Why have so many children’s homes opened in Blackpool? – BBC News

A good question and maybe answered by the article, in that, properties are so cheap in Blackpool. But surely that should not be the only consideration, as the children in question will be much more vulnerable than children are in general and therefore their safety and safeguarding should be as equally important, if not, more so. That is expressly so, when so many of the children will be so far from their original home and their families.

It appears the children’s safety is not taking the concern it should be, as it seems that a building, any old building will do and, in many instances they will not be registered with Ofsted, which should at least one of the requirements, irrespective of the age of the children. This is so much necessary for homes for vulnerable adults have to be registered with the CQC, Care Quality Commission, surely children 16-17 are not falling through a gap in the system, in not being registered as children with Ofsted and adults with CQC.

To wait until when the revised Dols safeguarding criteria be altered to the LPS, Liberty Protection Service, is enacted is not acceptable as currently, I believe no date is set. It should have been already on 1 October 2020, but was delayed due to COVID, and pressures on Health and Social Care with other dates mentioned but not enforced as there was considerable delay to this Government issuing the Consultation documents, which while now issued and closed, is now being studied further.

This state of affairs with Blackpool being so much the centre needs urgent action, otherwise the vulnerable children will be even more vulnerable as they were initially.

This is no where what a caring society should be and shows a distinct lack of caring, accountability and transparency on all areas concerned and not for the first time, so ‘lessons are not being learned’. Not sure if this is because no wishes to are other forces are involved, but, lessons do need to be learned, otherwise vulnerable children will not only continue to have causes for concern, but these will be considerably increased, eventually leading to major safeguarding issues occurring, which they may be doing so currently. But, when they do, not if they do, all will so ignorance when it will not be ignorance, but completely lack of accountability and transparency, which we have already seen in so many areas, with apparent no degree of concern from this Government.

 

Source: Why have so many children’s homes opened in Blackpool? – BBC News

Parents Fear For Pupils’ Mental State At £53,000 Fee School

This is all very worrying in any school let alone a special school for children with autism. I have had my doubts for sometime about CQC inspections, for they did not notice the abuses at Winterborne so can you really believe their inspection reports.

I inspections and reports need to be greatly improved for all concerned.

Same Difference

A private special needs school, whose directors include businessmen associated with the Winterbourne View care home scandal, has been accused of putting profit ahead of pupils’ needs.

Annual fees paid by councils to send pupils to Leaways School in east London are £53,000 – higher than Eton.

One parent told a BBC investigation she is pulling out her son as she fears for his mental state if he stays there.

However, Leaways denied the claims that it put money ahead of welfare.

In a statement, the school said: “We strongly refute the suggestion profit is ever put ahead of the needs of children.

“The vast majority of families are happy with our school and they see their children doing very well here.”

The school says it was “deeply saddened to hear the opinions of a small minority… of our parent and staff community”.

‘Sold a dream’

One is Donna, who…

View original post 1,016 more words

Why Is Basic Decency Towards Learning Disabled People Remarkable?

I agree, unfortunately caring and carers with regards to Social Care does not get a good press and the Governments attitude to Social Care goes a long way to put social Care in not a good light.

But for those who have a need for Social Care it is a very important lifeline.

As to doing your duty being treated as exceptional, well unfortunately this appears to be so as there are so many examples of bad care and in some instances very bad care.

Winterbourne was mentioned and even if this was the exception, then that would be bad, but it is not the exception, for bad care happens daily.

But a lot of it goes unreported as those in need of care and their family are scared of losing the care they have, no matter how bad it is.

I facilitate a Learning Disability Carers group and when the carers are talking I heard some instances of bad care, but they do not wish to allow me to take it further as they have been advised that the care would be withdrawn if they do, leaving them with no care at all.

I am a carers representative on our local Learning Disabilities Partnership Board and I have request a presentation from the Council run inspection teak, who should be inspecting Care Providers, for I believe they are not looking deeply enough into actual care delivery.

As to the CQC, I feel they spend to much time on looking at records, for anything can be written down, which may or may not mirror the actual care delivery.

So, I will start with the local council team and then ask for the CQC to present.

Care is in crisis for a large number of reasons, of which funding is a major concern.

