Appendix 2
Aiming High for Disabled Children(AHDC)
Project Initiation Document
January 2008
Version 3
Contents
1. / Purpose of the Project / 3
2. / Why it is important / 3
3. / Managing the Project / 3 - 5
3.1 Project Management Structure / 4
3.2 Roles and Responsibilities
3.3 Reporting and monitoring mechanisms
3.4 Project controls
3.5 Outline project timeline / 5
5
6
6
4. / Context and Background / 6 - 8
5. / Outline Workstream briefs / 8
6. / Constraints and givens / 8
7. / Assumptions / 8
8.
9. / Risks
Finance and funding
Appendix A – Vision for short breaks / 9-10
10
11-12
Appendix B – Full Service Offer (FSO) / 13-14
Appendix C –Readiness criteria
Appendix D – workstream briefs / 15-17
18
Universal Services workstream brief / 19-22
Specialist Services workstream brief
/ 23-28
Information and Data workstream brief / 29-35
1. Purpose of the project
1.1 The purpose of the Aiming High project is to increase the quality, quantity and range of provision of short breaks for children with Learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) in Hertfordshire, specifically for children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or challenging behaviour and children with complex health needs.
1.2 To improve outcomes for children and young people, particularly those with the most severe and complex disabilities , and their families, by Children Schools and Families (CSF) and the Primary Care Trust (PCT) jointly delivering a transformed short breaks service in Hertfordshire by 2011.
1.3 The vision for short breaks in Hertfordshire is attached at Appendix A.
2. Why it is important
2.1 The successful implementation of this project is important because:
· Short breaks give disabled children and young people enjoyable experiences away from their primary carers, thereby contributing to their personal and social development and reducing social isolation
· It will enable parents to continue caring for their disabled child at home and reduce stress within the family
· There is a national requirement that every local authority prepares a local implementation plan for a “transformation” in short break provision for disabled children over the period 2009-11
· From 2011 short break provision becomes statutory
· A new indicator focused on parent’s perceptions of disabled children’s services will be included in the new national indicator set for local authorities and the NHS “vital signs” indicator set
3. Managing the project
3.1 The project management structure is identified below, together with roles and responsibilities.
3
35
3.2 Roles and responsibilities
Role / Key Responsibilities /Project Sponsor
Justin Donovan / · Ultimately responsible for the successful transformation of a short breaks service
· Oversee progress of the project at a strategic level
· Brief SMB, Members and relevant government bodies on progress
· Decide upon any proposed changes to cost or timescale having evaluated likely impact on implementation.
· Take any necessary decisions on mitigating large risks highlighted by Project Manager
Project Manager
Wendy Evans / · Responsible for the successful co-ordination of the work stream projects
· Ensure effective project management structure, clear parameters for each project strand and dependencies between them.
· Establish clear programme timescales and effectively monitor progress against them.
· Monitor progress against the project plan and assess the impact of any potential changes.
· Ensure Project Sponsor is informed of progress and that they have appropriate information to make decisions regarding exceptions where necessary.
· Provide support to work stream leads, in terms of resources, project management and addressing blockages.
· Ensure that risks are being tracked across the project and mitigated as effectively as possible.
Project Co-ordinator
Steve Burton / · Provide support to the Project Manager and work stream leads as required
· Provide support to work stream leads on drafting and developing action plans
· Facilitate and take notes at group meetings
Work stream Lead
Sheila Reynolds
AD Commissioning (PCT)
David Gibson / · Accountable to the Project Manager for the success of the project they are leading.
· Develop the work stream brief and action plan (which will include resource requirements, identified risks and milestones)
· Ensure appropriate people are either involved in the project or aware of the work being undertaken.
· Ensure that the necessary actions to achieve the project objectives are undertaken either by themselves or others within the agreed timescales.
· Provide regular progress reports to the Project Manager.
· Monitor risks and escalate to Project Manager if they’re not manageable and likely to impact on project timescales or ability to achieve project objectives.
· Develop appropriate links with other Project Leads to maximise co-ordination and minimise duplication.
· Have knowledge of all work streams within the project and their objectives.
3.3 Reporting and monitoring mechanisms
The project manager and work stream leads will meet weekly throughout January 2009 and fortnightly thereafter as a project group to ensure that the short term deliverable of meeting the ‘Readiness Criteria’ is achieved and a future work plan is developed by March 2009 to meet the longer term objective of achieving the Full Service Offer (FSO) for short breaks by March 2011.
The Joint Disability Steering Group (reporting to the Hertfordshire Children’s Trust Partnership) will oversee the Aiming High project group and has overall responsibility for ensuring the programme delivers the transformation and improvement to services locally.
3.4. Project controls
· Clear project management structure and reporting arrangements.
· Version control and document management.
· Change control mechanisms – any decisions within a work stream which has an impact on any other work stream or the overall project implementation needs to go through the Project Manager.
3.5 Outline Project timeline
4. Context and Background
4.1 What is a short break?
Short breaks are part of a continuum of services offered to support disabled children and their families. They provide opportunities for disabled and other vulnerable children and young people to spend time away from their primary carers, with opportunities for positive and enjoyable experiences that contribute to their personal and social development and reduce isolation. Short breaks also provide parents and families with a necessary and valuable break from caring responsibilities.
4.2 Short breaks are provided in a variety of ways, reflecting the varying needs of disabled children and their families.
4.3 A short break can include day, evening, overnight and weekend activities and can take place in the child’s own home, the home of an approved carer or a universal community setting.
