Policy

• Develop a policy network.
• Develop common and explicit priorities, timetable, objectives and goals across the Directorate.
• Agree communication and consultation arrangements with all parts of the Directorate and with other agencies.

• Agree programme of continuous improvement of equity of access over an initial three-year timescale.

Ensure that staff responsible for policies, procedures, planning and service development, are aware of Human Rights and Equalities legislation.

Provide a framework for Equality Impact Assessments for service planning, review and development, and for policy and procedural guidance, so that managers are aware of their responsibility for ensuring that Human Rights and Equalities legislation is addressed. All Committee reports to contain equalities impact analysis.

Ensure the provision of training to enable managers to undertake Equality Impact Assessments.

• Achieve Corporate Equality targets  - level 1, 2004/5 - level 2, 2005/7 maintain level 2, and level 3 - 2008.
• Level 2 audit to commence 2004/5 and work commences on Level 3 with Corporate Equality steering Group in 2006/7.

• Agree a multi-agency review of progress and action plan with Chief Executives of PCTs .
• Increase training and awareness of staff who deal with vulnerable adults to pick up on domestic violence as an issue in their practice.

5. To conduct audits/reviews and development

• Agree a programme that retains flexibility to respond to emergent issues. The following areas are high priority: Medication and invasive procedures; violence and aggression; transitions; the support of disabled parents; infection control. Agree programme.

6. To achieve a step change in the Directorate's joint approach with Local Authorities in Devon on Housing matters.

• To develop a range of more imaginative housing solutions for older and disabled people under the Housing & Support Strategic Partnership (Supporting People) e.g. Extra-care housing; adaptations; re-location; new build.

7. To embed user and carer involvement and centredness in all the Directorate's activities to achieve true partnership and responsiveness.

To develop a Direct Payments Service that maximises user control.

• Agree policy, planning and operational arrangements that recognise that good performance depends on the engagement of service users and carers as partners to produce improvements in their lives and experience.
• To agree a programme of review of all support arrangements for user and carer involvement to ensure best practice, effectiveness and equity of support.
• To develop a new organisational approach to Direct Payments superseding the original pilot via a cross-Directorate Board.

8. To ensure that key risks to the Directorate's business are identified and controlled.

To ensure that  the health and safety of staff and service users and their carers is protected and promoted

• To produce a risk management plan for the Directorate - by July 2004.
• To ensure risks are routinely monitored by senior managers and appropriate contingencies identified.
• To ensure that emergent threats to the health and safety of service users, carers and staff are identified and appropriate actions identified, proposed and the outcomes monitored.
• To implement a staff care plan based on known major causes of staff sickness and absence: stress and musculo-skeletal problems.

Planning