At long last the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is speaking out about the state of care in the UK and especially the crisis in Social Care, which justifies the need for the petition I created, Solve the crisis in Social Care, https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/solve-the-crisis-in-social-care.
By signing and sharing the petition it will add more weight to the CQC report.
Social Care is just as important as Health Care, but does not receive the support is should do.
With this in mind please could I mention that the forthcoming Budget is an important opportunity to address the crucial issue of funding for Social Care, but will it.
Boris has promised, but will he keep his promise and even if money is made available will it be sufficient.
Boris has now mentioned it will take 5 years to get the funding, Social Care can not wait that long.
Boris needs to be told this is not good enough, so it is essential we keep the pressure on Boris and my petition ‘Solve the crisis in Social Care could be the means.
Please see below
We now have the New Year 2020.
However, if the ‘Crisis in Social Care’ is not Solved soon there will not be many more New Years for the care, required for persons in need of care, to be provided by Local Authorities due to their lack of funding. This will then have a much greater impact on health care provision, which is itself in crisis.
I have therefore created my latest petition, please follow the link
Due to years of austerity cuts to Local Authorities, these authorities are having to spread more thinly, each year the amount of money they have all over the many areas of their responsibilities and Social Care is one of those areas.
But each year with an aging population and more persons with disabilities living longer, the people needing Social Care is increasing while the money available to help care for these needs is reducing.
In addition there is an increasing need for employed carers to provide the care the people with these needs require. But there is a shortage of people wishing to come into care and why is this?
The rate of pay within the care industry is abysmal for most employed carers receive a wage based on the *National Living Wage, currently £7.83, which will increase to £8.21 on the first of April 2019.
Being an employed carer is more than, cleansing, washing, dressing and meal preparation, as they are, in many instances, one of the few people that the people with care needs see.
Also there could be instances where the employed carer needs to deal with financial responsibilities, provide emotional support, manage prescriptions and administer medication, monitor Safeguarding and many more areas of responsibility and paying just the National Living Wage is not sufficient to cover all these responsibilities.
It is therefore, that the Living Wage would be more near a level to pay, but Local Authorities do not have the finance to pay this, currently and therefore this current Government needs to take this on board and increase the funding to Local Authorities.
FLASh (Families Lobbying & Advising Sheffield) are concerned about the continuance of Social Care within the UK.
The Care Industry is in a state of crisis as there is insufficient funding from Local Authorities to Care Service Providers to pay the carers they employ a wage of sufficient amount for the work these carers are required to provide which matches the responsibilities they have to undertake to the persons to whom they are providing care to.
These Local Authorities have, for many years, under this current Tory Government, been subjected to austerity cuts to the funding they receive from this Government, which impacts on the money these authorities have available to provide this funding.
Therefore, FLASh have created an EPetition ‘Pay all employed Carers the Living Wage.
Please view this EPetition and seriously consider signing the EPetition and then verify your signature though the link provided in the email you will receive. Until your signature is verified your signature will not be activated.
The EPetition ‘Pay all employed Carers the Living Wage’ can be accessedhere.
Once you have verified your signature please could you share this EPetition with your colleagues, friends and any other connections.
Please also forward to your MP and your Local Councillors.
Thank you for your support.
If you wish to know more about FLASh a link to their website is here. If you are a family carer in Sheffield for someone with a Learning Disability or Autism and you wish to become a member of FLASh and/or attend the monthly meetings please advise your email address to flashld575@gmail.com
Chris Sterry, Vice-chair of FLASh issues his own Newsletter, on at least a monthly basis. To receive this Newsletter on a regular basis please email Chris on ldcarersbuttygroup@gmail.com and a copy of the Newsletter can be accessed here.
At the start of this co-production Rachael enquired through Sheffield Mencap & Gateway for carers of persons with Learning Disabilities to work with her on her PHd project. During the last 18 months we have had regular meetings at the University of Sheffield on how we would proceed with this project and what our initial outcomes would be. Initially through general discussions, which Rachael was recording, it became clear that the recurring situations was around carers communications with the range of Service Providers. Within the context of Service Providers it included Sheffield Adult Social Care through Sheffield City Council, various health providers ( being GPs, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Community Health, and many other health areas) together with the independent Care Providers including charities, voluntary and private independent providers.
