Tag Archives: disability

Creepy-crawly Halloween hair-raiser

November 7, 2012   Carers, disability

Published on Wednesday 7 November 2012 15:13

A social group for disabled youngsters enjoyed a hair-raising Halloween encounter with snakes and scorpions last week.

But as wildlife expert Glen Arscott explained to members of Skegness Ability Group, the animals to fear most are often the least expected.

Though slithering snakes and scuttling spiders inspire dread in many people, Glen joked the cute and cuddly meerkats were the most dangerous animals in his menagerie.

Group leader Sylvia Myers said: “It was strange to learn that all of these scary creatures were perfectly safe, and when he put the tarantula on my hand it was very calm.”

Around 30 youngsters had the chance to handle various creatures including pythons, giant stick insects and skunks when they attended Skegness Youth Centre on Briar Way last Wednesday.

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Stephen becomes first councillor in the UK with Down’s syndrome

November 5, 2012   Carers, disability, Downs syndrome

“I want to help other people in the community I’ve grown up and lived in all my life”

By Simon Garner | Yahoo! News – 

  • Councillor Stephen Green with his father Grenville Green

    Yahoo! News – Councillor Stephen Green with his father Grenville Green

A man with Down’s syndrome is believed to be the first person in the UK with the condition to become a parish councillor.

Cllr Stephen Green, 47, previously made the headlines for learning to read music and performing his first piano recital.

Last week he was elected as member of Nuthall Parish Council in Nottinghamshire after his predecessor, Councillor Paul Simpson, stepped down.Stephen Green has become a parish councillor for Nuthall (Picture: SWNS)

It was the second time Stephen, from Nutthall, had stood for election to the council after narrowly getting beaten in an election eight years ago.

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Political bravery is needed to plug the gap in social care

November 2, 2012   Carers, disability, mental health, Older care

New research shows there is a current funding gap in adult social care of about £634 million per year. Government and local authorities are going to have to make brave decisions

 

The lack of money to fund appropriate care for the elderly means that politicians and local authorities need to start thinking innovatively.

How do you want to spend your old age? Many of us would prefer to spend our final years in our own homes, but not to be completely isolated. If we have to go into residential care we want that setting to be comfortable, safe and stimulating. In sum we want dignity, autonomy and security in our old age.

However for too many people residential care is catastrophically expensive, poor quality and disconnected from the full range services they may need.

A new paper written by LGiU for the RSA and published Friday 2 November highlights the scale of this problem, not just for national government but especially for local government which funds and commissions the vast majority of social care.

As recently as April this year Paul Burstow, then social care minister, told the House of Commons health select committee: “There is no gap in the current spending review period on the basis of the money that we are putting in plus efficiency gains through local authorities redesigning services.”

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