NHS England has asked Sir Stephen Bubb, the Chief Executive of charity leaders network ACEVO, to chair a steering group to develop recommendations for the development of a national framework for local commissioning of community based support for people with learning disabilities. This will specifically respond to the pledge set out in the Winterbourne View Concordat.

The steering group has representativesfrom people with learning disabilities, autism and their families, from voluntary sector partners working in this field, and from senior leaders in health and care.

The first formal meeting of this steering group took place on 28 July in Richmond House, London.

The steering group agreed that by combining the expertise from the people with learning disabilities and their families, the public, voluntary, community and other sectors it will develop recommendations for a national framework for improved services for people with learning disabilities. Local Government, ADASS and provider representatives are included in the group.

The group aims to complete its work by the end of October 2014 and will deliver a report to NHS England that sets out its recommendations for national framework for commissioning services for people with learning disabilities and autism who need specialist support that can be delivered locally.

The main focus of the steering group will be:

• Recommendations for the development of the national framework – to be locally delivered
• Looking at innovative commissioning solutions, tools and levers to put the framework in place and co-commissioning with the third sector
• Looking at financial flows, including finance for capital investment in community development that will allow the national framework to be embedded.
• Reviewing options for the closure of some in-patients beds to support the delivery of community alternatives.

The steering group will be advised by two expert reference groups:

• The patient/user/carer reference group; which includes people with learning disabilities, their families and carers; and
• The social investment reference group; which includes health economists, social investors and housing and support organisations

Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said: “The steering group chaired by Sir Stephen Bubb is responsible for developing a report by the end of October 2014 which will recommend a national framework for the local commissioning of services for people with learning disabilities. The report will be developed with input and guidance from people with learning disabilities and their families, and partners working in this field.  It will create new pathways of care in the community to support people with learning disabilities to live at or near home and not in hospital.”

The group agreed that stakeholder engagement, including with service users and their families, will be a crucial part of this work and that the ultimate goal of the group is to help people with a learning disability to be supported in community settings closer to home. Over the next few weeks we will discuss with user led, self-advocacy, family carer and other interested groups how we can most effectively involve people in the development of this work and the work of the wider NHS England Learning Disability Programme Board.

• See learning disabilities for the group’s final report, published 26 November 2014.
• Steering group minutes – 28 July 2014
• Steering group Terms of Reference
• Scoping solution
• Letter to Sir Stephen Bubb
• 18 August meeting:
• Steering Group agenda
• Steering Group meeting notes (this document is no longer available here but can be found on the National Archives website)
• Paper 1 – National Framework for local commissioning
• Paper 2 – workforce development