Exciting New Peer Review Project

‘Equal Lives’ published in 2005 set out a compelling vision for developing services and support for children and adults with a learning disability. Objective 5 states that all men and women with a learning disability should have their home, in the community, including having the choice of whom they live with.

It was recognised that this will involve developing responses that are person centred and individually tailored; ensuring that people have greater choice and more control over their life; that services become more focused on the achievement of outcomes that the individuals themselves think are important; increased flexibility in how resources are used; balancing reasonable risk taking and individuals having greater control over their lives with an agency’s accountability for health and safety concerns and protection from abuse. This is the framework for ‘Supported Living’. In Northern Ireland this is currently regulated within Domiciliary Care Standards.

ARC NI, Camphill Clanabogan, Camphill Mourne Grange, Cedar Foundation, Kilcreggan Farms, and Positive Futures have come together to support Experts By Experience to develop a pilot review process with their peers in Supported Living. This one year project has been funded by The Hospital Saturday Fund.