So that we were not restricted around our own views we decided to create 2 surveys, 1 to be completed by LD carers reflecting on their interactions with Service Providers and the other survey to be completed by Service Providers reflecting on their interactions with LD Carers. The surveys were created on Survey Monkey and during their creation we had a number of meeting to discuss how these were to be formed, the number of questions to be included and the specific questions. When we were all satisfied with both surveys they went live on Survey Monkey and electronic links were disseminated through our various range of contacts within Sheffield, UK.
We also discussed how we wished to to use the information from these surveys in addition to the original outcome for Rachael’s thesis. and decided we would wish to do this in a form of a presentation. We looked at possible dates and venues and obtained costings and also viewed each venue and then using co-production decided which venue to book and how we would advertise the event and provide a means for LD Carers and Service Providers to book to attend the event, which we did through Eventbrite and agreed on a format for a flyer and a website (Carer Voice) and the event title being Carer Voice Working Together.
Carer Voice ‘Working Together’, The Presenters from left to right, Chris Sterry, Judith Gwynn, Rachael A Black and Kate ChapmanCarer Voice ‘Working Together’, Presenter Rachael A Black Stating the Principles of Co-productionCarer Voice ‘Working Together’ Carers and Service Providers working togetherCarer Voice ‘Working Together’ Presenter Judith Gwynn answering questions at the end of the PresentationCarer Voice ‘Working Together’ Presenter Kate Chapman answering questions
Carer Voice Final Notes
Thank you for coming today and now you have seen the presentation and been involved in the workshops in which carers and service providers have worked together. This is how it should be for we are all here for the same reason, to ensure vulnerable persons, be they be our relatives or not, have provision to ensure their needs are met and they can then led their own lives.
Communication is but one key, but an extremely important key and without it all that is there can fail.
With this in mind I facilitate a support group LD Carers Butty Group, also known as Central group or Butty Group, where there is also a website LD Carers Butty Group and a mailing/distribution list. There are other support groups and details of these can be obtained from the Carers Centre and from Cathy and Kirsty from Sheffield Mencap & Gateway (Sharing Caring Project).
If you wish to be included in the mailing/distribution list please advise your email address. While this was produced with carers in mind, it does not mean that service providers cannot be included. Information sent will include areas relating to disability both local and national as well as notes for the support meetings.
Lunch is now ready and there are some leaflets from a selection of providers please view and take away and continue to network throughout lunch.
Do not forget to put on a post it the message you are taking away from this event and an evaluation form will be emailed to you, please return with your comments.
Our thanks to
University of Sheffield, Department of Human Communication Sciences for funding the event
Sheffield Central Fire Station for the room
Healthwatch Sheffield for the pens
Carer Voice ‘Working Together’, Chris Sterry giving the closing statement
After the Carer Voice : Working Together event we sent the following email to everyone who attended the event and also to those persons who could not attend but did express an interest in the event.
“We just wanted to get in touch to give you an update on the work we are doing following the Working Together Event in October.
As a group we have met once to go through the feedback and will be meeting again in December. Where we will start drafting some standards and guidelines for communication between family carers and providers of service based on the information you gave us.
In early 2018 we will email these to you for your feedback. If you would not like to receive these emails then please do let me know and I will remove your name form the mailing list.
We are also planning to pull together a small working group in the New Year to ensure the standards are accessible and practical. If you would be interested in being in this group, please do let us know. It will consist of 2 to 3 meetings at the University of Sheffield.
Please also find attached some information about care workers in the independent and charity sector and the flu vaccine which we hope will be of use to you.
If you would be interested in receiving a copy of the presentation we gave on the day please do get in touch and I will send this to you.
We have now met in December and have started drafting some standards and guidelines for communication between family carers and providers of services based on the information given to us during the Carer Voice : Working Together event.
The draft documents were produced.
So we could enage with service providers we held 3 meetings.
Intialy we met with representatives of Sheffield Adult Social Carer and Sheffield City Council Commissioning who viewed the documents and made some comments regarding some minor alterations.
The second meeting was with some service care providers who also made some contructive comments.
The final meeting was with representatives of Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, who also welcomed the documents and wished to use these in conjunction the their ‘For Pete’s Sake’ campaign’ and offered us a 15 minute presentation slot in the Assistive Technology event on the 28 June 2018.
Chris gave the presentation at the event and it was very appreciated by the atendees.
