There are no current
active PASTEL campaigns, but we are always willing to consider
causes which help Carers and/or those with learning difficulties
and/or disabilities.
Have
your say on eligibility criteria!
New figures have revealed
a widespread tightening of eligibility criteria. But the
system for deciding who is entitled to services is being reviewed.
The Learning Disability
Coalition has revealed new statistics showing that councils
led by all 3 of the main political parties are reducing the
number of people eligible for social care. The figures reveal
that 79% of Conservative councils, 72% of Labour councils
and 55% of Liberal Democrat councils plan to only provide
services for those with critical or substantial needs by the
end of April 2008.
Mencap's chief executive,
Dame Jo Williams, said: "The fact that so many councils are
only providing support for those with the most severe needs
shows the urgent need for more money from central government."
These figures were
released just days after the Commission for Social Care Inspection
(CSCI) began its review of Fair Access to Care Services,
the current system for deciding who is eligible for social
care services.
As part of this review,
CSCI has launched a consultation, which will run until 9 May.
They are welcoming written submissions and have launched an
online survey.
Take part in the
CSCI survey
Go to the CSCI
website for information on the review and to take
part in the online survey.
- If I could change one thing… That's the question the
Every Disabled Child Matters campaign asked more than 800
children, young people and their parents. The report, published
in September, found:
The top
three things children and young people wanted to change were:
* to have more fun things to do
* more respect for disabled people
* to make it everyone's right to get a good education
The top
three things parents wanted to change were:
* to not have to fight for basic support
* to be included in their communities
* to get education to meet their child's needs
Patrick,
one of the young people responded:
‘I get fed up because there aren't enough places to go with
suitable activities for young people, especially teenagers
who have learning difficulties, like me. If there were places
with lots of different things to do, I wouldn't be stuck at
home with my mum and dad or on the computer all the time like
I am now.'
One parent
commented:
‘I would change things so that we actually get the services
and equipment we are entitled to without having to
a) find
out about it by chance
b) fight
till we are exhausted
c) have
to go begging.'
To find out more
about this campaign:
Every Disabled
Child Matters
c/o Council for Disabled Children
National Children's Bureau
8 Wakley Street
London EC1V 7QE
tel: 020 7843 6448
info@edcm.org.uk
The Learning Disability
Coalition is conducting a nationwide survey into the experiences
of people with learning disabilities.
The survey - called 'Tell it like it is' - gives people with
learning disabilities the chance to tell us how cuts to services
are affecting them. The information we receive will give us
the information that we need to take our case to the government
effectively.
The survey has been written to be accessible as possible and
is designed for people with learning disabilities to fill
in either on their own or with support.
You can download
a copy of the form here (word document) or if you would
rather be sent a hard copy of the form, please email info@learningdisabilitycoalition.org.uk
with your postal address.
November 22, 2007
This morning,
the Learning Disability Coalition released figures to
the national media, including the BBC, which reveal
the extent to which local authorities are reducing access
to care for vulnerable people.
At our request, the figures were obtained from the Commission
for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).
Here are some of the key points of our findings:
- 73% of councils are predicted to support only people
with critical or substantial needs by the end of the
financial year
- Three councils will only help people with critical
needs
- The number of councils who are planning to only
support people with substantial or critical needs
is to rise from 53% to 62% - with over 12 councils
planning to change their eligibility criteria this
year alone
Karen Flood, co chair of the Learning Disability Coalition
and the National Forum for People with Learning Disabilities,
said: "In spite of good policies from Government, the
message is clear - people with a learning disability are
low in their list of priorities and there is just not
enough funding for basic services for people to live safely.
"We must make sure that the review of adult
social care is based on sound evidence about the real
level of demand."
The Coalition will continue to campaign to stop these
cuts. You can support us by signing
up to our online petition if you haven't already
done so.
For more information about the findings, please visit
www.learningdisabilitycoalition.org.uk
With best
wishes ,
Heather Honour
Campaign manager
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- Meanwhile PASTEL is sponsoring the "Saxmundham Community"
website (www.saxcom.org.uk
),
which focuses on
promoting local voluntary and community groups, and partnerships,
who serve the local IP17 post code area, in the Suffolk Coastal
district of East Suffolk.
It also helps those
local residents looking for sources of information, news,
advice and support for local needs, as met by the local voluntary
and community groups.
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