Council and democracy

Learning Disabilities (JCT)

We are a small team of people within the Joint Commissioning Team who plan, develop and commission learning disability services. We report to the Joint Commissioning Partnership Board and work with the Learning Disability Partnership Board and the Learning Disability Strategic Commissioning Group to take our work forward.

In Hertfordshire, £112m per year is spent on learning disability services. Most of this money commissions learning disability services from Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust and Adult Care Services. We also commission services from other Health Trusts and from the private and voluntary sector.

We have an agreed strategy (plan) for learning disability services in Hertfordshire. This details how we plan and develop services in line with Valuing People and other government guidance. Valuing People was published in 2001 and is the government's plan for making the lives of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers better.

Our strategy and Valuing People are based on people with learning disabilities having:

• Their rights as a citizen.

• Inclusion in local communities.

• Choice in daily life.

• Real chances to be independent

The Learning Disability Partnership Board is a group of representatives from health, social care, joint commissioning, district councils, employment, education, Connexions, Learning and Skills Council, advocacy services, Carers in Hertfordshire, Mencap and housing and care providers along with people with learning disabilities and carers. The Board is responsible for making sure that we have good plans for learning disability services in Hertfordshire and that we put these into practice.