Learning Disability Coalition
Mencap have written to the East Riding Mail to complain about cuts in their area
This is in response to this article in the East Riding Mail: Click here to read the original article.
06 August 2007
Dear Editor
Re: Social care cuts will hit us hard, East Riding Mail, 26 July 2007
Mencap opposes proposed cuts in access to services
MENCAP is concerned that proposed cuts in access to East Riding Council's services (under the Fair Access to Care Policy) suggest a council that is out of touch with people with learning disability who need just a little support to live an ordinary life with independence, dignity and choice.
The purpose of the national policy is to make sure councils promote independent living, based on individual needs and preferences. It is designed to prevent the risk of neglect, abuse, harm to health, to activity and to relationships with family and friends. It is quite wrong to use it to limit funding to services only for those people with very high needs or in crisis.
"Support should be provided for people with moderate or low needs in order to maintain their independence over time for personal care, work/education/learning, social support systems and relationships, family and other social roles." (Department of Health, 2002. Fair access to care services: Guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care.)
On behalf of our members, and all people with a learning disability and their families, Mencap hopes that the council will look for alternative ways of addressing their cost problems. We support local opposition to cutting access to services, and we ask local people to support the Learning Disability Coalition petition (learningdisabilitycoalition.org.uk) to urge government to provide enough public money so that people with a learning disability have the same choices and chances as everyone else.
Yours sincerely,
David Congdon
Head of Campaigns and Policy
Information needed for a valid and meaningful consultation:-
• How many people with a learning disability are in each band of need now, and how many will there be under the proposed bands?
• How many people are now or in future not having their substantial needs met?
• How many people are now or in future not having their moderate or low needs met?
• How many people will rely on what the Council refers to as 'informal care'?
• How will these changes affect progress towards independence, dignity, choice and inclusion?
• How many families will be required to provide more support?
• Will family choice be respected if they choose not to increase their support?
• What will be the effect on families?
• How many families are at breaking point through lack of support?
• How much short term money will be saved?
• What will be the long term costs of these short term fixes that neglect the maintenance and development of independence, eg jobs and independent living?