Letters
Write to Community Living at simonj@jarr.demon.co.uk. Note: all letters may be edited
Cut the contracts to pay and train staff
Jan Walmsley raises some interesting points and questions regarding the vagaries of self-directed support that we fought so hard for over the years (summer issue, page 19).The way to better paid and better trained staff is to pay the same amount that local authorities pay commercial providers. It seems crazy to pay a profitmaking company more for people who are doing the same job. More to the point, the additional rate paid to preferred providers generates a profit for them. That profit is money lost to the system and would be better used to pay personal assistants a decent wage,and to provide the training required to ensure good care.
Having been involved in this work since Having been involved in this work since 1984, I am astounded at the lack of common sense on the part of local authorities. They have a need to keep control over people who wish to live a life in the community, while at the same time not taking up the opportunity to provide better services for those who require them.
After all, that is what they are paid to do. We should also look at what it costs councils to deliver social services and whether there is room for savings to be made there. Perhaps we should start at the cost of staff absence through longterm sick leave and holidays. This should all be thrown into the melting pot.
In other words, we need a root and branch review on council expenditure so services can be delivered in a more cost effective way.
Les Scaife
West Lancs Peer Support
Skelmersdale
Know your rights under community care law Manchester 14 November
£120 (£110 subscribers) – Some concessions still available at half price for unwaged familiy carers, relevant students & some small local advocacy groups- enquire rosecli@btinternet.com
“Critical information for the times welive in” (feedback from attendee)
Community Living is running law seminars led by barrister and social care expert Belinda Schwehr
There will be time to discuss individual problems. All welcome l See advert on the inside front cover or on website:
https://www.cl-initiatives.co.uk/community-living-social-care-law-seminar-belinda-schwehr-14th-november-manchester/
Commissioner-think
After reading Jane Lloyd’s moving account of what happened to her sister after her service was reduced (summer issue,page 10), I feel an important point should be added to those in the article.
Commissioners should consider the impact, given a person’s history, of proposed reductions in support. If they did this, such distressing personal catastrophes might be avoided.
Rose Trustam Lancashire
Sporting prowess
In my professional role, I review care plans, risk assessments and health and safety. A recent personal experience with my brother, who has both learning and physical disabilities and uses a rollator to help him get about, was very different.
Our extended family (11 of us, including my brother) went to see our Wigan Warriors rugby league team in the grand final at Old Trafford.
On arrival, we found our disabled parking space was at the other side of the stadium from our seats. On the long walk round, my brother became tired and ended up on the floor. To the rescue came a large party of supporters from the opposition, who picked my brother up then proceeded to push and pull him round to our entrance.
When we arrived, there was no nearby disabled entrance. So, with the help of a steward, we made our way to the disabled entrance and commandeered a wheelchair, pushed by the steward to shouts of: “Excuse me, wheelchair coming through!”
Next, we found there were 13 steps up and 13 more down to our seats. A dozen enthusiastic fans, determined that a fellow supporter should see the game, insisted they carry my brother, held up high in the air in his wheelchair, up the steps. We drew the line at carrying him down and he got out of the wheelchair and the supporters helped him down and into his seat.
This showed the difference between receiving help as a family and services from an agency. We made the decision together with fellow fans and it happened. In a professional capacity, I would have been querying the planning and asking for a risk assessment. It would have made an excellent video of What Not to Do in Regard to Moving and Handling.
However, my brother talks about this very regularly as a funny and positive experience and we still laugh about it when we tell people.
Incidentally, Old Trafford and its disabled facilities are excellent, as are its stewards and ground staff.
PS Lancashire
A useful, challenging read
I just got the latest edition of Community Living. It is a great read. Thank you – loads of important, useful and challenging stuff.
It was rich reading with good contributors.
Samantha Clark Chief executive, Learning Disability England, Faversham
