The Highland Learning Disability Provider Forum (the Forum) aims to provide the opportunity for organisations working with people with learning disabilities in Highlands to:

  • Improve collaborative and supportive working through sharing good practice and live issues.
  • Improve collaboration with health, community planning, advocacy and social care colleagues.
  • Contribute to the strategic development planning process.
  • Improve capacity to implement policy and legislative frameworks, particularly – The Keys to Life, Health and Social Care Integration (HSCI), and Self Directed Support (SDS).
  • Improve skills and knowledge throughout the work force.

Representatives from NHS Highland regularly attend and contribute to Forum meetings.

Chairperson

Hazel MacDonald - Chairperson
Hazel MacDonald – 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.  Hazel MacDonald from Cantraybridge is the current Chairperson.  Vice-Chairperson is  Lindsay MacLeod from Inverness College.

Facilitator

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

While we can’t meet in person, Highland Provider Forum are currently holding meetings on Zoom. These meetings are usually every 2 months. Julie shares the zoom meeting links and agendas for these meetings by email.

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

 

Information from Meetings

Highlands Provider Forum – Agenda 9th January 2019

Highlands Provider Forum – Agenda 3rd April 2019

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

 

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