The Comhairle has considered the findings of the options appraisal undertaken by Hall Aitken Consultants on the future direction for the OFTTI (Opportunities For Training Towards Independence) Service.

The Policy and Resources Committee of CNES  agreed that a working group be set up to take the recommendations forward. 

To help the appraisal process, meetings and consultations with key stakeholders, parents, carers and OFTTI staff took place during January and early February throughout the Western Isles.

The OFTTI Project is delivered on behalf of the Comhairle Social Work Department by Lews Castle College.

The agreement of all parties is that OFTTI requires to change.  Service users and their carers are delighted with, and appreciative of, the efforts that staff make to help them and the report highlights the commitment of staff who provide one to one care in a supportive environment.  However, the Report makes a number of key recommendations, including core services being streamlined into a new service; management of the new service being located within social work and employability services being overseen by the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership.

The report acknowledges that to develop the new service effectively a significant amount of preparation and planning work is necessary and recommends the establishment of a Transition Working Group to take this forward.  This will involve consulting with relevant local Social Enterprises, training providers and the employment services. 

The work of the Transition Working Group will include redesigning OFTTI and identifying new potential external sources of funding that will stabilise the future of these services.  Membership of the Working Group will include representatives of the existing Member Officer Working Group, NHS Eilean Siar, HIE Innse Gall, Comhairle Departments (Social Work, Sustainable Communities and Education), Lews Castle College, the voluntary sector and carer and service user representatives.

The Comhairle agreed that a detailed report, including all financial aspects on the new service, planned for implementation in January 2009, will be brought before the October 2008 series of meetings. The result of a funding bid to Fairer Scotland will be known on 12th March.

Chairman of the Community Support/Community Education Member Officer Working Group, Councilor Charlie Nicolson, said “this option appraisal was carried out within a short timescale and I am pleased that a way forward for the service has been given.  The Transition Working Group will be working closely with parents and carers and other key agencies as part of the OFTTI redesign”.

Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk