A forum to develop best practice, co-operation and communication between the local authority service providers & the private & voluntary sectors for the benefit of physically disabled people in housing need

THE FORUM

The concept of a forum aimed specifically for discussion and resolution of the housing needs and problems faced by disabled people within local authorities is not a new one.  Many local authorities have joint services team meetings between, for example, social services and occupational therapy departments which have proved useful and productive.  However, one problem highlighted by the existing meeting structure is the missed opportunities for working and co-operating with other agencies, sectors and departments towards achieving the same goal, i.e., meeting the housing needs of physically disabled people.  What the East Kent Forum for Housing and Physical Disability aims to achieve is a base upon which cross boundary co-operation within East Kent local authorities and communication within both public, voluntary and private sectors can focus and therefore aid the development of best practice. 

The stage will be set to deliberate issues, case studies, problem solving for individual cases and, it is hoped the opportunity to enliven cross-boundary liaison and co-operation in exchanges, supply of aids and equipment and storage, (to name but a few).

The aim of the Forum is to establish the practice of regular cross sectional workshops and annual or biannual Forums to perpetuate private/public/voluntary sector co-operation, collaboration and communication in this field.

The Forum will be preceded by several ‘pod’ workshops over a number of weeks comprising representatives from each group of attendees (as outlined below) until all those invited have undertaken one workshop. It is anticipated that ten workshops of ten individuals will take place during July, September and October 2001.  Scenarios will be set for each group utilising either current, past or possible future housing issues for physically disabled people.  The wide-ranging experiences and sectors from which attendees have been drawn will provide a vast forum of knowledgeable and qualified individuals in their particular fields upon which to base each workshop.  It is anticipated that attendees will be invited to present case studies or current problems faced within their particular field to the workshop on an anonymous basis.

During the last phase of each workshop attendees will be required to fill out a detailed questionnaire aimed at establishing what each individual has gained from attendance and/or suggestions for improvement and further topics for inclusion.  The results of these will be disclosed at the main Forum along with the achievements and findings of each workshop.

Once all workshops have been undertaken the Forum will take place at a venue to be announced late in November 2001.  The Forum will take on a different structure from the workshops and will employ a more ‘reportage’ structure where the findings from the workshops will be presented and issues mooted. Recommendations can be made from thereon and will be published around December 2001-January 2002 to coincide with the completion and publication of the findings of the East Kent Project (Housing & Physical Disability).

The groups from which attendees will be drawn are deliberately wide and cover several local authority, voluntary sector and private sector areas.  Numbers involved will be limited to around one hundred individuals.  Those who will be invited to attend include East Kent:

1.       Occupational Therapists

2.       Social Workers for children’s disability teams and Care Managers for adult teams

3.       Housing Services Managers and Allocations Managers

4.       Technical Services Managers (aids and adaptations)

5.       Housing Associations and RSL’s

6.       Voluntary Sector agencies for the disabled

7.       Estate and Letting Agents

8.       Disabled Facility Grants officers

9.       Individual physically disabled people from the DPAA’s East Kent Database

10.    Other professionals with a working interest in the housing issues of physically disabled people (e.g., hospital admissions/discharge personnel,            physiotherapists etc).
 

If you are interested in the DPAA facilitating a Forum in  your area, or you are interested in attendance at the next Forum to be held in East Kent in November 2001 please complete the following form and send or email back to us as soon as possible.

Please complete and return this sheet to: 

Lynda Barry
The East Kent Project (Housing & Physical Disability)
DPAA
312 High Street
Rochester
Kent  ME1 1BT

alternatively email your requirements (as below) to lynda.barry@dpaa.co.uk

I would/would not* be interested in attending the East Kent Forum for Housing and Physical Disability.  * delete as appropriate

I/we am/are interested in attending the East Kent Forum*  /  I/we would like somebody to contact me/us regarding facilitating a Forum in another area (prices on application)*
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Name:

Organisation:

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I have the following case study/topic that I would like to be discussed at a workshop
(please do not use individuals names).  Provide a brief synopsis, further details will be requested if deemed suitable.                                         Back