This should have always been so, but was not originally from 1948 as doctors were generally male and nurses being female, so in one context or the other same sex examination was not possible due to the genders not being there.
While doctors these days could ideally be male or female, nursing to a large extent is still mainly female, but more males are coming forward.
The male and female gender for doctors and nurses was a relic of the Victorian era and change was not readily accepted, by the professions and some patients, but these days, hopefully there is a more forward outlook.
However, there are major shortages of both doctors and nurses and many other professionals, so even now the constitution changes may not always be possible, and the way recruitment, if also retention is going it is becoming more difficult as time goes on. But that is political and financial all due to government interventions and also too much government interventions, too little when required and too much when not required, but then that is politics.
In an ideal world all would be possible but then when is there ever ideal, perhaps never is my observations.
This is one more scandal which goes back many years and many deaths have occurred and shows how our much trusted NHS should not really have been trusted many years ago. We still have many problems of trust today as there is still too much secrecy, when transparency should be there and much more honesty.
We currently have many shortages today and shortage of blood supplies was apparently used for obtaining infected blood from America in the 1970/80s and in some cases used when there was some knowledge that it could have been infected. Apparently then research justified the need for the research to be undertaken, we are told and at times could be still today.
The use of people, especially children, being used as ‘Guinea Pigs’ was wrong then and is still so today.
So sorry to hear of the death of Samantha Davis and my thoughts are with Warwick and hid daughter Annabelle. I can appreciate how they are feeling, as I lost my own wife in September 2020 followed by our adult disabled daughter in October 2022.
People say that grief in all its forms dissipates to a degree over time, but I am not sure for it only takes similar occurrences to happen even with people I am not in personal contact with and in instances similar occurrences in dramas and soaps and others for it bring back all the emotions. perhaps the time elapsed with me is still considered short, but really I feel the grief is always there, but perhaps you may manage to deal with it better.
What I do say is don’t be problematic with showing your grief outwardly even in public for to contain it within is far from good. Grief is a normal emotion, but normal is different with everyone of us. If you do feel you need help then please endeavour to obtain for it does help in some degrees, but not all the time and the degrees of dealing will differ to who we are.
Grief will come to every one of us from time to time and each occasion could well be different in some respects. There is no set time period and in many instances, it could be with us forever in varying degrees.
Again my thoughts are with Warwick and Annabelle and any others too.
However, while the above are but 2 examples with the former including more than 900 Sub Postmasters, but, those are not my personal experience.
While mine didn’t include imprisonment the experience was horrendous and in total includes thousands if not millions, but in effect,t there aren’t specific numbers.
For this incorporates social care and while mine was adult social care there could well be equal numbers within children’s social care.
I wasn’t in need of adult social care but the adult disabled daughter of my wife was.
My involvement started in 1984 when I joined my wife to be family. A single parent with 2 daughters and a son. By my meeting my wife-to-be in 1984 the son was leaving the family home to start his own family. So my experience is just about my to-be-wife and her 2 daughters with from 1984 myself.
I have a short about 4 minutes video that has been produced within a university project which will include a number of unpaid family carers. My video has been completed and is available, while the other videos are being finalised.
The other videos with other family carers will be ready for viewing later this year when the project will be finalised and the research will be available in various research source areas.
I have been given authorisation to provide viewings of my video which can be viewed below. As it includes mentioning deaths there is a warning at the start of the video.
Please view as you wish.
As I state it starts with my life in 1984 when I met my wife-to-be at which time I wasn’t aware of her family until I decided to join her.
I was in my early mid-thirties and my proposed wife was slightly older than myself. I joined her family having no experience of any knowledge of disabilities or any dealings with public authorities.
Due to this I initially accompanied my prospective wife and just observed, not making comments within the various meetings.
I was gaining knowledge and didn’t wish to cause any problems with my lack of knowledge and could well comment and make difficult areas worse. It soon became obvious that nothing could make it worse for the system did that itself. After some months my prospective wife was not able to attend the next meeting so I attended alone to meet the various professional officials attending from health and social care. They were surprised I was alone and it was obvious that they believed I wouldn’t cause any difficulties as they previously hadn’t heard from me except my initial introductions. They believed my input would be minimal so at the start I spoke to each official in turn commenting on what I believed their roles were and to some extent what I had I observed from the previous meetings. They soon found out I wasn’t the patsy they believed I was.
