How does subscribing support local improvements?

During the review of support to the North West from NWTDT, subscribers and other stakeholders told us that they wanted to pool the resources available through subscription to develop a core offer providing a more robust way of delivering work against agreed priorities along with an infrastructure that was available to respond quickly, efficiently and effectively to support emerging issues either with no additional costs or within an agreed budget e.g. support for Transforming Care, suitably trained and supported Experts by Experience for Care and Treatment Reviews.

Priorities identified by commissioners, self-advocates and families partly through developing local Transformation Plans have become part of the work plan(s) for the ‘coproduction and support structure’ (see graphics) which have been agreed and shared with the Regional Forum, Regional Family Forum, Lead Officers group, the NW Confirm and Challenge Group and the NW Learning Disability Board.

Through discussion with all stakeholders the core offer provided by NWTDT/Pathways for subscribers is detailed below.

NWTDT will –

Facilitate a number of forums that meet at least quarterly - Regional Family Forum and Regional Self-Advocates Forum, Living Well, Staying Healthy and Being Safe.
In response to requests from health and social care commissioners, Heads of Service etc. from subscriber organisations we have ensured that NWTDT are present at local Commissioners/ Network meetings instead of holding what used to be quarterly meetings for Lead Officers from across the North West.
Facilitate one NW Lead Officers meeting via the NW Regional Forum Conference.
Last year we again supported the National Forums - National Valuing Families Forum and National Self-Advocates Forum. Unfortunately, the Department of Health has ceased funding for 2017/18 and in response we have supported the establishment of a NW National Campaigns group, bringing together the Regional Forum and Family Forum.
Organise the Regional Self-Advocates conference including subsidising delegate places so that delegates only fund their accommodation and meals which are negotiated to the minimum charged by the hotel.
Facilitate Confirm and Challenge groups sub regionally for GM, Pan Lancashire, Cheshire/Warrington/Wirral and Merseyside to support co production and delivery of the three Transformation Plans.
Offer to attend the Learning Disability Partnership Board in every area once a year. This ensures that local priorities continue to be fed into the regional structure and work plans.

All of these regional and national links with self-advocates and families provide a resource for subscribers that can be used for general or specific consultation, engagement and coproduction. The groups continue to be used to respond to national consultation programmes as well as more local engagement/ coproduction activity. The North West is the only region in the country in a position to support this work on the scale that we do, that is solely down to 30+ years investment by public services working together to ensure people with a learning disability, autism or both and their families remain at the heart of what we do.

NWTDT also -

Support the ADASS lead(s) for learning disability in the region
Support the ADASS Learning Disability group.
Support NHSE Learning Disability groups
Support the NHSE/ LGA/ ADASS Northern Expert Advisory Group.
Facilitate a regional support structure to ensure the voices of people are heard and valued embedding real co-production and engagement at the heart of all we do.

To support subscribers NWTDT also -

Produce regular monthly policy bulletins/briefings
Attend Lead commissioners or commissioners workstream meetings or equivalent in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral.
Provide support to develop and deliver the Physical Health Workplans for Greater Manchester, Pan Lancashire and Cheshire/ Merseyside
Provided support to develop and deliver the Workforce Development work streams in Greater Manchester and in Pan Lancashire.
Provide support to the infrastructure which facilitates and enables the NW Expert Hub recruit, train, coordinate and pay Experts by Experience to support a range of activities including CTRs, LeDeR Steering Groups etc.
Share information, learning and signposting to good practice and sources of information and help on LD related issues.
Provide a coordinated approach to training opportunities linked to the 3 work streams, some examples of training opportunities include the Health Equalities Framework, Positive Behavioural Support training, Mini Pass-add training, training for families, Y be Shy, Speaking up, Train the Trainers, Leadership training for families etc.
The Regional Learning Disability Board is in place chaired by the Director of Adult Social Care in Tameside. This Board provides overall governance to the work of the team, monitors quality and finance etc. Work plans from each of the 3 groups are approved by the Board and finance for the work programmes approved.

The NW Regional Forum hosts an annual Conference for people with a learning disability from all over the NW, subscriptions heavily subsidise the conference enabling the delegate charge to actually only fund board and accommodation at a reduced rate agreed with the hotel. The conference runs in February, in Blackpool. The agenda is developed by the Regional Forum and draws national, regional and local speakers. Issues in relation to Transforming Care have been high on the agenda particularly since the conference in 2012, post Panorama. A link to the agenda/ presentations from conference in 2017 can be found at –

https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?e=&u=fb87a0648757436c218703f51&id=5d74078f70

Representatives from most areas attend conference and often do sponsored events to raise the funding for their places during our All About Us Fundraising period in the summer.

Subscribing Lead officers/ commissioners, NHSE, ADASS are invited to join conference for the final day to listen and work with delegates from local areas to coproduce plans which respond to issues raised at conference. In addition, Conference hosts an annual question time panel which responds to questions from conference and particularly identified via the coproduction structure. The questions posed at conference 2016 and the responses can be found by following the link above where there is also an accessible newsletter from Conference which also will show you that alongside the hard work there is a great deal of fun too.

This infrastructure provided by member’s subscriptions means that we can rapidly respond to emerging issues to support you.