Valuing People sometime?

Indeed, we have two new faces, Anne Williams has now started as the learning disability tsar, taking over from Rob Greig, and Phil Hope gets promoted to Minister of State for Care Services. This is now a more senior role as a minister, upped from the previous parliamentary under secretary due to the review of social care this year, so hopefully a situation where we can use the increased clout the position holds.

Phil, whose main claim to fame seems to be his juggling abilities, is MP for Corby and East Northants and has an education background, so should know something about this new area of responsibility. What is clear is that he and Anne are keen to have a policy that delivers. Having spent time with Anne I know she is someone who is able to bring about change in local authorities and will have had her hand in the rewrite decision. Whilst Hope is already committing to bring in the health checks that were forgotten about last time, and has commissioned a separate jobs policy. There will also be a delivery policy, alongside the main document, that details how things will happen. I would suggest he gets round to taking out all the boring repetition in Valuing People Now as well, lets say things once and strongly so we are clear about it all.

Other rumoured changes include the joining together of the forums, the National Forum, the LD Taskforce and the carers forum, this would be in line with how government wants to join stuff together. Having argued for and set up a separate forum originally, this is something I'm not sure will be a good thing, but we shall see. A more positive move are suggested plans to make sure Partnership Boards have real teeth this time, now that is something long overdue.

But it seems we have to wait until the new year to actually see the new document, some say as long as February! When it does eventually arrive, first job will need to check the money that comes with it - if there is any left!