Dumfries and Galloway Advisory Group

Some members of the Advisory Group

Action Points

Progress Scotland has an Advisory Group which helps to direct their work. For the current Action Plan from this group please see Dumfries and Galloway – Review of the Year and Action Plan (doc)

This group has met several times and has begun work on the following Action Points:

• Helping to set up self-advocates groups for people with learning disabilities in all parts of Dumfries and Galloway.

  So far we have set up groups in Wigtownshire and Dumfries. We link in with Enable Scotland who support groups in Annan and Upper Nithsdale. We are speaking to people in Stewartry about setting up a group there.

  Some members of the group in Wigtownshire have formed a group called The Changes to Stranraer group as they have been concerned about proposed changes to their local community. » click here to see what the group have been doing

• Official way to have a say in planning services

  Self advocates in these groups have said that they want an official way that they can have a say in how services for people with learning disabilities are planned in Dumfries and Galloway. They are meeting with representatives from Dumfries and Galloway Council to discuss how to link into the formal decision making processes. The self advocates have also been looking at the Multi Agency Inspection of services to people with learning difficulties in Dumfries and Galloway.

• We are promoting the Charter for Involvement

  This sets out ways that people with learning disabilities should be involved in how the services that support them are run. Progress Scotland has worked with self advocates from Turning Point Scotland to look at how well they are involving the people they support based on the Charter Standards. Turning Point Scotland have produced an Action Plan in partnership with the self advocates.

  » Read more about the Charter for Involvement

• Providing information about Personalisation and Self directed Support.

  Personalisation is about people, either alone or in groups, being actively involved in shaping the service they get and getting a service that really suits them. Self Directed Support is a new way of people being able to plan and pay for the support they need. Dumfries and Galloway is one of three areas in Scotland that is trying out this new way of working. The self advocates from Wigtownshire held an event on 28th January around Personalisation. ARC Scotland also ran a Big Plan for individuals in the Stranraer area in partnership with Edinburgh Development Group.

  » Here is some information from the January 28th event, along with some photos.

• Leaders in Action Conference

Running an event in partnership with other agencies to help people understand more about Personalisation, Self Directed Support and Involvement.

Here is a Booklet we produced for this event to help explain some of the key terms                                                                                                                                                                               

Information about Personalisation and Self Directed Support – Personalisation Booklet for 6th Oct

• Newsletter

  Producing a Newsletter to spread the good news about the things that are happening in the Dumfries and Galloway areas to help people with learning difficulties have a voice on issues that concern them.

• Citizen Leadership

  Exploring how we might help to take forward the Citizen Leadership agenda in Dumfries and Galloway.

• Delivering training in Active Citizenship to people in Wigtownshire.

  We have delivered training on Active Citizenship to people in Wigtownshire, and on Involvement in Recruiting staff to people who attend Stranraer ARC, and carers from the centre. For more information about these courses, contact Sylvia.