Routine is important for all of us, but for persons with autism it is even more so as routine is part of their coping process.
So, the closure of restaurants will have a major impact on someone with autism.
For staff to be able to handle these situations just shows what skills these staff have and these skills will go un-noticed on many occasions. These are the same staff who are classed as unskilled, which they clearly are not. But their remunerations do not take these skills into account and many may be on the National Living Wage, the minimum people over 25 have to be paid. They should be on a starting salary of the Real Living Wage, as put forward by the Living Wage Foundation, https://www.livingwage.org.uk/what-real-living-wage
However, when this was raised with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock by SNP Shadow Health Secretary Dr Philippa Whitford MP when she urged Matt Hancock to roll-out the Real Living Wage to all care workers – like has been the case in Scotland for many years – and reverse the 20% cut to public health funding imposed by the Tories in 2015.
In his response, Matt Hancock said that health care workers already receive the living wage – lower than the Real Living Wage – and completely failed to address Dr Whitford’s point on reversing cuts.
This proves where the Government really is and it is not with Care Workers in the Care Profession. For Matt Hancock was stating that Care Workers were on the National Living wage and not the Real Living Wage, but was playing on the words ‘Living Wage’ just to confuse the issue, in reality a difference of some 58p per hour and that is assuming the care workers are 25 or over, if they are 21 and over their guaranteed rate is only £8.20 and if the are under 21 the rate will be even lower. Also only the Real Living Wage has a weighting for London, who are recommended to receive £10.75 as opposed to £9.30 for the rest of the UK.
So, do not trust what you hear from the Government, especially Government Ministers.
I do not trust this Government, but then I do not trust any Governments and have not done so, for at least the last 40 or so years.
It was because of this lack of trust that I created the petition, Solve the crisis in Social Care’, which is addressed to both Matt Hancock and the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
So, please see the information I have prepared on https://www.dropbox.com/s/74ckd926thbrlo8/Solve%20the%20crisis%20in%20Social%20Care%205.docx?dl=0
or go straight to the petition on https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/solve-the-crisis-in-social-careSocial Care really is in crisis and was long before COVID 19 so, Social Care really needs YOU and so does this petition
Like so many people with autism, lockdown rules have only added to the challenges Matthew Russell faces.
A trip to McDonald’s or the local pub had not only become a treat, but a key part of a settled weekly routine.
However, the coronavirus outbreak has taken away those routines, causing distress and anxiety for many.
So staff at an autism centre in south Wales have come up with ideas to help maintain structure, including a replica drive-through burger restaurant.
Support workers at Glamorgan House in Neath were eager to help those with autism get through the restrictions.
With the help of a local McDonald’s restaurant that was closed during the lockdown, staff sourced packaging and cups for an authentic experience as well as making their own uniforms by hand.
“As soon as we began serving up meals there were smiling faces all around and orders were flying in,” said senior…
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