"What's happening" archives
UN
treaty protects rights of people with disabilities
After five years of negotiations, countries meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York have agreed on a new treaty to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
“This is the first convention of this magnitude for this century,” UN General Assembly President Jan Eliasson said after the agreement was reached. He told the negotiators that they were conveying to the world “the message that we want to have a life with dignity for all and that all human beings are all equal.”
More information from the UN website: www.un.org/disabilities/convention/
Equality 2025 – the United Kingdom Advisory
Network on Disability Equality
Equality 2025 is an important initiative that will help the life chances of
disabled people by ensuring that they will have a direct voice to central
government helping to design policies and services that disabled people really
want.
The Office for Disability Issues has recently advertised for disabled people to
join them as Members of Equality 2025. Members will need to commit about 20-25
days a year and will be paid for the time they spend doing work for the new
organisation.
We are looking for as wide a range of disabled people as possible including
disabled people from marginalised groups. They do not need to have previous
experience in a similar role or working for government.
Full details of the role of Members and the skills and experiences needed are
available online on
www.equality2025.co.uk, or by phoning on 01256 383611, e-mailing
equality2025@capita.co.uk,or
textphoning 0870 609 4219.
Investigation finds widespread institutional abuse of people with learning disabilities at an NHS trust in Cornwall
Commissions recommend special measures to protect people who use services after findings show significant failings in local procedures
Widespread institutional abuse of people with learning disabilities at an NHS Trust in Cornwall is revealed in a report published by the Healthcare Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).
The report details the findings of a joint investigation into services for people with learning disabilities at Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust. The services investigated were the Budock Hospital near Falmouth, which is a treatment centre for 18 inpatients. The investigation also looked at two other treatment centres, 4 children’s units and 46 houses occupied by groups of up to four people with learning disabilities.
The report describes many years of abusive practices at the trust and the failure of senior trust executives to tackle this. Examples of abuse included physical abuse and misuse of people’s money.
The Healthcare Commission has today written to the Secretary of State for Health to advise that she place the trust under special measures. This will involve an external review of the trust’s board by the strategic health authority (SHA). The Commission also recommends retaining the external team, which the SHA agreed to bring in last October after the Commission highlighted that the trust had “significant failings”.
Investigators found evidence of institutional abuse including some staff hitting, pushing, and dragging people. Some staff were also reported to have withheld food and given people cold showers.
A number of staff working in the homes were found to be caring and well intended. However, they were not working in accordance with best practice.
The investigation team also found an over-reliance on medication to control behaviour, as well as illegal and prolonged use of restraint. One person spent 16 hours a day tied to their bed or wheelchair for what staff wrongly believed was for that person’s own protection.
The investigation revealed serious and wide-reaching flaws in the local NHS Trust’s procedures for protecting adults. Senior managers failed to identify and correct situations involving physical, emotional and environmental abuse.
As a result of the investigation 40 people were referred to Cornwall County Council under the procedure for the protection of vulnerable adults (POVA). Despite the seriousness of the evidence presented, Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust and Cornwall County Council failed to adequately coordinate inter-agency arrangements in accordance with the Government’s guidance “No Secrets”.
More than two thirds of the 46 supported living houses visited by the investigation team placed unacceptable restrictions to the people living there. For example, investigators found that some internal doors were kept locked by staff to restrict the movement of people who live there as a method of dealing with challenging behaviour.
Investigators also found that the houses were run as unregistered care homes, which did not meet accepted standards.
The Healthcare Commission and CSCI have also referred allegations about inappropriate use and control of personal finances of those living in supported living houses to the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service.
Since the investigation Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust has taken disciplinary action against a number of staff. It has also taken action to address the concerns of the investigation team that the model of care administered at the trust is both outdated and inappropriate.
The leadership of the trust has been strengthened with the appointment of a new chief executive. Staff have received training and the investigation team have also observed improvements in the interaction between staff and people who use services.
One ward at Budock has been closed, and the environments of the two other wards have been improved through refurbishment and the introduction of a sensory room for patients.
The environment of the supported living houses has also improved. A number of the locked doors observed have been removed and action has been taken to address the unacceptable levels of physical restraint.
The Commission and CSCI have recommended that special measures be put in place to safeguard people who use services. These state that:
the external team should remain in place for at least 12 months, in order to oversee the quality of the services provided to people with learning disabilities;
the external team must work with the Strategic Health Authority (the SHA) to ensure that the action plan agreed between the trust, Cornwall County Council Social Services Department and the local primary care trusts to redesign services is properly implemented, in line with agreed time scales; and the external team ensure that sufficient transitional funding, both from health and social services bodies, is made available so that changes and improvements are sustainable.
there needs to be an external review of the performance and membership of the trust’s board to ensure that it is able to discharge its responsibilities to an acceptable standard.
