Adult care bereft of cash for current pressures and long-term reforms, warn MPs – Community Care

At long last there is action in Parliament, albeit, reports from Select Committees, it is a start from a less than zero base, one that has been around for many years, maybe from when Social Care became evident, even pre 1948. No Government has bothered to look at Social Care and it has been left to meander its course for far too long. For without a fully functioning Social Care there is no hope for the NHS, for they are, forever, interrelated. So any crisis in Social care only adds to the crisis in the NHS, while not providing reasonable care for those in need of Social Care, so they are left to suffer causing vast declines in health, not only for the individuals concerned but also their families.

Whie the NHS was created in 1948, so should social care have been incorporated fully in the service and not been left outside to fail.

Fail it did not only because of the workers within social care, but they and social care have been left without adequate funding and recognition, hence the forever increasing crisis in social care. Made much worse by 10 years of austerity cuts to Local Authorities, (LAs)  and then massive costs for going on another 2-3 years due to COVID. During this time those in need of social care have been ever increasing numbers and not only that, much increase in complexities for care required.

Many Safeguarding concerns have arisen, but blame has only been made to in dividual social workers and their respective councils and not where it should have been, on this and all previous Governments. Thus causing unnecessary pain  and suffering and at times, deaths to both children and adults.

But the Government and government funding has been the ‘elephant’ in the room, which has never to be mentioned.

This completely wrong and should never have been left to arise.

even when some funding has been made available, it has always been so far short of what is really required and never sustainable. Addition responsibilities have been place on LAs by Governments and never been, seriously funded, if funded at all.

The Select Committees are saying additional funding of £5-7 billion is required now and not the miserly amount offered by this government, but even that is way sort as it has to be, at least £12 billion now, but even that would only bring funding to 2010 levels, which was way short then.

Government and Government Ministers need to take the crisis in social care seriously and give it the extreme priority in needs and deserves.

Source: Adult care bereft of cash for current pressures and long-term reforms, warn MPs – Community Care

If we were getting proper care and support, there wouldn’t be premature deaths happening.

So true, and while the NHS is beginning to show some signs of understanding learning disability (LD) and autism there is still a very long way to go.

Until persons with LD and autism are given the priority they should always have had, then early deaths will occur. But, it is not just the NHS, but also social care and mainly the Government.

Unfortunately, this and previous Governments have done very little to address LD and autism. You only have to look at the COVID pandemic to see how persons with LD and autism were not on their agenda. Fir while it should have been obvious that in the vaccine programme that they should have been treated within the priority categories they were not dome so, initially.

For, to some extent, there still is the ‘out of site, out of mind’, as can be seen with persons being referred to specialist hospitals. If the resources were there then these referrals would not be necessary, but that would require a fully funded social care system as well as appropriate housing be available, not just in a few places but in every part of the UK.

Just in the last few days has there been a Select Committee report, which this Government is apparently ignoring. well they have other apparently more urgent priorities in electing a new leader of the Tory Party and Prime Minister. Not once as Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss made any comments on learning disability and autism, so that is proof as to how they view its importance.

But, it is not just this Government but all previous Governments who have not taken learning disability and autism seriously and in doing so, have ignored the extreme crisis in Social Care and only looking at the NHS when it suits them.

To effectively alter how LD and autism is dealt with not only have resources need to be made available directly to those with LD and autism, but the whole of social care needs urgent financing, then in doing so, could the extent of needing the NHS be eventually reduced, so ensuring not only the crisis in social care is resolved but also the NHS.

It will take time and any delays will only extend that time and in doing so the crisis in both social care and NHS will continue to escalate.

 

Source: If we were getting proper care and support, there wouldn’t be premature deaths happening.

Adult social care vacancies up 52% over past year – Community Care

As it has been said, vacancies and recruitment have been problems for some many years, but it has become much worse recently.

However, pay is not the only reason as Brexit and UK immigration policy have also had their impact. but there are also others being

1. travel including travel expenses, fuel is a major problem, certainly with its current high costs, but travel expenses for care workers are not generally available, except that mileage may be paid as expenses, but not always but travel time should also be paid.

2. unsocial hours should also be a factor in pay

3. as should working Bank Holidays while, as well as being given back the day worked, extra pay should be paid for doing so

4. sick pay is also an issue as there should be a recognised sick pay scheme for care workers, as with the low pay rates, being sick and having to rely on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is not realistic, especially when the first 3 days are not paid at all when on SSP

5. as to the pay rate £15.00 would be more realistic than the current National Living Wage of £9.50 or even the Real Living Wage of £9.90,  or even the £12.77 quoted in the article

6. Care work needs to be recognised as a profession and its public perception greatly improved, as is the case for social care in general

But for any or all of the above to be achieved the Government needs to take onboard the crisis in social care and not ignore it as has been so for all previous Governments.

