3rd. Int. Conference of Steps
Lidingö, 15th - 18th of May 2003
"Organisation Developement"
- Aim of the Conference
- Conference Programme
- Plenary Session I
- Plenary Session II
- Plenary Session III
- Plenary Session IV
- Documentation
Aim of the Conference
At the 3rd. International Conference in Lidingö we would like to work out clear and practical recommendations concerning the organisational structure of services in learning disabilities. Frame of reference for recommendations are the UN-Standard rules on equalisation of opportunities for people with disabilities and the EU-Charter of Civil Rights.
To continue the discussions at the Rotterdam Conference we will focus on four crucial topics in organising services on a community level to collect the knowledge and diversity represented in the expert network of STEPS and to formulate recommendations.
The four topics should cover four levels of organisation:
- the macro-level of service structures
- the internal structures of the service institutions
- the relationship to the community and
- self-determination of service users.
How to achieve this aim?
The Conference will be subdivided in four plenary sessions. Each a member of the STEPS-network will be asked to take the chair of one session. The chair would be responsible to focus and concentrate the presentations and discussion on central recommendations concerning the session's topic.
Each session will be opened by three presentations coming from different countries. Each presentation should take maximum 20 minutes and should be handed out in advance in an English version.
The four sessions will be introduced by Lars Lööw, Disability Ombudsman of Sweden, with his presentation "Services for learning disabilities according to the human rights - tasks, problems and Steps forward."
Conference Programme
- Download: Conference Programme (file-type: pdf, file-size: 34 KB)
Plenary Sessions
Session I: Macro-level of Service Structures: Mainstreaming, synergism or specialisation?
- Chair: Hector Medora
- Speakers (Presentations): Adriana Buzea, Renate Kurt-Petersen, Paul Cambridge
Abstract:
Learning disability services comprise regular health services, rehabilitation, daily care and support in
housing, assistance to work, therapy etc. The services in the five STEPS-countries are organised in very
different ways.
This session focuses on the macro-level of service structures. Recommendations concerning appropriate ways of organising services to meet peoples needs should be formulated:
- Do we need specialised services, joint services or community based health and care centres?
- Which services provide equal access? Are there obstacles to mainstream services?
- How could a complex social welfare and health system be developed in user-friendly services?
- Which services provide a good risk-management?
These are only some questions to show the significance of the topic of "Macro-level of Service Structures - mainstreaming, synergism or specialising?".
Users with severe learning disabilities and users with severe health or psychiatric indications should be taken in consideration as well as users with mild disabilities.
- Download: Paper by Adriana Buzea (english) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 84 KB)
- Download: Paper by Paul Cambridge (english) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 112 KB)
- Download: Paper by Renate Kurt-Petersen (german) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 46 KB)
Session II: Structures of service providing organisations - foundations, cluster-trusts, holdings or whatever?
- Chair: Dorothee Bittscheidt
- Speakers (Presentations): Wolfgang Kraft/Birgit Schulz, Kent Ericsson, Bart Branderhorst
Abstract:
In STEPS, there are different kinds of organisations represented: from huge trusts, traditional
"stichtings" (foundations) to community based services.
This session should focus on appropriate organisational structures in service providing organisations. In the face of economic pressure, European developments and rationalisation the providers tend to build big trusts and holdings.
- Are they appropriate to the users and do they meet the requirements of community based services?
- Which structures guarantee the fulfilment of human rights?
- "Small is beautiful", was a slogan in the 80th. Is it still relevant or are cluster-trusts a new way to provide individual services, clustering smaller units under one roof?
- What are the dangers concerning individual needs and local knowledge?
- Download: Paper by Bart Branderhorst (english) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 27 KB) (spanish)
- Download: Paper by Kent Ericsson (english) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 40 KB) (spanish)
- Download: Paper by Wolfgang Kraft (english) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 19 KB) (german) | (spanish)
Session III: Community Support, Community Living, Living Community
- Chair: Michael Tüllmann
- Speakers (Presentations): Kerstin Lundberg, Peter Peeters, Assumpció Pujol
Abstract:
Services based on the Human Rights demand regional, local structures and a tolerant and integrative
community and neighbourhood. Thus community development and community involvement are required from
service providing organisations and local authorities/administrations as well as from
community networks.
- How could service providing organisations co-operate with the community, the families and neighbourhoods?
- What could the organisations bring in the community?
- How could they increase the acceptance of the people with learning disabilities in the community to reduce the risk for them?
This session should recommend useful methods and structural elements. It should focus on attitudes and structures to open the service providers to the community, involved in neighbourhood building and encouraging inclusion.
This session should recommend service structures capable of supporting community in a double sense of community living.
- Download: Paper by Assumpció Pujol (english) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 33 KB) (spanish)
- Download: Paper by Kerstin Lundberg (english) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 22 KB) (spanish)
- Download: Paper by Peter Peeters (english) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 32 KB) (spanish)
Session IV: How to meet the needs of the people with learning disabilities?
- Chair: Patricia Ericsson
- Speakers (Presentations): Michael Langhanky, Zenobia Nadirshaw, Josep Tresseras
Abstract:
This session should focus on person centred user support to get adequate services according to the
person's needs and wishes and to control the service providing organisations. The user should be
empowered to claim personal integrity and dignity and to fight for his or her rights.
- How could equal access to services be guaranteed to different user-groups (ethnic minorities, women, homosexuals)?
- Wow could cultural identity and self-determination be safeguarded and supported in the services?
- Do we need independent advocats or do they already exist?
- How could they receive and maintain necessary influence and power?
- Does advocacy increase costs and the complexity of service structures or the number of professionals?
- Is it possible to control local authorities/administrations and service providing organisations according to human rights?
We want to get a recommendation towards a clear understanding of person centred user support in a strict sense.
- Download: Paper by Zenobia Nadirshaw (english) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 30 KB) (spanish)
- Download: Paper by Josep Tresseras (english) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 26 KB) (spanish)
Documentation
- Link to the Documentation of the Conference: Documentation |