PAN - DISABILITY
Overall Purpose:
The Pan Disability Thematic Group brings together individuals and organisations to work together in a collaborative way to address the challenges and opportunities facing individuals with disability. As indicated in the title, the scope of the group covers all age ranges and all forms of disability .
Those who attend the Group meetings have expertise on the issues facing individuals with a disability in Northants, often based on first hand experience. This pooled knowledge provides an important resource to identify existing and emerging issues.
In particular, the Group will:
Provide a forum to share knowledge, information and experience.
Platform for raising awareness on community or other initiatives which support people with disabilities.
Identify key issues in the county and community led solutions to address.
Represent those priorities and goals to funders and stakeholders.
Key Priorities
Ensure the needs and voices of the disability community are heard.
Ensure that there is a joined-up approach in service delivery which reduces the instances of individuals falling through the gaps in provision, at such times as transition from education to adult services.
Raise awareness of services and where support is available that these opportunities are accessed, for example annual health checks.
Support the delivery and raise awareness of key initiatives, such as the Special Education Needs Strategy.
Encouraging participation in sport and other opportunities which promote good health and wellbeing.
Identifying opportunities for organisations to collaborate work together to develop existing or new initiatives.
The essential aspect of transport as a ‘limiting’ factor (not enough) which constrains people with disabilities from accessing services and maintaining independence.
For many families including disability, this is resulting in a ‘perfect storm’ where they are constrained due to increased prices, reduced spending power and more challenges – leading to a lack of opportunity and reduced independence.
Organisations supporting disability are currently facing staff shortages, the loss of volunteers and inflation. There is an increased need for sustainability of funding over the medium and longer term to allow organisations to plan and organise and not to ‘live hand to mouth’.
How to Get Involved
The Pan Disability Thematic group has a current database of over 30 organisations who participate in the bi-monthly online meetings. Whilst this provides a broad perspective, there is the need to increase membership and through this the wealth of available expertise.
If you are interested in joining the group, please e-mail Erica Knight at Accommodation Concern – erica@a-c.org.uk
Forward Agenda
In addition to the key priorities above, the forward agenda is to identify the gaps in current provision, developing ideas to address and ensuring that potential solutions alongside problems are presented to Local Authority, Health Services and other organisations with ability to enact change.
The Forum is Co-Chaired by:
Jo Moore – Accommodation Concern
Mark Mitchell – Spectrum Northants