News update and briefing area
News update and briefing area |
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(Apr 08) Government publishes Independent Living strategy. The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) has published its promised new strategy on independent living. It contains bold commitments, including "to deliver full and equal citizenship for disabled people" and giving disabled people greater choice and control over the support they need. Here's the executive summary.
(Mar 08) Twice as many care workers needed. The number of people working in adult care needs to nearly double by 2025 to meet the growing demand, says the workforce agency Skills for Care. The rise in highly personalised care support, including that provided by Direct Payments, means many more workers need to be attracted into the sector and given access to training and a better infrastructure. More info from this SfC news release.
(Feb 08) Eligibility criteria to be reviewed. A national review is starting into the way councils and other agencies decide who receives social care services. The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) has reported big inconsistencies in eligibility criteria across the country and a sharp divide between people qualifying for help and those left out. The Department of Health has asked CSCI to conduct the review and report back in the autumn. More info from this DH news release.
(Jan 08) Government steps up pressure for social care reform. Local authorities are being given a clearer lead – and tough targets – for personalising their social services. The government has issued instructions and funding allocations to councils for establishing self-directed support as the standard provision of social care. The direction is clear – to increase the uptake of Direct Payments and make sure that everyone needing care services has a personal budget, gets maximum choice and control over the support provided, and can expect a fair and transparent allocation of resources. More info from this DH circular.
(Dec 07) Wider commitment to self-directed support. Six government departments plus the main organisations representing local authorities, the care sector and other leading agencies have signed a joint commitment to promoting independent living. The Department of Health is funding Putting People First, described as a "social care reform concordat", which is essentially a joint declaration to expand self-directed support. It has been welcomed for its cross-department commitment but criticised for the way its launch was used as a government publicity scam falsely suggesting that the concept is new. More info from http://www.dh.gov.uk
(Nov 07) More social service cuts inevitable. Government figures secured by the Learning Disability Coalition reveal that vulnerable people are finding it harder to get help from their local authorities. More and more councils are rationing support by only providing social care to those people with very high levels of need. They are changing eligibility criteria so they don't have so many people on their books. The coalition's co-chair, Dame Jo Williams of Mencap, said: "The figures show the true extent of the crisis in social care." More info from http://www.mencap.org.uk
(Nov 07) NCIL updates independent living campaign. The National Centre for Independent Living (NCIL) has updated its campaign "Our lives, our choices", which represents a coalition of disabled people, carers and related organisations. A central part of the campaign is to try to secure progress of the Disabled Persons (Independent Living) Bill through Parliament so that it becomes law as soon as possible. More info from http://www.ncil.org.uk/campaigns.asp
(Oct 07) New commission to cover disability rights. The Disability Rights Commission no longer exists. Its role has been absorbed into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission. The former DRC chairman Bert Massie is a commissioner at the new organisation, and Jane Campbell, a former DRC commissioner and ILA conference speaker, has also become an EHRC commissioner and chairs its disability committee. More info from www.equalityhumanrights.com