Community care and learning disability
Community care services for adults can cover a wide range of care, support and activities to enable an adult to live safely and well in their local community. As the move towards more personalised care and support continues, these services and activities have become more flexible and responsive to a person’s needs.
Under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, local authorities in Scotland have legal duties to provide services in their area for people who have or have had a mental disorder, including people with learning disabilities. These are general duties about the kinds of services that the local authority must make available. It does not mean that everyone in an area will be eligible to receive these services.
Care and support services
The local authority must provide care and support services, or secure these on behalf of people living in the community, which minimise the effect of their mental disorder and which give “persons the opportunity to lead lives which are as normal as possible”.
Services designed to promote well-being and social development
The local authority must provide services which are designed to promote the well-being and development of people living in the community. This includes –
· Social, cultural and recreational activities
· Training for people over school age
· Assistance in obtaining and undertaking employment.
Assistance with travel
The local authority must provide assistance with travel to enable people to attend or take part in the above services.
The local authority has a great deal of flexibility and discretion in the shape of the service they offer. Some local authorities may provide training or social activities through a day centre. Others have moved to more community-based day services. Services and support for adults are increasingly being delivered on an individualised basis through direct payments, individual budgets and personalisation.