I took on the system and in future meetings both my proposed wife and myself worked as a team, we had some differences in approach but we both wanted similar outcomes. My disabled daughter was just about to commence what is termed transitionns from children’s social care to adult social care. It was clear this in itself was a difficult process due the 2 systems and found out later by communicating with other family carers that difficulty was far from it for it was more than difficult at times seeming impossible to create any reasonable outcomes.
I was finding out that with our disabled daughter’s conditions, she wasn’t just classed as being disabled her classification was complex needs due to her multiple physical, severe learning and a sensory disabilities. Much later in our daughter’s life when I learned about autism I knew she was also autistic but initially didn’t proceed with a formal diagnosis as I felt I didn’t wish her to have another label.
It was clear from the start that if you didn’t challenge then more than likely you didn’t get most of what was required. I originally believed that systems were there to help, but it soon became clear that the systems were there to hinder and you couldn’t fully believe what you were advised and never fully advised. For if you weren’t aware what could be available you were hardly ever advised what was. A Catch 22, being you had to ask for what you weren’t aware was there to be asked for.
It appeared that there were physical disability services and also learning disability services and physical were reluctant to take our daughter due to her learning disabilities and learning disabilities due to her physical disabilities. This was for day services provision as at school which was a special needs school not mainstream was a 5 days provision but not so for any adult day service provision which could be from 1 day or any to 5.
A supposed 1-year assessment process progressed to 2 years due to the problems that occurred due to the inability of both learning and physical disability day provisions to accommodate our daughter. It was eventually solved by my daughter going to a day service for the elderly reluctantly by the assessment process, although the elderly day service facility had no problem to accommodate our daughter and neither did she or ourselves. the problem was the assessment process due the age gap between my daughter and the elderly attending the day service, which was no problem for my daughter had no awareness regarding age and if the day service and people attending had no objections then there was no problem and there never was. In fact, it was the best day service provision she ever attended, which can’t be said for any others she attended.
When the elderly day service closed, supposedly on a temporary basis for a roof repair, but never reopened she was transferred to other day services. Even tough being told the elederly day service would reopen I assumed would never be be the case, even though reassurances were given it would reopen.
But now having gained some knowledge of the system and how it should work but never does, it came as no surprise to me.
Up until my daughter’s death I was ever present to ensure that my daughter obtained what she needed for her to live a reasonable life, but it was never easy on either myself or my wife for it was forever a fight and in most instances a fight of wills. I never gave in to the authorities and challenged them on ever occasion when needed. Any of the services granted could have at any time be partly or fully withdrawn due to my actions, but never did, unlike I know it did with other families. Perhaps I knew the system better than others and in some instances much better than those who were supposedly administering the system.
Even though no longer an active carer I am still involved in many areas and my local authority do come to me to engage my involvement to change or create new services for they know I am prepared to speak out and those in some degree of authority don’t scare me, never did when my daughter was around and certainly not now. My sole objective is to endeavour to make services better for those in need of services, which is what the systems should be, which is person-centred but the services and the authorities are institution-centred which is completely wrong. The lack of sufficient finance would be one major reason, but in many instances it may not be fully as it is administering the system in how it should be even if fully financed.
As said finance is a major factor, but not always, but lack of suitable and relevant communication will be with all parties and in many instances within the same department. This is even so when I found out from the person I was speaking to that they were sitting next to the person who would be administering the next part, but communication was virtually non-existent, that was ridiculous but it could be present more often than not.
The other major reason is people administering the system or their part of the system in having no knowledge of how their part comes to them and its importance, and where it goes to next and its importance and the importance of their part. Everyone should have some knowledge of the full system and the importance of every part. But the working is in what I call ‘silos‘.
That is part of the LA system which is generally as it is in all LAs but there may be some differences, but hardly any that could benefit the person at the centr, the person in need of care of the service. This person is the whole reason the system is there but they are often treated as a non-entity and many times as the problem which they are never are and should never be treated as so for the problem will always be the system, lack of finance and knowledge.
In my dealings with my LA and certain Officers who were stating information that I know is wrong or not fully correct, but in their belief, they are always correct so will not be willing to accept challenges. In those instances, I have at times left it as it is rather than leave with aggression, but in many instances just referred up to the next line of management, in which there are many in LAs, and don’t accept until I get the agreement I wanted.
