STATES OF JERSEY
Strategy for Inclusive Vocational Day services and employment
Lodged au Greffe on 17th June 2008
by Deputy I.J. Gorst of St. Clement
STATES GREFFE
PROPOSITION
THE STATES
are asked to decide whether they are of opinion -
to
receive the Strategy for Inclusive Vocational Day services and Employment for
people with a learning disability and people on the autistic spectrum as set
out in the Appendix and –
(a) to request the Ministers for Social
Security, Education, Sport and Culture, and Health and Social Services to
review and consider this Strategy and take all necessary steps to support its
implementation in order to find solutions to reduce pressures on existing
services in providing appropriate work and vocational day service opportunities
for people with learning disabilities and people on the autistic spectrum; and
(b) to request the Chief Minister to
incorporate funding arrangements within the 2009 Annual Business Plan to enable
any solutions that are identified to be implemented.
DEPUTY I.J. GORST OF ST. CLEMENT
REPORT
It gives me great pleasure to be able to present this
Strategy to the States.
It is the result of over 2 years’ work by the
authors. I hope that members will be able to find the time to read the full
report, however there is included a comprehensive executive summary to give
members an understanding of both the problems faced by people with learning
disabilities and people on the autistic spectrum, together with proposed
solutions.
I recognise that it is not usual for private members
to lodge or present strategies to the States, however in this case it seemed to
be the only solution to a problem which falls within the remit of 3 or 4 States
Departments (Social Security, Education, Sport and Culture, Health and Social
Services and to some extent Economic Development). It will certainly fall
within the remit of the recently formed Skills Executive. Two years ago I met
with Senator Routier to discuss the issue and it was agreed at that time that
it was important to have an independent arm’s length oversight of the issue,
and that I should take the lead on this matter as members are no doubt aware
that Senator Routier is not only Minister for Social Security, but is closely
associated with the authors of the report. He has asked me to declare his
positions: President of Jersey Mencap, Chairman of Les Amis Incorporated and
Trustee of Jersey Employment Trust. I would like to stress that this Strategy
is brought in my capacity as a private member.
This has been an eye-opening piece of work and one
which goes to the very heart of what it means to be a fair, caring and socially
concerned civil society. The way that a society treats those who are less able
to defend and protect themselves is a mark of the extent to which that society
can wear the badge of ‘civilised’. This strategy proposes mechanisms of help
and self-help for one of those very sections of our Island.
Much academic research provides evidence that work is
‘good for us’. The Social Security Department only last year commissioned a
review of its incapacity .benefit which reiterated that fact. Therefore if work
is good for able-bodied members of society then the same must be true for
persons with disabilities.
I have worded the proposition as written to give as
much flexibility to departments as possible. They will be able to either take
the strategy as it is and implement it, or redesign existing services and
provisions to provide solutions more effectively and efficiently. The only
thing I can say for certain is that the problem exists and appears to be
growing and I ask that members acknowledge this by supporting this Strategy.
I would like to give a special thank you to all those
who gave of their time and effort to produce this excellent document.
Financial
and manpower implications
The financial and manpower implications of this
Strategy are outlined in the Strategy itself; however I would hope that these
numbers might be able to be reduced by maximising joint working. I had
initially hoped that this Strategy could have been incorporated into the
Business Plan by the Council of Ministers, however for various reasons that was
not possible. Any monies expended on this strategy would add to the bottom line
of States annual expenditure unless departments felt able to reprioritise
current expenditure.
APPENDIX
