The Aberdeenshire Learning Disability Services Providers Forum (the Forum) aims to provide the opportunity for organisations working with people with learning disabilities in Aberdeenshire to:

  • Work together to share good practice and live issues.
  • Provide an opportunity for working in partnership with health and social care colleagues.
  • Contribute to the strategic development planning process.
  • Improve the quality of health for people receiving support.
  • Develop and sustain high quality personalised services that promote well being, independence, resilience, involvement and inclusion.
  • Improve skills and knowledge in the workforce

Representatives from Aberdeenshire Council regularly attend and contribute to Forum meetings.

Chairperson

The Forum is chaired by one of the members of the group, who is elected by Forum Members. The Chairperson chairs Forum meetings, help to draw up the Agenda with the Facilitator, identifies guest speakers to be invited, attends other groups and meetings and takes other appropriate action on behalf of the Forum and its membership as required.  Sara Wilkinson is the current Chairperson.

Facilitator

Julie Ritchie - ARC Scotland
Julie Ritchie – ARC Scotland

The Forum is facilitated by an ARC Scotland team member – Julie Ritchie. They are responsible for: organising meetings, inviting guest speakers, taking minutes, maintaining a list of members and circulating information and papers to the members and other appropriate people connected to the Forum.

Meeting Dates

Since the pandemic started the Aberdeenshire Provider Forum has been meeting on Zoom.  They are currently meeting every 2 months on a Wednesday morning.  Julie shares the zoom meeting links and agendas for these meetings by email.  We may look at holding some in-person meetings in future, but for now the Aberdeenshire forum members find meeting on zoom more convenient.

If you are interested in attending these online meetings please get in touch with Julie.

Venue:      Community Integrated Care (CIC), Unit 3, Axis Centre, Thainstone Business Centre, Inverurie, AB51 5TB       10am to 1pm

Information from Meetings

ARC Scotland Report Published 2015:

Government Policy

The Provider Forum keeps up to date with local and national information and activity around key Government policies:

The Keys to Life is the Scottish Government’s Strategy for improving the quality of life for people with learning disabilities. For more information visit: keystolife.info

The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 places a duty on local authority social work departments to offer people who are eligible for social care a range of choices over how they receive their support. More information at:

The way we plan and deliver health and social care services in Scotland is changing. Legislation requiring integration of health and social care came into effect in April 2016 and new Integration Authorities now have responsibility for over £8 billion of funding for local services which was previously managed separately by NHS Boards and Local Authorities. More information at Scottish Government – Health and Social Care Integration

 

Aberdeenshire Self-Advocates Group

People come together to meet every two months from across Aberdeenshire. They represent their views and the views of other groups and forums they belong to.

Find out more

Provider Forums

Local networks for organisations that provide social care for people with disabilities or other support needs in eight Scottish local authority areas:

Read more about Provider Forums