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The Irish policy landscape – inclusion or illusion?

The Irish policy landscape – inclusion or illusion?. Bairbre Nic Aongusa, Director, Office for Disability & Mental Health Presentation to New Options Conference Portlaoise, 13 May 2010. Who are we talking about?. Citizens who have a disability Intellectual disability and autism

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The Irish policy landscape – inclusion or illusion?

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  1. The Irish policy landscape – inclusion or illusion? Bairbre Nic Aongusa, Director, Office for Disability & Mental Health Presentation to New Options Conference Portlaoise, 13 May 2010

  2. Who are we talking about? • Citizens who have a disability • Intellectual disability and autism • Physical and sensory disabilities • Mental health difficulties Important differences between client groups BUT key policy concerns are the same Q. What does every citizen want?

  3. What is our ultimate goal? • People with disabilities are supported to fully participate in our communities • Housing • Transport • Employment • Education • Leisure • Civil society

  4. Ireland’s National Disability Strategy • Mainstreaming agenda – move away from dominance of health & social care • Focus on equality and citizenship • Co-ordinated, cross-governmental approach • Partnership with the sector • Underpinned by legislation & funding

  5. Some success… • Public transport more accessible • Building regulations in force • Improvements in income support • Significant investment in services in the health sector …but fundamental issues remain

  6. What are the barriers? • Funding? (but more has been invested in disability services in last 10 years than ever before) • Human resources? (ditto) • Societal attitudes? (arguably more positive now than heretofore) • Maybe we need to ask …. • Who benefits from keeping things as they are?

  7. Reframing the issue • Take the lead from the person with a disability • Traditionally, health system did everything – cradle to grave • Many of the factors which promote inclusion are outside the formal health system – family, community, education, employment, housing, income support • More coherent and integrated approach needed from the State to drive change

  8. The Office for Disability & Mental Health • Established in 2008 to support the Minister of State in exercising his functions across 4 Departments – • Health & Children • Education & Science • Enterprise, Trade & Employment • Justice, Equality & Law Reform

  9. Our Approach • Work across sectoral boundaries to develop shared understanding of goals • Person with the disability at the centre of policy and service delivery • Holistic view of clients’ and service users’ needs • Actively involved in their own care

  10. Key priorities • Integrated health & education support services for children with special needs; • Training & employment support services for people with a disability; • Greater co-operation between mental health & criminal justice systems; • Driving implementation of Vision for Change.

  11. Disability Services Reform • More to it than additional resources • “What can be done with what we have?” • Changing ways of working • Changing mindsets! • VFM and Policy Review • Day Services and Congregated Settings reviews • Re-allocation of expenditure • Individualised payments/budgeting?

  12. What happens next…. • Policy review due for completion Summer 2010 • Will signal direction of travel… • VFM process ongoing – recommendations will be informed by policy review • Get in ahead of the posse?

  13. ODMH aims to… • Listen to the voices of people with disabilities themselves • Develop a shared vision across all Government sectors • Drive system change • Partnership with all stakeholders

  14. Our Vision “That every person with a disability would be supported to enable them, as far as possible, to lead full and independent lives, to participate in work and in society and to maximise their potential” Towards 2016, section 33, page 66

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