Transforming Lives Programme and the UNCRPD

Approximately 55,000 people or 9% of all those reporting a disability in the 2016 census are in receipt of HSE-funded specialist disability services. Of these approximately 8,000 are in receipt of residential services and 18,000 in receipt of adult day services. Other supports include respite, personal assistance and home support and multi-disciplinary services The HSE has been working to reform these specialist social care disability services away from traditional models of segregated provision towards more community-based and person centred models of support. This reform process is known as Transforming Lives.

Transforming Lives aims to reform social care disability services so that they support

"people to live ordinary lives in ordinary places, as independently as possible while ensuring that the voices of service users, and their families, are heard and that they are fully involved in planning and improving services to meet their needs."

The reform underway as part of Transforming Lives will contribute to Ireland’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and in particular Article 19 – Living independently and being included in the community.

The Transforming Lives programme was established to implement the recommendations of the Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services in Ireland published in 2012.

There are a number of reform programmes underway in different areas of specialist disability social care services including:

  • The Time to Move on from Congregated Settings; A Strategy for Community Inclusion
  • The New Directions Programme in adult day services
  • The Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People
  • Personalised Budgets Demonstration Projects

We supported the work of the Department of Health in conducting the Value for Money and Policy Review through an advice paper and reviews on how social care services for people with disabilities were provided in other jurisdictions.

NDA Papers Supporting Transforming Lives

We supported the Department of Health’s 2012 Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services in Ireland and the subsequent Transforming Lives programme through research papers.

Participation in Society

Many of the elements of transforming lives such as decongregation and New Directions reform of day services lead to improved participation and progressive realisation of Article 19 of the UNCRPD.

Personalised Budgets

We are conducting an evaluation of the Government’s personalised budgets demonstration programme.

Forecasting Future Demand

We conduct research and provide advice regarding future demand for services. This provides an evidence-base that organisations responsible for policy development and implementation can use to inform their decisions.

Governance and Accountability

We conduct research and provide advice on resource allocation tools and related matters as an evidence-base that organisations responsible for policy development and implementation can used to inform their decisions.

Launch of the Moving In, Moving On Report

59:39