Yes, this Government did promise a fraction of the £5.1 billion, supposed to be funded by the NI surcharge, but none of this is guaranteed, which it has to be and much more, to £12 billion. But that would only bring the funding back to 2010 levels which, then, was totally inadequate.

Social care needs to be adequately funded, which it has never been and until it is persons in need of care will be left to suffer or much worse, even death and this lack of recognition and funding is seriously adding to the NHS crisis.

Some will say bring all social care back to Local Authorities, but it was not a real success when it was and it would remove choice from the system completely, which has to be maintained for the choices of persons in need of care should always be respected. So all the above 1-6 and more needs to be done and done urgently so that people in need of care and their families are safeguarded.

While Local Authorities have to be made accountable, even more so should the Government be and be blamed for all that is occurring though years of inactions and ignoring the problems.

Source: Adult social care vacancies up 52% over past year – Community Care

Family Of Woman With Down’s Syndrome Denied Intensive Care Seek Answers From Covid-19 Inquiry | Same Difference

While we all hold the NHS in great esteem for all it does and the great staff it employs, it does not mean that it could be better and do much more.

Even though some funding is and has been available for the NHS and other health related services, this funding does fall well short of what is really required, especially when the increases in the UK population are accounted for and the degrees of complex needs and other health related conditions are taken into account.

Some health facilities are more short of funding than others, especially mental health and when this is coupled with the severe lack of funding for social care and some areas of public health, it does show the considerable short fall that the NHS is experiencing. Indeed, even with all these shortfalls the services are still expected to come up with savings, when in re

However, the Government is never held accountable for their lack of funding and the onus is always carried by the NHS when there are no areas where savings can be made, without cutting existing services even further

The Government is causing these dilemmas, but not accepting responsibilities.

Everyone appears to agree that ‘do not resuscitate’, DNRs) should never be considered without consent of each individual and, in many instances their families, especially when there are areas of lack of capacity with the individuals. But, as we can see this consent appears to be, in many instances, ignored by the NHS. To ensure consent is always the priority it, unfortunately means, that the legal aspects should be considered, but that is a costly exercise, especially now that access to legal aid has been more difficult to obtain, due to changes through Government actions.

This creates a great degree of loss of equality rights and this again is due to the current equality legislation being totally inadequate. Again a result of Government actions or more correctly inactions.

Yes, the NHS should be held accountable, for lack of resources should not be an excuse to restrict peoples rights, but in addition the Government and the respective Ministers also need to be made accountable, which they never are.

 

Source: Family Of Woman With Down’s Syndrome Denied Intensive Care Seek Answers From Covid-19 Inquiry | Same Difference

Long-awaited report into widespread grooming of children in Telford due to be published today | UK News | Sky News

Yet another area within the UK where children have been let down by numerous authorities, including Police, Schools, Local Authority, health services and more, where was and is safeguarding, over all those years this abuse of children occurring.

The children were being looked as criminals, instead of being victims of grooming, sexual abuse, intimidation, etc.

How many more children and areas of the UK are still to be uncovered.

The safety of children should be a main priority of all these authorities and to not do so, means, the required ‘Duty of Care’ which these authorities should be exercising is being ignored.

Has anyone in these authorities been arrested or sanctioned for not exercising their required Duty of Care and, if not why not.

Justice needs to be done and seen to be done.

 

: Long-awaited report into widespread grooming of children in Telford due to be published today | UK News | Sky News

Thousands of disabled people’s deaths linked to DWP’s failure to act on benefits flaws – Mirror Online

It would be no surprise if this current strategy of ignoring disabled people and apparent actively discriminating against them in benefit assessment was not a Government/DWP ploy to increase situations where people can’t cope in the hope that they do take their own lives as this is a permanent method of reducing the Welfare costs.

Especially with the inability to fund, sufficiently, Social Care, on top of the inadequacy of Welfare benefits, no wonder that deaths and safeguarding concerns are rising.

But it is not just Conservative Government, although they appear to be worst, but also the Labour Governments of Blair, who appeared to do nothing to rectify the situations.

 

 

Source: Thousands of disabled people’s deaths linked to DWP’s failure to act on benefits flaws – Mirror Online

Camberley autism care home staff were ‘rude and some were bullies’ to residents, say CQC inspectors – Surrey Live

By the reports it is clear that this care home is not a care home, for care appears to be non-existent and as to home, it is far from.

Any staff who have been or found to be abusive need to be fully investigated and reported to safeguarding and suspended from working while doing so.

The lack of management is beyond belief, so responsible managers have to be placed in the establishment as a matter of urgency.

