Social services Part four: our approach

Everyone’s responsibility

We have developed a new approach to drive forward this plan. This will ensure that disabled people are at the heart of this work. We need to also ensure that the plan is relevant and continues to show new developments and improvements.

A new partnership board is in place, which will be the ‘engine room’ of the plan.

The Our Manchester Disability Plan Partnership Board

This board has overall strategic oversight for the plan, and is driving the plan forward. It ensures that we and our partner organisations are fully engaged with the plan, and that the emerging learning and best practice becomes embedded in their respective strategic approaches, their work and how they engage with citizens.

The board comprises a wide variety of organisations that can drive through the change that’s required. Its membership includes relevant elected members: senior managers from the Council, the NHS, GMP, the housing sector, the Chamber of Commerce, and transport, as well as representatives from Manchester-based disabled persons’ organisations (DPOs).

Through the plan, we and our partners will continue and develop the positive and productive working relationships with the disabled persons’ organisations in the city. We will also work with other disability organisations and disabled people to ensure that their expertise and experience is fully utilised in the design, development and delivery of the OMDP.

Co-chairing the partnership board

To reflect the importance of this work, it was originally suggested that the board should be chaired by the lead member for disability from the Council. However, from comments and requests made during our consultation and co-production activities, the board have recruited a local disabled person to be an independent co-chair of the board. They hold a senior position in a national organisation that protects and promotes equality in the UK.

The Our Manchester Disability Plan Engagement Group

This group works with the board to seek the views of disabled Mancunians and will make sure they are involved and linked into the work arising from the plan. It is absolutely fundamental to delivery of the plan and embodies the principle of ‘nothing about us without us’.

Using a variety of co-production methods, the group will involve disabled children and adults at local and citywide levels. It will also actively seek the views of groups or communities statutory organisations often find ‘hard to reach’.

It will also look for contributions from existing groups, such as the:

  • LD Partnership Board
  • Patient Public Advisory Group (PPAG)
  • Age-Friendly Manchester
  • Parent and Carers’ Forum.

Our Manchester Disability Plan workstreams

The workstreams are the vehicles by which partners are turning plans into actions. They correspond with the 12 Pillars of Independent Living as closely as possible. These are:

  1. Appropriate and accessible information
  2. An adequate income
  3. Appropriate and accessible health and social care provisions
  4. A fully accessible transport system
  5. Full access to the environment
  6. Adequate provision of technical aids and equipment
  7. Availability of accessible and adapted housing
  8. Adequate provision of personal assistance
  9. Availability of inclusive education and training
  10. Equal opportunities for employment
  11. Availability of independent advocacy and self-advocacy
  12. Availability of peer counselling

The The Our Manchester Disability Plan Research Group

This group will design the tools that will be used to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of the plan. The group will also collate and provide data, analysis and research on disability issues for the partnership board and the thematic subgroups. The group will also gather and share local, national and international examples of best practice across all areas of disability. They will develop links and work with local universities, which will challenge and contribute to the outputs and outcomes of the action plan.

Membership will be fluid as the work progresses and develops but will be drawn from existing research data and policy teams within the Council, our external partners, and disabled children and adults’ organisations.

Next: Priorities

Our Manchester Disabilty Plan (OMDP)

OMDP contact details

Get in touch if you have any questions or comments, or would like to contribute to development of the plan.

Email:

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