In at least one instance where I had raised a formal complaint that had been in process for some months and when I then met the senior manager, who had been instructed to investigate the complaint and explain the problems it was sorted in seconds with a comment, if it had been referred directly to them at the outset then much time would have been saved and the resulting costs involved.
When I have complained it was hardly ever about individuals but the system, which most people agree is far from fit for purpose.
My employment background was in many respects in finance and some areas of management and dealing with systems, so in some respects I could have had some advantage in my dealings. I also am aware there are many ways to put forward the same requests, how to word and communicate and be prepared to challenge. I could have come unstuck many times for my daughter, but didn’t, perhaps I was lucky and in this my daughter’s life was better. More was really required, but you do need to know when to accept or not and that could well be different on every occasion.
Authorities have to listen more and understand better and this is even more so with regards to the government, but then the government appears too not to want to listen and much more so not understand.
Pay scales in virtually all areas of employment in the UK are way below what they should be, especially in areas of public services and in private employment areas where financing is from public areas.
In many areas, this public financing comes from Local Authorities, (LAs) who in turn are partly financed by the government and since 2010 these LAs have been seriously underfunded by the government and still are.
Many LAs are declaring bankruptcy, currently around 5 LAs and many others are very close to doing so.
So, my thoughts are with the social workers of London borough’s mental health teams, but they are one of many in all areas of LAs employment.
Some LAs may be and may have been less than prudent concerning finance, but the real culprits are the government and not just this government, but many previous governments both Labour and Tory.
The UK is in a mess it is because of many years of underinvestment and not just in public sectors but also in some private sectors too. Money by the government, LAs and others has been spent where it shouldn’t have been and not where it should have for many years, well before 2010, but 2010 till now has made serious problems much more serious.
But are lessons being learned, no and they never are, because to learn there has to be a willingness to learn and in the government, this is embarrassing absent.
According to reports now, this government is considering reducing LA funding even more, perhaps, to fund some cuts in taxation which itself is extremely high.
Many in employment feel they have no option but to strike, but in doing so they are penalising people who have no power to give those underpaid more and will, in effect seriously affect people in the UK who have less than nothing, the poor, disabled and vulnerable.
What is the answer, well getting a government that cares, but after all these years that appears to be an impossibility and I feel the next government will be just as bad, no matter what they say.
But, really it is not just the UK as some world events do have some play in these circumstances, but that doesn’t solve the problems of lower pay and chronic underinvestment in the UK.
Anywhere you look there is chronic underinvestment in rail, road, water, energy, environment and many others.
Some in the UK are well-paid, CEOs of large organisations, high-end legal professionals, and for what they do or more importantly what they don’t do Government Ministers and MPs.
Wealth in the UK needs to be distributed better, but if it is then those who are wealthy could just leave the UK for they have the wealth and power to do so and the poor, disabled and vulnerable will never be able to do so. So, those whose needs are not being catered for will always be cast aside and unfortunately striking just adds to this.
So, there has to be a better way to obtain what is required so that all benefit more equally and effectively and that can only be done by everyone being less selfish and everyone in the UK be there for everyone.
It is what a democracy should be, but in the process of time and events occurring democracy has been cast aside to a large degree, but we still say we are a democratic country, which in many ways we aren’t.
We distrust all around us and this is one of the problems, but those in power have acted against us for years and so distrust has forever been increasing. Has there ever been trust, well who knows, perhaps there could have been in the being of time, but that was many centuries ago.
Of all the areas of ruling perhaps the concept of communism comes closest, however, when the human element becomes involved even in communism there are the elites the ones who have been allowed to gain power and with the power they then use that power to gain wealth. Just look at the dictators in the communist countries for they are all extremely wealthy and so powerful until they are deposed. Then those who are deposed then take the power and gain the wealth, a neverending event.
None of this gets better wages for those on low pay rates, so should there be compulsory arbitration and the outcomes have to be accepted by all concerned parties?
I may not really understand, but why in many organisations are pay negotiations done separately for different categories of employees, surely one pay scale should be there for everyone. When I say everyone, I mean everyone from the people at the top to those at the bottom. Why should a CEO be treated differently than those on lower rates of pay? Surely that would be true equality.
Say in the NHS one pay rate negotiation for every employee and not different for Consultants, Junior doctors, Nurses, clerical, cleaners, technicians and others. Similar for LAs and others.
