The Supported Living and Ageing Well Strategy (SLAWS) is designed to help adults of all ages that have ongoing care and support needs. This includes, but is not limited to, adults with physical impairments, mental health conditions, learning disabilities, dementia and conditions associated with ageing.
Under the chairmanship of Deputy Harwood, the Policy Council formed a cross-departmental Working Party at the end of 2013 comprising representatives of the Housing, Health and Social Services, Social Security and Treasury and Resources boards. The Working Party considered what would be needed to develop care and support services in a sustainable way for the future and, following a public consultation in July 2015 (follow this link), produced a Research Report with 29 recommendations to take this work forward. This was been appended to a Policy Letter from the Policy Council (follow this link), which was debated and approved by the States in February 2016.
The February debate was intended to be the beginning of ongoing, long-term change to bring about:
- Person-centred care with more choice and independence for the individual
- Joined-up services - service providers working together, not separately
- Effective and consistent support for carers
- Greater involvement in decision-making for those accessing care and their carers
- Greater inclusion in the community for those who need care
- A change of culture - including addressing issues such as ageism and loneliness in a co-ordinated and practical way
The Strategy also sets out ways by which the funding of services for people with ongoing care and support needs can be made more sustainable.