As to a revisit in 6 months, well in a place so severely inadequate as this, that is a very long time and much could occur to make matters worse before getting better, if ever.

Ideally, unannounced visits should be taking place on a weekly basis.

 

 

Source: Camberley autism care home staff were ‘rude and some were bullies’ to residents, say CQC inspectors – Surrey Live

Government may need to rethink its strategy on living with COVID if summer surge continues | UK News | Sky News

I feel, not ‘may’, but ‘must’ need to rethink the strategy of living with COVID, for there is a vast difference between living with COVID and ignoring COVID, for it is the later that this Government and many of the UK population is doing.

For there is and was too much dependence on the COVID vaccination programme, for it was a success, but could have been much better. But the public take up rate is now declining as the immunity gained by those who were vaccinated is reducing, so revaccinations have to be done for as long as is necessary and in this the Government has to play its part and be much better in educating the population. For who can name. let alone describe the current vaccination Minister, who is Maggie Throup MP, appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Vaccines and Public Health) on 16 September 2021 and previously was an unpaid government whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) from September 2019 to September 2021.

Was she any good as a Whip, for she is now certainly no good at whipping pubic opinion and knowledge of COVID vaccinations and never was.

‘Herd’ immunity was put forward by many and practiced to a degree, which, while not as good as the vaccines, would have been a possibility, but, only if the degree of immunity was maintained, which we now know is not to be. It also, took no account of ‘long COVID‘, which in many instances could be worse than catching COVID and be there for the very long-term.

Hardly anyone wears a facemask these days and untold numbers are attending large events, be they enclosed or in the open, and being closely packed together.

We are all acting as if there is no more COVID and this is down to the current Government strategy and lack of concern by the UK population.

While the vaccination programme, initially, was a success, we were exceedingly late in initiating ‘lockdowns’ and were then quick to remove the restriction and many other restrictions, including wearing of face masks.

Due to Boris and his ‘No. 10 parties‘ trying to get the public to engage will be much more difficult now.

With COVID vaccinations, we still, only, have the vaccination method, when, really, there should be more choices, being nasal sprays, tablets and patches and while research into all three are ongoing, there is not enough immediacy and funding being given to their development and eventual approval for human use. Anyone of these will, by availability, once approved, be much better than the injection method, as a medical professional will not be required and maybe, not the keeping at restrictive temperatures. Having these will, not only, be an advantage for the UK, but also for the rest of the World, especially in Africa, South American and the Far East.

Much more needs to be done and perhaps getting Maggie Throup MP, out of the closet could be one.

We will have COVID for the very long-term, so more understanding of COVID is required and much more educating of the public.

This is not, totally, down to the Government, but is to a large degree, but also, all of the public also need to engage, for it is not just for yourself, but for everyone you come into contact with.

Source: Government may need to rethink its strategy on living with COVID if summer surge continues | UK News | Sky News

Unions seek 10.8% pay rise for Cafcass workers amid staffing crisis

Unfortunately, many in the UK are well underpaid, some much more than others and this has been caused by lack of Government management over many years and not only from one political party.

This and many previous Governments keep saying that The UK economy can’t afford this and that, but, is it not surprising that money can always be found for ‘so called’ Government pet projects.

Money was found in 2008 for the Banking Crisis, for many instances of MPs pay, ‘fat cats’ of industry and Chief Executives, COVID pandemic, helping Ukraine in this offensive war by Russia on Ukraine and more.

Not that some of the above was necessary for in many ways it was, but that does not help in the means of living for the many in the UK.

Benefits for the vulnerable have not kept pace with the costs of living, so as the salaries for many in the public sector and also many in the private sectors.

For years much of the UK work force have been receiving less than inflation pay rises or no pay rises at all, while work demands have been increasing, so in effect most of us have been working and doing more for much less monetary reward.

While it goes without saying that substantial pay rises are required, also required is a reevaluation of the gap in pay from the lowest paid to the highest paid in the UK as a whole, but also in many different companies and organisations. In this there should be some factor that the highest paid are not paid more than a stated percentage above that of the lowest paid, tax treatments that reflect on the means to live, so much less on the lower paid and slightly more on the higher paid.

The Inland Revenue also have a part to play, in that when looking at unpaid tax or tax avoidance that they don’t solely concentrate on those easiest to monitor, but also much more on the hardest to monitor, be they be individuals or multi national organisations. Tax treatments need to be much more equalised than currently they are in all aspects of tax calculation and collection.

But most of all the most underpaid should be a priority and while most in the UK are well underpaid, some are more so than others and have been for much more than I care to remember.

Here the article is looking at social care in the public sector and I agree that pay is not what it should be and also the excessive workloads due to lack of staff, increases in concerns arising from lack of social care in the UK population due mainly to inactions of all previous Governments.