In doing so, the government needs to create a starting pay rate for everyone so that the least paid can live reasonably which no one can on the National Living Wage and maybe not even the Real Living Wage. Have welfare benefits that are realistic and not demeaning which they are currently and taxation which is creating more equality.
If a Living Wage is what it is believed that people need to live on, then why is it reduced by applying income Tax to it, surely the tax-free allowance should always be the Living Wage, otherwise, it is not living for those on this minimum level of pay.
Any new drug will always be welcomed, but as with any drug they have to be tested, costs assessed and more before any decision to proceed to use can be taken.
Yes, there will be side effects, but there are to any drug and it depends if the benefits outweigh the side effects and to what degree that has to be assessed, who is more likely to have side effects and what dosages are to be for most effectiveness and least side effects.
Even tea, alcohol, tobacco and some foods and drinks have side effects and many serious effects on some people, but that doesn’t stop them, from drinking, smoking and eating. So the same is true for other drugs, however for the NHS costs could be a main factor and currently, the timings of diagnosis with regards to Alzheimer’s.
Unfortunately, costs are the main factor in most aspects these days unless it is a pet project of the government then costs don’t appear to be a problem, but overspending in one area means less spending in another. This is because we are told there is only a finite amount of money available whether that is true or not, who knows for the government won’t tell us. They should do but that is down to a lack of transparency, honesty and accountability which governments aren’t into when they should be. Governments are a law to themselves and that is wrong, but governments won’t change unless they are forced to.
No matter who we are we will be affected by all of the above in many ways, irrespective of being able to influence or not.
Many of us will have enough just to deal with our own life, let alone the others, but these others will affect how our lives progress. You can ‘bury your head in the sand’, but that won’t mean you will not be affected by all areas, you may not wish to know and then whatever comes will be a surprise may be good, but more than likely very bad, so you will have not been able to prepare if even there are ways to prepare.
We all need health as good as it can be, finance as much as we can obtain and many others and in some respects how we look on life and what we do may have some bearing on this or not to varying degrees.
Much is behind our abilities and power to influence especially many aspects of our country and certainly the world, but locally we may have more ability than we know. Many local Authorities are reaching out for information, but whether they use what they obtain is difficult to know and if they use it will they use it to make situations better or worse or a mixture.
There are many local consultations, but I don’t trust consultations for while I do engage in them there is rarely, if at all any feedback. It is my view that legally they have to have consultations, but in reality, the decisions have already been made. To some extent, I know this due to my involvement in many ways over the years in many different ways.
Over the years I have been in many, of what are called ‘Task and Finishing’ groups, but over those years have never seen one finish, and certainly never had any feedback. I have seen the same areas come around again, with the same questions, same presentations and many even the same presenter and on every occasion no reference to previous information obtained, just going ahead as though it is the first time of being raised with that approach.
Many have been put to one side and now they are called working groups and these appear better, as each time there is a meeting there is feedback on past meetings and if any areas of practice have changed or will be changed. That is not to say in the future they could go back to what they were or worse for that is down to future management and more likely finance.
This all relates to social care in my own LA area but could relate to any area of local government, (LA) and not just LAs but to all organisations whether they be public, private or international. For they all work with systems and the systems are always geared to the respective organisation and not others who become involved with them.
In social care when you engage you may be allocated a social worker and refer to them as your social worker and they should be there to help you for that is what their training was supposed to say, but they are employed by the organisation they come from, so they will need to abide by the rules and systems of that organisation. They may want to agree with you but know the systems will most likely not allow them to do so. They will have been trained to obtain the most information they can obtain from you, but once they leave you, you will have no knowledge of how much of the information is used and in what ways. Then on its way up the decision-making ladder, the information could be minimised and perhaps distorted, perhaps not intentionally, but could be and when a decision comes back down will that be fully understood by the person reporting it back to you.
Social workers are only human and will have their own opinions but shouldn’t be judgemental of your situation, but in reality, they could be. They are also very overworked and in very short supply and their stress levels will be extreme, but then so are your own.
In my 40 years of being a family carer, I have never trusted the information being shared with my family and if I didn’t agree then I always queried. You will more than likely get very frustrated and angry, but please remember that the person in front of you from the organisation will not likely be the decision-maker as that could be many levels above them. So blaming them should not be your reaction when you feel you so wish to do.
Unfortunately, it is a game when it should not be, maybe chess or similar so have varying moves in your mind and listen intently. When you hear something you dislike, straight away may not be the time to query, but remember it and bring your queries back in when you wish to.
