Public Health England, the NHS, and People with Learning Disabilities
Last week I attended a conference in Birmingham organised by Public Health England , entitled ‘Public health and people with learning disabilities: national evidence for local action’. There was a wide range of attendees, including people with learning disabilities with their carers and families, representatives from the voluntary sector and charities such as Rescare, Autistica, […]
Important Legal Challenge to How Court of Protection Appoints Welfare Deputies
We listened with interest this morning to Radio 4’s Today programme. (To be specific, the time was 8:42 am, and the relevant discussion can be heard online at time-point ‘2:42’ of the broadcast, available online at bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b90pym#playonline ). The Today programme’s interviewees were: Alex Rook, senior partner at the solicitors Irwin Mitchell, who specialises in […]
Learning disability- the deaths of patients receiving NHS treatment
It’s not as if this is a new issue; we have highlighted previously both the disturbing general statistics on people with learning disability and their experiences of the NHS i.e with regard to morbidity and life-expectancy, and specific cases of individuals entrusted to the care of medical professionals. We therefore read with interest this article […]
Treat me well – Learning disability and hospital treatment
Having alerted you to the carersUk survey, and reviewing other recently received emails, I can also bring to your attention the release of the second in a series of videos accompanying Mencap’s ongoing ‘Treat Me Well’ campaign . We are now at Episode 2 of Rachel’s story (Rachel is a young girl with learning disabilities, who […]
carersUK launches 2018 State of Caring survey
carersUK has just launched its ‘State of Caring Survey 2018‘ and is asking carers to contribute. An equivalent survey in 2017 was judged a success, on the basis that it had a significant number of contributors (over 7000) ; that it received a lot of attention in the media; and that its results were frequently cited […]
NICE publishes guidelines on people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour
On 28th March, NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) published new guidelines with the self-explanatory title “Learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges: service design and delivery“ The accompanying press release read: “Care for people with learning disabilities should be close to home wherever possible… NICE is urging councils and health bodies to make sure […]
Research suggests funding panels are used beyond their intended purpose
Our collective thanks are I think due to Rachel Carter and the investigative team at the magazine/website Community Care who have published a significant report under the headline “Social workers voice concerns over the influence of funding panels in adults’ services” The sub-header continues “Research by Community Care suggests funding panels are used beyond their […]
House of Commons marks Autism Awareness Week
It was heartening to read this transcript of a debate which took place in the Commons on 29th March . (If you have the time, please have read – it is not that long) It was initiated by Dame Cheryl Gillan, Conservative MP for Chesham and Amersham: “I beg to move, That this House notes that World Autism Awareness Week 2018 […]
Death of Rescare’s founder, Richard S Jackson MBE.
It is with deep sadness that we must inform you of the death earlier today, 29th March 2018, of Rescare’s founder, Richard Jackson. Richard was the motivating force behind the foundation of Rescare in 1984, and served Rescare in the roles of Chairman and latterly of Honorary President. Many members of Rescare will have met […]
DOLS Reform. How urgent is ‘a matter of pressing urgency’?
9th Feb 2018: Joint Committee on Human Rights launches inquiry into DOLS reform Rescare covered the issue of DOLS and the repercussions of the Cheshire West case in several articles in Resnews, our newsletter to members, in 2016 and 2017. One of the repercussions of that case was that the Court of Protection became clogged with […]