1. Putting the pieces together So what is going on nationally to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities from black and minority ethnic communities?

2. North West Liverpool City Council - All staff receive diversity training Sefton - Wide ranging community participation work Wirral - Race Equality Impact Assessment in LD Services Merseyside - ” Separate or Different ” Event 2007 Rochdale – Aashiyana Asian Carers Group AACG have monthly meetings attended by around 40 people from a community base of 160 carers. Bolton – Working with young people from ethnic communities to develop Person Centred Plans and school reviews

3. North East

4. Gateshead – have made good contact with neighbouring authorities and regional ethnicity group. They have set up a SADA ethnicity group to develop their work and ensure that carers have a say in planning, developing and delivering services inclusively. North East Northumberland – now have a sub-group on ethnicity on their LDPB and are sharing information and resources on ethnicity in their locality. They have representation on the Regional Ethnicity Network.

5. Yorkshire and Humberside

6. Leeds- The Leeds LDPB used the Learning Disability Development Fund to employ an Ethnicity Manager. Under this leadership they are developing key areas of work around ethnicity including accessibility of information, training in cultural awareness, community engagement and community consultation. Leeds - People in Action – People’s Place a multicultural centre for people with learning difficulties and disabilities. This is a collaboration between several groups including Skin Deep (a Black & Asian People First group), Pride of Leeds (a South Asian social firm of trainers) and ROOOOTS. Leeds - Shakti will support people with learning difficulties from south Asian communities – who face disadvantages because of their impairment and ethnicity - to change their lives. Run by Connect in the North, Shakti will raise self-esteem, confidence, knowledge and life skills through 30 weeks’ training that will cover subjects including personal rights, accessing help and managing support. Yorkshire and Humberside

7. Yorkshire and Humberside continued Wakefield – Now have a BME development worker for family services who has been supporting advocacy through targeting people from BME communities and distributing specially designed posters in suitable locations. Cultural competence training is now being given and in particular workshops on Islamic awareness. Sheffield – Sheffield Case Register and Insight Systems now enable proper planning of services and can link ethnicity to the level of people’s disabilities Sheffield - Asian Family Carers Group, established in 2001, supports families from local Pakistani community including signposting people to services. Rotherham – Have developed an Ethnicity Framework to increase communication and awareness across the service. Since it’s introduction there has been an increase from 18 to 29 peopl from BME communities know to their services. they have a designated BME worker working with the Asian Women’s Day Care group and their families. A newsletter called ‘Moving Together’ is sent out in different languages and formats to other groups to ensure good support. Sheffield - Apni Awaaz day services based at Sheffield’s Pakistan Muslim Centre from 2003

8. West Midlands

9. Dudley – the Healthy You project supports people with learning disabilities and their carers from BME groups. The LDPB Ethnicity Sub Group meets bi-monthly with family carer and self-advocates from minority communities on the sub group and PB. Walsall – Ethnic Advocacy Black Country is a partnership between two BME advocacy groups in Walsall and Dudley Wolverhampton – Completion of audit of BME needs of people from BME communities now influencing services. Dudley - Ehsas Carers support children with special needs and adults with learning disabilities. They plan a training programme for family carers in a community language. Dudley - APNA Group has a part-time development worker supporting a dozen self-advocates and providing educational courses. Stoke – Developed a PATH from taking part in Valuing All People to improve services for BME communities and appointed a transition facilitator for BME young people West Midlands

10. continued Coventry – Grapevine are organising a summer holiday event which has a BME focus but is also an inclusive event. Also the Culture Speak Out Group for people from BME backgrounds to take part in sub group and LDPB. The PB has an accessible website at www.ldpb.info. They have had several events for family carerswww.ldpb.info from BME communities to share information & increase awareness Telford - An initial meeting is being planned on April 17 th to bring together adults with learning disabilities from BME communities across Shropshire, Telford and The Wrekin. Birmingham – Development of an Asian women’s day centre to help them access community resources of interest in a culturally appropriate environment. Recent appointment of two carer’s assessors specifically for carers from BME communities Solihull - Care Trust training for LD staff on cultural competency

11. East Midlands

12. Leicester City – an advocacy group called We Think Too for BME women feeds feeds into PB as does a group for Asian carers. Carers Action Group have been using interpreters to facilitate their training and working groups. Almost 50% of carers stating their ethnicity in response to a recent questionnaire came from ethnic communities. Leicester City - An accessible Transition Pack has been completed with a focus on the needs of people with learning disabilities. Groups promoting this will support those from ethnic minority communities. Developing materials, including interactive CDs on going to opticians and have a hearing test in easy read, photo symbol and video clip form with the aim of voice overs in community languages. Also now have a subgroup to ensure the BME groups are able to develop Health Action Plans and access resources.