In my view Social care within the community has, not only been underfunded for years, but has never been, really, sufficiently funded since, at least 1948, when the NHS was formed. A grave mistake was made in 1948, in that, social care was not, anywhere near fully associated with health care. For way too long as there been much duplication in work, insufficient working together and too much active confrontations, especially in who finances what.

In addition is the pay for care workers and their status in the realms of working. They are deemed to be unskilled workers, when to provide good quality care they need to be well skilled, for it is not just doing the bare minimum without considering the individual to whom care is being given. We are all individuals no matter what age we are and we all have individual needs and most of all should have choices which should be considered. For way too long the concept of ‘one fits all’ as been the way forward, for that does not, in anyway, follow the concept of choice, just the opposite. For years, not only has social care been seriously underfunded, but also seriously understaffed, of which pay is only one consideration for there are many others. These to include, working conditions, sick pay, travel expenses, holiday entitlement, unsocial hours payments, and much more

This and previously Governments have done little or more correctly nothing to rectify this and in many instances have made it much worse by not viewing the problems, or not wishing to understand the problems, after all they are caring for the elderly, children and adults with disabilities, the poor and those with ill-health who many, if not all Governments have viewed as being an inconvenience and not to be really bothered with. This is until there are safeguarding concerns and even then these are viewed in isolation by the Government and regretfully much of the UK population. The years of Government inactions are not considered, but the lack of ‘Duty of Care’ of Social Work departments and Social Workers are, when in many respects the departments and social workers are doing the best they can with the meagre resources available, but to years of Government underfunding for Local Authorities, then on top the 10 years of austerity cuts and followed by, at least, 2 years of additional COVID expenditure.

No wonder mistakes are made, when there are insufficiencies of social workers, extremely excessive workloads, maybe lack of sufficient management and supervision, as LAs try to save money and too much pressures being brought on from above.

So, I don’t begrudge the current salary demands, but in doing so, do consider your fellow workers, for it is not their faults and they maybe in a much worse financial position as you are.

Striking, is not really the best option, as this only affects or much more affects the persons who are there is care for. It is Government you need to go for and go for directly and not indirectly as will be by striking.

What there needs be is compulsory arbitration by a fully independent body of Government control and be binding on all parties. Ideally also a Government who is prepared to listen and then take the appropriate actions, nit for the Government but for the parties who are raising their grievances.

We should all be working together.

 

Source: Unions seek 10.8% pay rise for Cafcass workers amid staffing crisis

Roe v Wade: men benefit from abortion rights too – and should speak about them more

Pregnancy and abortion are very emotive issues and there are many instances were little knowledge is around, especially with men.

We all have a right to life, but in some instances this right will have serious impacts on the rights of others.

Generally it take two persons to achieve conception, but after, most is on the women in the relationship, for it is within her body that the process of giving birth takes place and afterwards in the upbringing of the child or children. However, in many instances, this is or has changed and both persons take on this responsibility to greater degrees.

But, until the birth it is women who are totally involved, hopefully with support from the other persons involved.

In most instances the birth takes place without many problems. But, in some instances the conception is not a mutually agreed process for many reasons, it is unplanned, rape has occurred, grooming  has taken place and others, so without legal abortions the rights of women to lead their lives how they wish to are very much curtailed.

In many countries the gaining of abortion rights have taken many years to eventually achieve and have been very welcomed by certainly women and many men. It does however, mean the loss of life of the unborn child, and also, many years of guilt by certainly the women and many of their partners. But it does provide a freedom and that the rights of women are being maintained.

But, as we have seen in America the rights of women are now curtailed once again, all in the name of religion and very right wing politics, when religion and politics should have no right to be involved, for this is forcing everyone to live with beliefs which are not their own and which are severely restricting freedom rights. While the removal of abortion rights is curtailing legal abortions, it will, certainly, increase the rate of illegal abortions, which will increase the risks of serious injury and even deaths of women and this will be more so on women who are poor, so is also lengthening the class divide.

Hardly anyone considers an abortion  without very serious thought and in many instances does so very reluctantly and have many guilt feelings, maybe causing some health issues, but by not having the abortion , much more serious health issues could well arise.

So, America, you consider America to be the ‘land of the free and brave’ but in withdrawing legal abortion rights, serious restrictions are being imposed on freedoms, so it is now not the land of the free anymore.

It is said by withdrawing abortion rights it is support The Constitution, but any legal basis of law and rights should be looked at as a means to live, which will be altered as life is adjusted as time progresses and not as an untouchable base.

In reality, this is showing that America is not much different to areas of the World which are viewed as being governed by religious zealots, extremists in other words, which is extremely abusive and very uncaring.

 

Source: Roe v Wade: men benefit from abortion rights too – and should speak about them more