Have plans for what you wish to say, what you wish to achieve, then when you wish to say it and how you wish to do it, but be fluid in your approach so you play the game as best as you can.
In supporting you there is the Care Act 2014, however, it should have gone further but didn’t, but it is providing better than there was before. It is extremely lengthy in its entirety and the many various sections and many people even within the authorities will not have read it let alone understand it.
After all discussions have gone you do have a right to make a complaint in any medium you wish to do so, telephone, to the person if its a face to face or virtual, letter, or others, but whatever measure you do, please retain evidence of what you say, when and who to for this is essential if you then wish to engage with the appropriate Ombudsman or if possible a Judicial Review.
Any approach you undertake will be stressful, very consuming of time, but other than the Judicial Review should be without any financial costs to do so. The problem with the Judicial Review is finding a solicitor willing to take on the Judicial Review.
There are many problems with social care, the so ineffective systems, lack of finance, lacking of persons in social care, but perhaps more important is a total lack of concern and understanding by the government, some areas of the media and in many instances many of the UK population. For if you are not engaging in social care many of the UK population are unaware of its significance, until they too need to engage in social care.
Social care is or should be seen as an emergency service and financed and staffed sufficiently, but is unfortunately not in the UK. However, also in many other parts of the world, some are better but many more are worse.
This is all based on my experiences of being a family carer over 40 years and even though both my wife and my disabled daughter are now deceased I am still much engaged in the various areas and do welcome comments and information from other carers.
I so wish you well in the many difficult areas you will experience.
For many in the UK 2023 has been far from a good year due to the high costs of living, high energy and food costs, many strikes in several professions, crisis in the NHS, Social Care and many other areas.
While it has been far from easy and will continue to be so into 2024, we in the UK are in some respects in a better form than some others in many parts of the World, especially Gaza, Ukraine and some other countries.
Life is not good for many in the UK but at least we currently don’t have the loss of life and the destruction of buildings due to war.
While our lives may not be as we wish for, please feel for others who are in many respects much worse.
You may not feel like celebrating Christmas 2023 but do try to enjoy it as best you can.
Have the best Merry Christmas you can and so hope for a more Happy New Year for everyone.
NHS dentistry as we know it ‘gone for good’, well what is new for dentistry has not been great for many years and each year it declines even further. But, in the NHS it is not just dentistry, for dentistry is just one of many parts, GP surgeries, Pharmacies, Community health, hospitals and others and while not part of the NHS, but still an essential service to the NHS, social care. None are as good as they should be and need to be and it is all down to finance from the government. For, in real terms, financing of the NHS has been reducing for many years and with social care virtually non-existent for most years.
All are existing on borrowed time and could all disappear in the ‘blink of an eye’ or be seen to do so, as for many most areas of the NHS and social care don’t really exist today at all.
Those who can afford to and some that really can’t, get care and treatments privately, but for most of us that is not at all possible and so we continue to suffer while the government plays games. Put a little bit here and a little bit more there and while these little bits look large they are nowhere near large enough and have not been for years thus leading to the declines we see today.
These declines will continue and with it the health of most of the UK population will seriously decline, thus causing even more demands on the NHS and social care. What is needed is not to bring in consultants just consulting the areas concerned and the persons trying to use the insufficient services, for they are the experts and not the government, consultants for profit, or the civil service. Change the way government works for currently it is the government not working that is the problem.
We all have to understand that neither the Flu or COVID are going to disappear and we have to learn to live with them. For both there are great vaccines available and if you are eligible for the free vaccines then you need to request them without further delay. They may not stop you from getting flu or COVID, but by being vaccinated it will mean you won’t suffer as much as you would if you get them without being vaccinated. That will then mean there is less degree that you would pass on any or both to others, but if you are infected then please ensure you don’t infect anyone, so isolate as best you can.
Both can be very deliberating to varying degrees and could cause death in extreme cases, so your own health matters and certainly the health of others, so you have a responsibility and you so need to be responsible.
With any vaccine there will always be some who are unable to have the vaccines for a number of reasons, so if you are in these categories you will be more vulnerable than many others, so you too need to safeguard yourself as best you can.
Neither COVID or the flu are going away, so you have to believe that for the denniers are so wrong and very irresponsible.
Carer Voice 