13. East Midlands continued Derbyshire - Derbyshire Advocacy Service are looking at producing their publicity Material in different languages as those done previously are now out of date. Derby City – An Asian carers group has been established and is thriving. Plans are for an African Caribbean carers Forum too. A project targeted at South Asian children, previously under-represented for short-break provision, has expanded significantly as the number of South Asian and other BME children being supported has increased. Around 40% of children receiving a service from the Integrated Disabled Children’s Service are from BME communities in Derby

14. Eastern Region

15. Eastern Region Norfolk - Learning Difficulty Service has identified changing needs and services for different communities, in particular the developing Portuguese and East European communities. Hertfordshire - The County Council have worked hard to make information accessible to different communities, including a DVD about it’s services also BME sub group of LDPB set up with BME reps for carers & service users on the board itself. Bedfordshire and Luton - undertook a major project to identify their ethnic minority populations to enable them to focus their services for these different communities Southend on sea - have also been identifying their different communities and talking to organisations that represent them to improve communication and information about services. A new initiative to set up an Eastern Regional network is planned for this summer Suffolk – The Suffolk Family Carers does research in to experiences of family carers and service users from BME communities and how LD services address diversity needs. Referals can be made to Suffolk Family Carers BME support worker

16. South West

17. Devon – Work being done to help communications about emotions and mental health in five community languages. Also, paying people from BME communities to talk with people with learning disabilities within their communities Plymouth – Holding a ‘Respect Festival’ and increasing the awareness of BME issues as part of Person-Centred Planning South Gloucestershire - has just set up a Learning Difficulties Programme Board responsible for changes to LD services. The project and reference groups will ensure that people from BME communities are involved in any changes to services as well as getting BME members on partnership boards. There are also now two funded posts working with both the Afro Carribean and Asian communities. Devon – Hikmat project being funded by LDDF to see how they could include people with learning disabilities from minority ethnic communities in what they do. Swindon - building on work done by it’s community development workers.

18. South West Bournemouth – Development officer in place to support Forum Speaking Up Group, also part of PB subgroup engaging with people with learning disabilities from BME groups. Assisting people from BME communities to access Direct Payments for support services including their choice of language for information. Torbay – A large day centre in Torbay has started making good links with local minority ethnic communities including a staff organising a fund-raising event with a local Indian restaurant which was very successful. This year another Indian restaurant are taking part along with and African drummer and Chinese dancers. It is planned to make this an annual event to bring the different cultures in Torbay close together. Portsmouth – the Learning Disability Team produced a mainly pictorial leaflet aimed at BME communities with learning disabilities translated into Bengali, Cantonese, Arabic & Kurdish and are working alongside other BME groups locally. Bristol University – Research by Martin Partridge into Chinese adults with learning disabilities in Britain.

19. South East

20. Buckinghamshire – BME sub group of PB has been formed. They had a workshop for family carers from BME communities looking at depression in carers. Also had 2 conferences for people with LD and their carers from BME communities in last 3 years. There is also a transition service in place with good co-working with BME workers and use of interpreters and translated materials Windsor & Maidenhead – Now working with their respite services to make it more welcoming for people from diverse communities – e.g. providing suitable food and entertainment for a wider range of cultures. They have a BME worker who has built good links with on local specialist school and to referring schools. Also support from the LDDF to identify young people in transition and provide support for them

21. South East continued Hampshire - Hampshire Ethnic Minority Learning Disability Project is a major initiative providing a link to learning disability services for ethnic minority people and their families. See their presentation for more info! Kent – BME awareness training for existing ‘Voice for Kent’ self-advocacy group Slough – Development of employment opportunities through a successful employment workshop attended by over 100 people. Working party set up after to further develop opportunities for people from BME communities. Hertfordshire – Have been made a Beacon Authority and have used this to fund two videos. One covers 10 key words in a number of community Languages to help staff communicate with BME communities. The other is A video about accessing ‘Getting in Touch’ a language line service for BME Communities to access services.

22. London

23. Camden – Now developing effective ways of working closely with members of BME communities after a consultation through a local carer’s organisation to review services. Also agreed a local Advocacy Development Plan to enable members of BME community groups to support member of their communities who have learning disabilities. Enfield – Developing their PCP approach by translating their ‘Listen to Me’ document into Turkish & Greek and to make facilitators aware of any other Community languages that people would like translated. PCP documentation also Made available.in picture/graphic format. Ensure that all facilitators consider people’s religion, culture and beliefs in their planning Croydon – A more adequate advocacy service has been set up through extra funding which will enable bi-lingual advocacy and facilitate the BME development officer’s work.

24. London continued Brent – Diversity training is now compulsory within the local council and takes into account the culturally diverse population there. Sutton – The whole borough workforce have received diversity training although not specific to people with learning disabilities. Westminster – Following advice from the DRC, the local PCT has introduced systems to record the ethnicity of people with a learning disability within GP records. This can then be used to offer an annual health check and devise a Health Action Plan

25. Phew! Tell me about any missing pieces you know about! Simon Nieder BME Worker ARC UK simon.nieder@arcuk.org.uk