4.4 Short break provision includes:
· Day care and sessional visits at the residential units
· Outreach services provided by residential units
· Family based overnight and day care services
· Overnight and day sitting services
· Contract carers (fee paid, salaried, professional carers)
· Supported access to leisure, holiday schemes, after school activities, youth services
· Residential overnight breaks
4.5 The national agenda
The government’s report Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC), published in May 2007, highlighted that a lack of appropriate provision for short breaks was a key concern for parents/carers of disabled children. The report set as a priority the need to improve the volume, range and quality of short break provision, with residential overnight breaks as one part of a more varied and flexible mix of short break services. To support the expansion of short break provision, the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) identified ring fenced funding to be allocated to local authorities and funding for PCTs over the period 2008-11 to enable them to work rapidly to bring about a transformation in short break services.
4.6 From April 2011, new legislation will place local authority short break services as a statutory requirement. All local authorities and PCTs are expected to meet the standard as set out in the Full Service Offer (FSO) by this date (See Appendix B)
4.7 By the end of March 2009 local authorities working with PCTs must be able to demonstrate that they are ready to transform short break services. An outline of the readiness criteria and a self assessment of where Hertfordshire sits currently against them is attached at appendix C.
4.8 Short breaks in Hertfordshire
Traditionally short breaks in Hertfordshire have been based on a residential model of service provision.
4.9 The County Council’s residential short break provision is made through a combination of ‘in house’ and externally commissioned services as follows:
In House Provision:
· Woolmer Drive
· Wilbury House
· PFI Disability Resource Centre
· Shared Care Team
External Provision:
· Adrian Road (National Children’s Homes)
· Jubilee House (Jubilee House Trust)
· Stairways (Harpenden Mencap)
The budget for residential short break services in 2008/09 is £2,340,000.
4.10 The PCT provides short breaks for children and young people with complex health and palliative needs.
In house provision:
· Nascott Lawn – Watford
Commissioned short break services:
· Keech Cottage Hospice (£300,000 p.a.)
· Children’s continuing Care service (an element of their work is short breaks e.g.night sitting)
4.11 The PCT has recognised within its PCT Strategy that there is a need to improve services for disabled children. The detail of how this will be achieved is yet to be determined, and will depend very much on the Child Health Strategy due to be published by the Department of Health (DH.)
4.12 Work done to date
A Best Value review of all residential short break services in Hertfordshire has been carried out over the past 2 years. A detailed analysis of cost, occupancy and quality has identified that residential short break services need to be reconfigured. An analysis of need has also been carried out, which identifies there is an inequity of access to provision across the county.
Parents, carers and young people have been extensively consulted as part of the review. Carers in Herts set up a parent Steering Group which has had access to, and been able to comment on, all of the information relating to the review. They have also been involved in helping to develop options about how residential services could be delivered in the future, taking into account the new disability resource centre at the Pines.
5. Outline work stream briefs
See Appendix D for the outline work stream briefs:
Universal services
Specialist Services
Data and Information
6. Constraints and givens
· We will ensure communication with all staff working on the implementation of this project.
· We will have clear accountability between the Project Manager and identified work stream leads;
· We will set realistic deadlines for activities by considering all risks and maximising the chance that deliverables are achievable.
7. Assumptions
· Financial and people resources will be available to support the delivery of each of the work streams to the anticipated timescales.
· The transformation of short breaks is supported and driven by managers within CSF and the PCT.
8. Risks
8.1 Most of the risks to the project which are detailed within the individual actions plans. However, there are a number of key risks to the project overall which need highlighting
8.1.1 Readiness criteria not met by required date (See appendix C for details of the readiness criteria)
Of the 9 readiness criteria:
1 reports as ahead
1 reports as on course for CSF and slippage for health
3 report as on course
2 report as slippage
2 report as showing no progress
This is a significant risk as the full local authority funding allocations in 2009/10 will be conditional on meeting the readiness criteria.
Actions to mitigate the risk
Actions are in place within each of the action plans to ensure that these will be met and monitoring of this risk is ongoing within the project team.
8.1.2 Commitment and appropriate resources not met by CSF and the PCT
A substantial commitment is required from CSF and the PCTs in terms of:
· Personnel to contribute effectively to the project, particularly attendance and input at workshops and specific contributions to the action plans attached to this document
· Financial commitment (particularly development of pooled/aligned budgets) to a short breaks service
Actions to mitigate the risk
Required people and financial resources are outlined in the action plans attached to this report.
CSF has identified resource to deliver its part of the Aiming High agenda. There is concern, however, that capacity within the PCT is not sufficient.
The PCT board is to be formally asked to give this project priority and enable the appropriate involvement of personnel in the project.
8.1.3 The opening of the Pines is not subsumed into the overall Aiming High agenda
The opening of the Disability Resource Centre (the Pines located in Hertford) by April 2009 is a given within this project. It is imperative, however, that its use is not developed in isolation.
Actions to mitigate the risk
This has been flagged as a risk within the specialist project stream and Phil Howes, project manager for the opening of the Pines is now fully involved in the Aiming High project.
9. Finance and Funding
9.1 CSF:
On the assumption that Hertfordshire meets the readiness criteria as outlined in Appendix C, CSF will receive the following funding:
Revenue
2008 - 09 £70K
2009 – 10 £1.3 million
2010 – 11 £3.8 million
Capital
2009 – 10 £.55 million
2010 – 11 £1.3 million
9.2 Funding must ensure that children with the most complex needs receive services and that there is a substantial growth in the number of families receiving short breaks. Provision should not be limited to those in crisis or families at risk of breakdown. This funding cannot be used to cover the costs of existing provision, and may be subject to claw back if a local authority’s existing expenditure on short break provision is reduced.
9.3 Health
The PCTs have received their funding allocation for 2009/10. Previous financial reporting has not included a specific breakdown of spend on short breaks provision. Work is currently in progress to identify the exact spend on short breaks
35