For social Care has never been sufficiently funded from 1970, when it was brought under the control of local Authorities, and well before 1970. Then we had 10 years of austerity and now COVID-19 making the crisis even worse.

The reference to 1970 was when Social Care when brought under the control of Local Authorities (LAs) for before that it was a ‘mishmash’ of sources. Some LAs, but others included Charities, voluntary organisations, health and many others.

But as well as Funding there is

insufficient staff
abysmal pay
poor working conditions
unsocial hours
insufficient time
lack of training and skills
and others.

To many people caring is seen as an unskilled profession, well, if it is done badly then it is, but to provide good quality care is is far from it.

For, as we all are, persons in need of care are individuals and not objects, for they have feelings, they have choices, may need emotional support, routine to be followed, knowledge of a persons conditions, such as dementia, learning disabilities, autism and many others and in most cases a mixture of conditions.

So, in caring you can not, or should not, assume that caring for one person will be exactly the same as the next one and could need to change on a daily basis, or even more frequently.

So, it is a very skilled profession, for which the salary is nowhere sufficient, as caring has been left so short for far too long. Government promises have been broken so many times and social care has been left to sink, well sinking is not infinite and will come to a base from which it will not recover.

That base is very near and in some instances has been reached.

Action was urgently required, yesterday and certainly today, for tomorrow could well be too late.

Support for my petition, Solve the crisis in Social Care,

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/solve-the-crisis-in-social-care

Same Difference

In late July 2019, I tweeted asking families with autistic or learning disabled children to share their experience of “sparkling” actions by health and social care professionals. I was writing a book about how professionals could make a difference in the lives of children and their families, and the manuscript was woefully negative.

The tweets started appearing and the thread grew across the next few weeks. They included extraordinary examples of what I came to call “pockets of brilliance”. An administrator who included pug memes in the appointment letters for a dog-loving young patient. Professionals who were prepared to sit on the stairs so a child could stay in their bedroom during a visit. The GP who told one mother: “I don’t know very much about autism, but I promise you that I will do all I can to learn.” Another GP who rang a mother in the evening after…

View original post 688 more words

Data on Covid care home deaths kept secret ‘to protect commercial interests’ | World news | The Guardian

Exclusive: English and Scottish regulators refuse to reveal homes with most fatalities

Source: Data on Covid care home deaths kept secret ‘to protect commercial interests’ | World news | The Guardian

CQC campaign calls on public to shape future of social care : Care Home Professional

The Care Quality Commission and Healthwatch England have launched a new campaign that calls on the public to help shape the future of health and social care.

Source: CQC campaign calls on public to shape future of social care : Care Home Professional

 

 

 

CQC reports 55% rise in adult social care staff concerns during pandemic : Care Home Professional

Concerns from adult social care staff raised with the CQC have increased by 55% during the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: CQC reports 55% rise in adult social care staff concerns during pandemic : Care Home Professional

Pandemic sees spike in learning disabled deaths : The Learning Disabilities Daily

bbc.co.uk Deaths of people with learning disabilities in England have increased by 134% during the coronavirus pandemic, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said. Between 10 April and 15 May there were 386 d…

Source: Pandemic sees spike in learning disabled deaths : The Learning Disabilities Daily

Campaigners call for direct financial aid to struggling care providers : Care Home Professional

Campaigners have called for financial aid to be given directly to care providers to prevent many going out of business during the coronavirus outbreak.

Source: Campaigners call for direct financial aid to struggling care providers : Care Home Professional

Public Health England is playing Russian roulette with vulnerable residents | Care Industry News

A York care home operator has accused Public Health England of playing Russian roulette with some of her homes’ most vulnerable residents.

Source: Public Health England is playing Russian roulette with vulnerable residents | Care Industry News

It’ll cost Johnson £14bn to keep his promises on social care. Will Javid pay up? | Polly Toynbee | Opinion | The Guardian | Carer Voice

Restoring care standards even to 2010 levels will blow a big hole in the chancellor’s budget in March, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

 

Source: It’ll cost Johnson £14bn to keep his promises on social care. Will Javid pay up? | Polly Toynbee | Opinion | The Guardian | Carer Voice