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SOUTHERN HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL
Programme of Work 2003/04 ... Continued
4 RESOURCES
4.1 Financial Resources
The Council’s budget for 2003/04 is £205,000. The four Councils
are currently in discussion with the Department on the issue of
resourcing.
4.2 Staff Resources
The Council has a total of five full time equivalent staff.
| Chief Officer (CO) |
Delia van der Lenden |
| Research Officer (RO) |
Karen McCoy |
| Complaints Officer/Adviser (CO/A) |
Colette Hart |
| Office Manager (OM) |
Nancy Downard |
| Clerk/Typist (C/T) |
Lisa Mc Cool |
In previous years staff resources were augmented
through the appointment of temporary Research Assistants on a student
placement basis but this was discontinued during 2002/03 because
of budgetary constraints. Current discussions with the DHSSPS have
highlighted the need for the appointment of additional research
staff, but on a longer-term contract.
The Council has contracted with the Board to carry
out research on the provision of intermediate care services. Additional
funding has been provided by the Board to enable the Council to
fulfil this contract. The Council has appointed a Research Assistant
for a 9-month period. Karen Mc Dowell joined the Council's staff
team on 12 May 2003.
4.3 Membership
The Southern Health and Social Services Council has a total of 24
members of whom 40% (10) are District Council representatives; 30%
(7) voluntary sector representatives and 30% (7) independent members.
During 2002/03 a number of vacancies remained unfilled as the Council
competed with other public bodies for appointees. It is anticipated
that appointments will be made to a number of these vacancies during
2003/04.
5 ONGOING PROJECTS
5.1 Patients’ And Relatives’ Views of Hospice Services
The Council is working in partnership with the Southern Area Hospice
on a study of the views of patients and carers of the services provided
by the hospice. A steering group has been established to guide the
research, and ethical approval had been granted from the University
of Ulster Research Ethics Committee. The study includes three strands:
- Interviews with current inpatients.
- Interviews with relatives of current inpatients
themselves are not able to participate.
- Focus group discussion with bereaved relatives.
Interviewing of patients and relatives will
begin in June 2003 and continue until the end of July 2003.
5.2 Day Care Services For School Leavers with Learning
Disabilities
Work on this project was initiated late in 2002/03. A steering group
of Council members and MENCAP representatives has been established
to oversee the project, and in line with MENCAP policy their representatives
include 2 members with learning disabilities. There are 4 main elements
to this fact-finding project:
- Policy analysis
- Literature Review
- Review of the provision of services in Southern
Board area
- Comparison with other areas
On completion the report will form the basis for
the Council's advocacy work on behalf of service users and their
families.
5.3 Provision Of Mental Health Services for Children
And Young People
The Council included in its 2002/03 work programme a study to examine
the provision of mental health services to children and young people,
with particular emphasis on the provision of acute mental health
services. Work on the project has not yet commenced and the project
has been carried forward to the 2003/04 programme.
5.4 Children as Complainants in the Health and
Personal Social Services in Northern Ireland
This is the title of a report on a joint Health and Social Services
Councils’ research project to be published shortly. The report will
recommended that:
| "Each health and Social services Council should
appoint /designate one of their officers to work specifically
with children and young people in the HPSS, to liase with the
non-statutory organisations doing likewise, and to liase with
and advise the Children's Commissioner on HPSS complaints." |
The Council is unable to implement this recommendation
within current resources. The four Councils are currently in discussion
with the DHSSPS on the need for specific resources to be allocated
to the task of reviewing services to children and young people,
and child care and child protection services in particular. The
imminent appointment of the Commissioner for Children and Young
people may result in increased scrutiny of how young people are
served by the current HPSS mechanisms for representing service users
and the use made by young people of HPSS complaints procedures.
Subject to additional funding being secured the
Council will begin work on the recommendation of the report in the
latter part of the year.
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Southern Health
and Social Services Council, Quaker Buildings, High Street, Lurgan,
Co. Armagh, BT66 8BB
Telephone:
(028) 3834 9900 Fax: (028) 3834 9858 - Minicom: (028)
3834 6488
Freephone: 0800 917 0222 © 2006.
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