A report examined parents' experiences of accessing disabled facilities grants in Wales and Northern Ireland. A large majority of parents surveyed (approximately 80 per cent) believed that there was insufficient information on who could apply for a grant, where to apply, and what it could be used for.
Source: Peter Mackie, Keith Bowen and Brendan McKeever, Family Experiences of Accessing Disabled Facilities Grants: A collaborative research study in Wales and Northern Ireland, Shelter Cymru (01792 469400)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Dec
A study examined initiatives designed to promote choice and control for disabled people. There was scope for some local authorities' plans to go further in promoting user-led support, advocacy, and brokerage; and there was a need to adopt a person-centred perspective for older disabled people in or at risk of moving into residential/nursing care.
Source: Risk Solutions, Independent Living Action and Learning Sites Scoping Study, Office for Disability Issues (office-for-disability-issues@dwp.gsi.gov.uk)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Nov
A report examined professionals' experiences of supporting disabled people with communication impairments. An effective model and framework for support and provision was needed to overcome the challenges faced by disabled people whose access to specialist services was dependent upon their postcode.
Source: No Voice, No Choice: Professional experiences of the provision and support of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), Scope (020 7619 7341)
Links: Report | Scope press release
Date: 2008-Nov
The government announced (following consultation) plans for involving disabled people in the implementation and monitoring of the five-year, cross-government 'Independent Living Strategy', including setting up an Independent Living Scrutiny Group.
Source: Involving Disabled People: Government response to the consultation on implementation and monitoring of the Independent Living Strategy, Office for Disability Issues (office-for-disability-issues@dwp.gsi.gov.uk)
Links: Report | DWP press release
Date: 2008-Nov
The European Court of Justice ruled in favour of a woman who was forced to resign from her job because she wanted more time to care for her disabled son. The ruling established the principle that it was possible to suffer 'discrimination by association'; and therefore that the European Union directive banning employment discrimination on grounds of disability covered carers as well as disabled people themselves.
Source: Coleman v Attridge Law, European Court of Justice (00 352 43031)
Links: Text of judgement | EDCM press release | PRTC press release | Carers UK press release | Scope press release | Age Concern press release | TUC press release | Personnel Today report | Telegraph report | Guardian report | FT report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Jul
Campaigners highlighted the level of cuts in services affecting people with a learning disability.
Source: Tell It Like It Is: What the crisis in social care really means for people with a learning disability, Learning Disability Coalition (020 7696 5574)
Links: Report | LDC press release
Date: 2008-Jul
A survey found that rising charges for people to receive care in their own homes were causing disabled and older people in England to reduce or even stop their support services. 80 per cent of people surveyed who no longer used care services said that charges contributed to their decision to stop their support. 29 per cent of respondents did not feel their essential expenditure (related to impairment/health condition) was taken into account in financial assessments to pay charges – meaning that they had to choose between essential support and food, heating, or utility bills.
Source: Charging into Poverty? Charges for care services at home and the national debate on adult care reform in England, Coalition on Charging c/o National Centre for Independent Living (020 7587 1663)
Links: Report | Coalition press release | Alzheimers Society press release | Carers UK press release | LGA press release | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jun
Researchers examined the use of the 'Integrated Children's System' with families of disabled children in four local authorities piloting the system. Social workers recognized the potential of ICS to improve information collection and recording, creating a more efficient and effective system of electronically held information: but they also expressed concern that ICS duplicated disability-related problems of previous assessment tools, including a bias towards child protection issues. (The ICS is designed to provide a single approach to assessment and review for all children in need in England and Wales, based on electronic information recording and sharing among different groups of practitioners.)
Source: Wendy Mitchell and Patricia Sloper, Evaluation of Pilot Programme of the Integrated Children's System: The Disability Study, Social Policy Research Unit/University of York (01904 433608)
Date: 2008-May
A report (based on interviews with disabled people) said that disabled people faced poverty and social isolation, and were more likely to have accidents, because of harsher eligibility criteria for a diminishing level of funding for social care support in England.
Source: Joanne Foster with John Knight and Guy Parckar, Your Money or Your Life: Disabled people's experiences of the loss of social care services in England, Leonard Cheshire (020 7802 8204)
Links: Report | Leonard Cheshire press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Mar
The government published a cross-government strategy designed to give disabled people more choice and control over the support they needed, and greater access to employment, transport, health, and housing opportunities.
Source: Independent Living: A cross-government strategy about independent living for disabled people, Office for Disability Issues/Department for Work and Pensions (office-for-disability-issues@dwp.gsi.gov.uk)
Links: Strategy | Summary | Hansard | DWP press release | FPLD press release | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Mar
The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice said that treating employees less favourably because of their caring responsibilities for disabled relatives was unlawful. A European Directive regarding equal treatment in employment prohibited 'disability discrimination by association', and should apply to British law. The case had been brought by a legal secretary who claimed her employer had refused to let her work flexible hours to care for her disabled son.
Source: Coleman v Attridge Law, Opinion of Advocate General Links: Opinion | Carers UK press release | PRTC press release | EHRC press release | Help the Aged press release | EDCM press release | TUC press release | FT report | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Jan
A report said that 1.9 million disabled people over the age of 65 received no state-funded care, and relied on informal and private care valued at £25,000 for each disabled person. 3 out of 4 local authorities only provided care to those whose needs were 'critical' or 'substantial'.
Source: A Charter for Change: Reforming care and support for older people, their families and carers, Counsel and Care (020 7241 8555)
Links: Report | Counsel and Care press release | ECCA press release
Date: 2008-Jan