DREAM TEAM
Learning Disabilities Innovation Fund Toolkit
The Innovation fund is a new way to fund good ideas.
This book is a guide to help you support groups to come up with new ideas that make peoples lives better.
We call this book a toolkit.
It is full of ideas and ways to help to make the new fund work for you.
Who is the toolkit for:
- Regional Partnership Boards
- Local Authorities
- Volunteers
- Carers
THE START
Background
LDIF was started by the Regional Improving Lives Partnership (RILP)
The West Wales Learning Disability Charter was used for all things that happened for LDIF.
RILP is a partnership for:
- local authorities
- the health board
- and people with learning disabilities and or autism.
It covers Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.
The Innovation Fund was led by the Dream Team supported by Pembrokeshire People First and Carmarthenshire People First.
The Dream Team and RILP made sure the Innovation Fund was coproduced.
In 2019 RILP gave funding for Pitch your Project. People with learning disabilities put forward new ideas that suited them.
Ideas like come dine with me a chance to cook and socialize together.
The funding was decided by a panel of people with a learning disability.
The Innovation Fund started from all the experience RILP got from this.
FEEDBACK
Delivering Change Together
Ensuring the meaningful involvement of people with learning disabilities and/or neurodivergent people in assessing applications for the Learning Disabilities Innovation Fund meant rethinking the approach and doing things differently. This new approach, facilitated by PPF and PAVS through the Welsh Government’s Integrated Care Fund, has delivered improved outcomes for those involved in assessing the applications, the organisations applying for funding and the people experiencing the activities provided by the funding. Having changed things for the better from themselves, I believe that the Learning Disabilities Innovation Toolkit they have developed has the potential to help many more organisations delivering care and support to involve their members in a similar way.
Kim Neyland
Strategic Partnership Manager, West Wales Regional Partnership Board
THE PROCESS
The Steps
LDIF was a co-production initiative between partner agencies and the people they support.
The Dream Team worked with PAVS to draft the Application Form and Guidance.
The LDIF was launched by the Dream Team in August 2021.
The LDIF Assessment Panel was drawn from Dream Team members who responded to an ‘expression of interest’ call.
On receipt of applications, PAVS sent applicants acknowledgement and a description of the assessment process so they knew what to expect.
Successful projects were offered support during the funding period for rounds 1 and 2.
The LDIF process followed the co-production approach which took longer and cost more. Most importantly, it gave everyone involved an equal voice.