Category Archives: ukcuts

Preparing for life after the Independent Living Fund

March 14, 2014   Carers, Social care, ukcuts

The Independent Living Fund is for the chop but what will its demise mean for the disabled people who relied on its help?

By on March 14, 2014

The battle to save the Independent Living Fund is over.

A few months ago it looked as if there was a chance for a last-minute reprieve for the ILF, which helps severely disabled people live independently by providing cash to top-up their social care support.

In November, the Court of Appeal torpedoed the government’s original plan to shut the fund when it ruled the Department for Work and Pensions had failed to fulfil its duty to promote equality when making the decision.

But last week disability minister Mike Penning announced that, following a new equality impact assessment of the plan, the government is going to press ahead with closing the fund.

The only concession was that the fund will now shut in June, rather than March, 2015. After that the responsibility for supporting ILF users will fall to English local authorities and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The decision was a blow for campaigners and one that many recipients of the fund fear.

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Delight for campaigners after former Norwich day centre saved for community

March 14, 2014   Carers, Older care, ukcuts

Campaigners celebrate winning their campaign to turn the Silver Rooms into a community centre.

Picture: Denise Bradley

Friday, March 14, 2014
6:53 AM

Campaigners celebrate winning their campaign to turn the Silver Rooms into a community centre. Picture: Denise Bradley Campaigners have won their fight to turn a former Norwich day centre into a community centre, after a long-running battle stretching back for years.

And they have a simple message for the community – now the Silver Rooms have been saved, it is up to the community to make a success of it.

The building, off Silver Road in the north of the city, has been empty since Norfolk County Council decided to stop providing day services for elderly people there as part of a shake-up in social care.

A group of older people used to meet in the centre and an initial fight, backed by a Norwich Evening News campaign, focused on saving it for that purpose.

When it became clear the older people would be moved to other venues in the city, in March 2011, the campaigners switched to trying to safeguard the building for use by the local community.

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Watchdog warns over social care cuts

March 13, 2014   Carers, Older care, Social care, ukcuts
Central and local government are unaware how long adult social care systems can cope under mounting pressure, a report has suggested.
Thomas Bridge 13 March 2014
Watchdog warns over social care cuts

Government departments do not know how close the adult care system is to reaching capacity, while major health reforms set to be introduced by the Care Bill will cause further ‘significant challenges’ for councils – according to the National Audit Office (NAO).

Town hall spending on adult social care fell by 8% between 2010/11 and 2012/13, with 87% of adults now living in regions that arrange services only for individuals with substantial or critical needs.

While the Department for Communities and Local Government expects service transformation, local efficiency initiatives and the Better Care Fund will ease financial pressures, the NAO said there was ‘weak evidence’ for which way of commissioning services was most effective.

Auditors added that efforts by DCLG and the Department of Health to understand the impact of changes or reduced spending on care, welfare and local services were not being matched by other government departments.

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