Are social care personal budgets working?
A fascinating (and important) debate in Guardian Society between Peter Beresford professor of social policy at Brunel University and Julie Stansfield, chief executive of In Control, ‘pioneers of self-directed support’. Beresford cites two recent research studies to support his argument that the government’s strategy for delivering the personalisation of social care, by giving people a “personal budget” […]
Met loses appeal against damages award to ‘ZH’ (put in handcuffs and leg restraints for jumping into a swimming pool)
Appeal judges have rejected a bid to overturn a damages award made to an autistic teenager restrained by police after jumping into a swimming pool. Last year a judge said Metropolitan Police officers had falsely imprisoned and discriminated against the boy, and awarded him £28,250. He was placed in handcuffs and leg restraints and put […]
MPs criticise Work Capability Assessments: DWP must ‘get a grip’
8th Feb 2013: In its latest report, the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee has expressed severe criciticisms of the Work Capability Assessment and its implementation by Atos. MPs stated that this had resulted in too many wrong decisions which were overturned on appeal. Its chair Margaret Hodge accused the Department for Work and Pensions […]
Work Capability Assessment for people with learning disabilities…
The writer of this blog item, and several Rescare members to our knowledge, have by now had the experience of completing form ESA50 (the precursor to a possible reassessment interview by Atos) on behalf a person with a learning disability; and thus the experience of explaining in writing or over the phone that a learning-disability […]
BBC Radio 4 Programme in Touch focuses on Benefit Changes (DLA, PIP, etc.)
The Radio 4 programme ‘In Touch’ (News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted) in its last two programmes has featured the benefit changes which will see the introduction of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) over the next three years (if the planned policy and schedule are adhered to). The first […]
Department of Health publishes ambitious Concordat: a Programme for Action
The consequences of the Winterbourne View enquiry continue to reverberate around the care sector. The DoH has now published a Concordat to which a variety of organisations and bodies have signed up:- “We (the undersigned) commit to a programme for change to transform health and care services and improve the quality of the care offered […]
The battle between councils and care home providers over fee-levels continues…
We direct you to an illuminating blog article, dated 22.01.2013, by Mithran Samuel: entitled Latest legal defeat for council over care home fees. “Redcar and Cleveland Council has become the latest to lose a legal challenge brought by a provider against the way it set care home fees this year. The case centred on the […]
MP to write to Minister re support for people with learning disabilities and their families
25th Jan 2012: the Rescare Helpline has today received this email from Rescare’s friend Charles Henley: In a recent posting on the Bulletin of my website ( http://www.learningdisabilitiesproblems.co.uk ) headed ‘The Enemy Within’ I made a desperate appeal for all who have been affected by the consequences of Government policies regarding support for people with […]
CQC has a long way to go to (re)gain public confidence
9th Jan 2013: The House of Commons Health Select Committee has now published the report on its annual accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission. It warns that the troubled health and social care watchdog for England will never command public confidence unless it develops a clearer idea of its core purpose. The primary focus […]
General Social Care Council’s role transferred to Health and Care Professions Council
Having missed the press coverage at the time (August 2012), Rescare has just noticed that The General Social Care Council has closed(!). Visitors to its website are informed that “As of 1 August 2012 the regulation of the social work profession and education has transferred to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)”. The HCPC […]