South Ayrshire Council agrees to adopt learning disabilities charter

River Ayr, Ayr, South Ayrshire - Image credit: Bernard Blanc via Flickr

South Ayrshire Council has become the second* council in Scotland to adopt the National Involvement Network’s Charter for Involvement.

The charter highlights good practice for health and social care staff in involving anyone with a learning disability in designing services to suit their needs.

It has a series of 12 guidelines to ensure that anyone receiving care has more control over the help they get, highlighting the importance of independent living and being involved in their communities.

The charter was put together by the National Involvement Network (NIN), a group of people who get support from different learning disability organisations across Scotland, in 2009.

The council and the integration joint board which oversees the South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership have formally agreed to sign up to the charter. 

Councillor Rita Miller, health and social care portfolio holder for South Ayrshire Council, said: “The charter is an inspirational document and supports our commitment to putting people with learning disabilities right at the heart of decisions which affect them.

“We will continue to work with those receiving care and our partners to take the charter forward and ensure anyone with a learning disability is listened to and respected.”

*Article updated 18/11/16 to reflect correction that South Ayrshire will be the second rather than the first council to sign up to the charter, which has already been signed by Renfrewshire Council.