Islanders have just a few days left to have a say on a new Learning Disability Strategy being developed by the Isle of Wight Council and its partners.
A consultation was launched in November on Living well on the Isle of Wight; a joint plan to support adults with a learning disability. It is being developed along with the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Trust, and with the help and support of the Isle of Wight Learning Disability Partnership Group.
People Matter, the Island’s user led organisation for people with learning disabilities and their carers, supported the launch of the consultation with an engagement event at Westridge, Ryde and another at West Wight Sports and Community Centre in Freshwater.
Councillor Clare Mosdell, Cabinet member for adult social care and public health has said:
“This is an important opportunity for people with a learning disability, their families, carers and professionals who work alongside them, to have their say and contribute to the development of this important strategy.
“The previous plan was developed in 2006, and it is essential we offer council and health services that are fit for purpose, both now and in the future.
“We started by talking to service users about what they wanted, and developed a draft approach. We are now going back to the public to make sure our proposals offer the support they need and better enable people with learning disabilities to lead their lives to the full.”
Gillian Baker, director of strategy and partnerships at the IoW Clinical Commissioning Group said:
“We really want this new strategy for people with learning disabilities and their families to make a difference. That is why we have set out the key actions we think we should take during 2018 in order to make necessary progress as soon as possible. But we really want to check that people with learning disabilities and their families support our proposals and tell us what they think we should be doing.”
Ian Harwood, consultant psychiatrist at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust said:
“We have asked islanders with intellectual disabilities, their carers and families to tell us what they need to be able to live their lives as they want. We have listened and we at the Trust have been working in close cooperation with both the IoW Clinical Commissioning Group and Adult Social Care to put together an integrated service that meets these needs”.
