12 January 2006 saw the launch in Cardiff of the report from a national benchmarking study into services for people with visual impairment in Wales.
Running from March 2003 to mid 2005 and coordinated by the Welsh Local Government Association and Wales Council for the Blind, the study was supported by the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS), the Welsh Assembly Government, the Social Services Inspectorate in Wales (SSiW), all 22 Welsh councils and voluntary organisations including RNIB Cymru and local societies for the blind. The project sits alongside other recent work carried out by the ADSS on developing standards for sensory disability services, and takes full account of national changes such as the introduction of the Unified Assessment Process in Wales.
The study provided a unique opportunity to conduct an assessment and comparison of current levels of capacity and performance levels across Wales. It has led to the formulation of recommendations in key areas of service, namely provision of information, referral, assessment and care planning, and services for children and young people. These recommendations, contained in a Summary Report, are accompanied by a comprehensive set of service standards on these service areas, contained in a series of Good Practice Guides, and designed to help managers and staff plan improvement in their own local areas.