People with disabilities should have greater access to individually chosen supports – such as supported living and therapy – under a blueprint document published by the Government yesterday.
In addition, disability service providers should only receive State funding in future if they allow people with disabilities to choose their own forms of support, according to a Government policy document published yesterday.
Overall, the blueprint sets out how up to €1.5 billion in funding should be used to develop a model of care that gives people with disabilities a greater choice or control over what services they receive.
Major disparities
The National Implementation Framework is based on a value for money review of disability services in Ireland, completed last year. This found major disparities among agencies over the cost of providing the same type of services to people with disabilities.
For example, there was a gap of more than 40 per cent between the lowest and the highest annual cost of providing a high-support residential bed. The lowest cost was recorded in Dublin at €125,000, while the highest cost was in the south at €177,000.
It recommended moving toward more individualised supports for people with disabilities and providing greater oversight of how taxpayers’ money is spent.
Yesterday’s framework document gives details of a new reporting and monitoring structure for implementing the value for money report’s recommendations. It says the Health Service Executive should drive the new policy from this year onwards by requiring agencies to identify “demonstration projects” as part of their funding allocation. Funding for these “person-centred” projects should be ring-fenced and outcomes should be monitored to help develop evidence-based policies.
The report says a steering group will be chaired by a senior official from the Department of Health who will be responsible for holding the HSE’s project lead to account.
