GSLP-Liberals-Manifesto-2019

THE CARE AGENCY -
PLEDGES
We are wholeheartedly committed
to continue to work with all levels of
the Care Agency to ensure that all the
important services the Care Agency
delivers are developed even further
and continually reviewed so that the
social care provided is meaningful,
provides the relevant support, and
enables its users to participate in
society.
EARLY INTERVENTION AND
SUPPORT SERVICES FOR FAMILIES
In September 2017, we inaugurated,
in a first for Gibraltar, the Family and
Community Centre, which offers a
wide variety of activities. Over 1,300
children and 1,400 parents and
carers attended during the financial
year 17/18. Our policy is to ensure
that the Care Agency increasingly
provides early intervention when
families most need support. In the
case of Children’s Services, the Family
and Community Centre has been
instrumental in facilitating access to
early intervention. This service has
been influential in providing children
and families with more opportunities
to succeed and achieve best outcomes.
In government, our policies have
promoted early intervention so that
children are able to live with families
in a caring home and so that problems
are tackled as soon as possible before
they become difficult to reverse. The
idea of addressing problems soonest is
to prevent detrimental consequences
for children and families, such as
poor educational attainment, mental
health problems, or, in the worse
cases, criminal conduct. Especially
important, a Parent - Child Assessment
Unit has also been created. The aim
of this service is to provide residential
parent and child assessments for
those who have suffered, or are at
risk of suffering, significant harm.
The programme helps parents build
on their parenting skills and adopt
positive, day-to-day strategies. We
are committed to continue to fully
resource and support the important
work of early intervention and support
services for families.
SAFEGUARDING BOARDS & PUBLIC
PROTECTION
In government, we have ensured the
proper functioning and resourcing
of two Safeguarding Boards led by
the Care Agency, namely the Child
Protection Committee and the
Safeguarding Adults Board. The Child
Protection Committee, which was
restructured in 2016, is responsible
for co-ordinating with relevant
organisations on how they should
best work together to safeguard and
promote the welfare of children and
young people and ensure that agencies
provide an effective service. To ensure
the Child Protection Committee’s ongoing
professional development, the
Government has ensured that the
Care Agency is adequately funded
to organise the appropriate training.
The newly reconstituted Safeguarding
Adults Board was established this year
and focuses on issues relating to the
safeguarding of vulnerable adults,
ensuring that the appropriate local
safeguarding arrangements are in
place. The Board also works to make
certain that agencies deliver timely and
proportionate responses, should abuse
or neglect occur. We are committed to
continue to fully resource and support
the important work of both boards.
CONTINUING SUPPORT AND
TRAINING FOR THE CARE
AGENCY
In government, we have provided more
than adequate funding for all levels
of the Care Agency to be properly
resourced. We have also provided the
necessary resources for the continuing
training of all levels of the Care Agency.
We are committed in ensuring that any
training undertaken is specific to the
learning requirements of all of the Care
Agency’s service users.
WHOLESALE DISABILITY REVIEW
We have started the introduction of
exciting and important changes in
our cherished disabilities services. In
government, we have met with parents
and family members of children
and adults with learning disabilities
and with the relevant support
organisations to better understand
the challenges families and individuals
face on a daily basis. The Government
has understood the need for change
in the way services are delivered to
this vulnerable and beloved sector of
our community. A multi-disciplinary
group was formed to consider ways in
which services within education and
the care sectors could work together
and recommend reforms to better
meet the needs of the community.
The Working Group met with other
stakeholders, such as the GSLA and
Youth Services, to further inform their
work. It is important for a person with
a learning disability, and their families,
to know that there is a supportive
plan in place and on which they can
rely. One of the major issues raised
by families is that Paediatric health
services cease service delivery when
children reach the age of 16 years; this
includes service delivery to children
with disabilities. Families typically
enjoyed, by their own statements,
a fantastic multi-disciplinary team
approach around the child, consisting
of Consultants and other Allied Health
Practitioners, which then virtually
disappeared on their 16th birthday.
The child would then transition to
working with a GP in a very busy
Primary Care Centre setting.
PAEDIATRIC SERVICES
The age of Paediatric services for
children with learning disabilities and
additional needs was, therefore, this
year, raised to 18 years. There has
also been an increase in the therapies
provided by Paediatric Allied Health
Professionals. The importance of
this expansion of service provision
to persons with disabilities and their
families cannot be overstated. The,
also first-for-Gibraltar, Children’s
Health Centre, already houses
numerous services, offering a single
point of access to children services,
eliminating the need for parents or
carers having to navigate from one
professional to another. The Working
Group continues to consider the age
criteria for use of these services for
those over 18 years so that there
can be a smooth transition into later
adulthood.
RESPITE FOR CHILDREN
Respite for parents and carers of
children with learning disabilities was
dependent on resources deployed
from the Care Agency’s Children’s
Residential Services. This did not
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