Update on the CQC and A Fresh Start (for inspecting adult social care services)
On 15th October , the newly appointed Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care, Andrea Sutcliffe, outlined her priorities for transforming how the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will monitor, inspect and regulate care homes and other adult social care services, with a greater focus on public involvement and improvement. Her plans and priorities were to be […]
Senior judge pledges to end culture of secrecy at family courts (incl. Court of Protection)
The issue of secrecy within the courts of the Family Division, including the Court of Protection, is NOT a new one. The campaign the reform the court rules, on which transactions and decisions of these courts may be revealed publicly, has previously been supported by The Times, The independent, The Daily Mail and others. […]
Audit Commission: Tough Times 2013, but tougher times ahead
28th Nov 2013: In its latest research, ‘Tough Times 2013’, The Audit Commission has concluded that Councils are running out of room to protect adult social care from significant cuts, despite having done so since the government’s spending reduction programme began. Spending on adult care in England – net of service user charges – will […]
Parliamentary progress of the Children and Families Bill
The following letter appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 26th October 2013: Autism and education SIR – Next week, members of the House of Lords will discuss a crucial amendment to the Children and Families Bill. If adopted, it will mean local authorities will make decisions about whether to support disabled young people in education […]
Online petition: Save Learning Disability Studies UoM
Manchester University intends to discontinue its Learning Disability Studies (LDS) course as of next academic year. This decision has prompted criticism and protests within and outside the university.The full story of the closure is available here in an article in the mancunianmatters online news service; and several critical observations on Twitter https://twitter.com/SaveLDS_UoM , from people […]
Learning Disability Studies to end at Manchester University
The decision by Manchester University to discontinue its Learning Disability Studies (LDS) course as of next academic year has prompted criticism and protests within and outside the university. The full story of the closure is available here in an article in the mancunianmatters online news service. The controversy has prompted several critical observations on Twitter […]
Oxfordshire County Council: Don’t take my brother’s home away (#JusticeforJames)
When Oxfordshire County Council proposed a cut in the care funding for James, aged 25, who has Down’s Sydrome and learning disabilities, his sister Alana Inness organised an online petition at change.org asking Oxfordshire to reconsider their proposal, which had resulted in James being threatened with eviction from the house in which he has been living, […]
Charity spending: a question of priorities
Rescare member, Duncan Drown, has written to tell us that, following the publication of a letter in The Times last year signed by the heads of several prominent charities – Learning Disability Coalition (Anthea Sully), People First (Andrew Lee), Mencap (Mark Goldring), National Autistic Society, National Forum for People with Learning Difficulties, Down’s Syndrome Association, […]
Justice for James…
A campaign organised by Alana Inness via change.org on behalf of her brother James has ‘forced’ Oxfordshire County Council to respond to an online petition which has attracted nearly 150,000 signatures. The council proposed a cut in the care funding for James, aged 25, who has Down’s Sydrome and learning disabilities. The ultimate effect of […]
Just a question of terminology? A Rescare member writes…
The following letter from Rescare member Duncan Drown was submitted to the Guardian earlier this year. To the Editor of the Guardian Re the article in the Society Section 14.8.13: would the often demanding and complex needs of the children described be bettered served if the term used to describe them were changed from the […]