency around decision making,

Ø greater lead in times when funding is changed

Ø including SP in the funding allocated through individual budgets.

 

Thank you for considering our submission. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you'd like further information or to hear first hand about some of the stories we have about how SP funding has helped people live the life they want.

May 2009