The benefits of user led organisations in delivering services

1. The benefits of user led organisations in delivering services Tess Mc Manus Strategy officer –Inclusion London Ambassador for the Office For Disability Issues – Strengthening DPULOs

2. What's a DDPO and what do they do? • Disabled peoples organisation (DPO) • User led - “run for and by” disabled people – this is important because… we are highly skills in “try it another way” • Provide a range of services across London, including advocacy, info and advice, direct payment support, training, placements for social workers, user engagement, consultancy services ….

3. Who thinks DDPOs are important and why? • The Department of Health: ‘Improving Life Chances Report’ that states: Each local authority will have a ULO by 2010. • The Office for Disability Issues: Its strengthens DPULOs, via funding and the support of Ambassadors from across the regions

4. Why are DDPOs needed? • Disabled people still experience systematic health inequalities in accessing an receiving appropriate treatment. • DDPOs can reach communities, engageand deliver. Reaching out to groups of disabled people eg deaf people, that statutory agencies find it hard to do.

5. Success to-date • We have seen positive results for the health and wellbeing of disabled people where, PCTs have engaged and work in partnership with Disabled Peoples organisations • EG: PCT commissioned an “Improving health and wellbeing for Disabled People” program, over a period of two years, with significant positive outcomes.

6. Benefits of working with DDPOs • Professional and personal experience of the issues equals an holistic, efficient and effective service. • Linked in to local disabled peoples communities • Skilled and successful in achieving positive outcomes for disabled people • Expertise and experience have been developed though funding and support from: • The Department of Health (and the Department for Civial Society and the Office for Disability Issues.Have been previously demonstrated through Partnership Boards – the role of DDPO is recognised by the dep health and office for civil society – funded all the ulo develop and sustainability to deliver working locally - more focus on the department of health • Value for money (OPM research)

7. Inclusion London's Role • To support the development of a robust DPO sector well placed to deliver within this new context: • Supporting the statutory sector, wider voluntary sector to engage with DDPOs as partners and providers. • Supporting the continued development of DPOs. • Added Value - measuring it in £s and pence.

8. Office for Disability Issues Role • To promote the value of Disabled Peoples User led organisations to be more sustainable by supporting them to: • Represent disabled people • Develop new structures • Develop services which can be commissioned

9. Going Forward – Concerns? • How do we ensure that this learning is not lost? • How do we ensure that we build on this learning? • How do we ensure that those leading on the development of these new structures understand what a “user led” organisations is and why this factor is important. • How do we continue to develop the capacity of user led organisations “to get to the table” and “get heard”

10. Going Forward – Opportunities? • How do we work as individual organisations, as part of the wider voluntary sector to get heard? • How to we capitalise on the “explicit duty to reduce inequalities” and shoe horn our way in where there is policy guidance only? • How do we help organisations to understand what a user led organisations is and why its important to CCGs . Healthwatch in achieving their outcomes?