In addition, the Commission and CSCI also state that:
services for people with learning disabilities must be redesigned by the local health and social care organisations, taking into account the individual needs assessments of every learning disability service user
all providers of personal care, including the NHS, must register those services with the CSCI in accordance with the Care Standards Act 2000.
best practice in medical, nursing and therapeutic care must be provided throughout learning disability services
regular reports on all matters relating to the protection of adults with learning disabilities must be provided to the learning disability partnership board and the strategic health authority to ensure that sufficient action is taken to address individual and systemic problems
interagency arrangements and planning for learning disabled people must be clearly identified in the local development plan
nationally, the Department of Health should strengthen processes for protecting adults, in accordance with the provisions of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill currently before Parliament.
all local authorities, in their role as lead agency for the protection of vulnerable adults, must ensure that arrangements for investigating allegations of abuse are robust.
Full details of the recommendations can be found in the report.
The official investigation into learning disability services provided by Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust began in May 2005 and was sparked by concerns raised by East Cornwall Mencap Society.
Last October, the Healthcare Commission notified the Secretary of State for Health that the early stages of the investigation had found “significant failings” in services. As a result, an outside team was brought in by the SHA to urgently address these concerns while the investigation continued.
The outside team has been working with the trust, the local council, and the two Commissions’ since last October. Improvements made since that time include: community care assessments by the council of all people using the trust’s services; the appointment of an expert in the protection of vulnerable adults; the development of action plans for all the trust’s learning disabilities services; and improved environments in Budock hospital.
Further information on the Healthcare Commission is available on www.healthcarecommission.org.uk
Further information on the Commission for Social Care Inspection is available on www.csci.org.uk
BILD Comment
BILD Chief Executive Keith Smith comments:
"As BILD was part of this investigation, we share the concerns expressed by the Healthcare Commission and Commission for Social Care Inspection.
Like everyone else, we have been shocked, appalled and upset by the scale of the institutional abuse and its impact upon the lives of the people with learning disability concerned and their family carers.
BILD's vision is of a world where people with a learning disability are accepted as equal citizens with the potential to make a positive contribution to our communities. Therefore, we are pleased that in response to the Cornwall findings, the Healthcare Commission are to take a lead in auditing services for people with learning disability throughout England, to ensure that any similar poor practice can be identified and addressed.
BILD is totally committed to working to ensure that people with learning disabilities are treated with respect and receive the same high standards of care as the rest of society.
Through our various activities, we try to ensure that an understanding of best practice is shared by people with learning disabilities, family carers and the many organisations and professionals working in the field."
BILD backs Conflict Professional Awards
The British Institute of Learning Disabilities has demonstrated its support for
the Conflict Professional Awards by joining other industry bodies in
backing the scheme, making it truly representative of the wide ranging need for
conflict resolution skills in the workplace today.
Introduced for the first time this year, these awards will recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to conflict management and best practice in their place of work.
BILD is supporting the Health and Social Care Conflict Professional Award and nominations are invited from frontline staff and managers working with people with learning disabilities who can demonstrate how they may have handled a situation particularly well, or introduced a procedure or policy that has significantly reduced the risks of violence and aggression.
Awards are on offer in a further five sectors, justice, security business, licensed retail and hospitality, transport and local government. Category winners will be presented with their awards at the Presentation Dinner, which immediately follows the non profit making ConflictPro Conference on 28th September, being held in Reading, Berkshire. Leading figures in all award sectors will be attending the awards presentation so it will be a major opportunity for leading conflict managers to flagship their work.
These awards create an exciting opportunity for all individuals working in conflict resolution and violence management to raise awareness of their own, or their colleagues’ achievements.
Entries close on 11th August and entry forms are available online on the ConflictPro Conference web site www.conflictproconference.com by filling in this form or by telephone, 01580 881260 or email marketing@conflictprofessional.com.
Download entry form (pdf format)
Recognise your industry role
models – Countdown to closing date for Conflict Professional Awards 2006
The closing date for entries to the Conflict Professional Awards is 11th August. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain recognition for your profession and nominate a member of staff or a manager you think has made a valuable contribution to reducing conflict, violence and aggression in the workplace.
Nomination is easy – complete an entry form on line www.conflictproconference.com, or phone 01580 881260, or email marketing@conflictprofessional.com for an entry form.
These awards have been introduced for the first time this year to promote best practice and highlight individual achievement. One of the six awards available is the health and social care award being supported by BILD, which will recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to conflict management and best practice in their place of work.
Winners will receive their awards at the presentation dinner which follows the ConflictPro Conference, taking place on September 28th in Reading, Berkshire. Leading figures in all award sectors will be attending so it will be a major opportunity for leading conflict managers to flagship their work.
New BILD projects in support of advocacy and workforce development
BILD is please to announce that they received two section 64 grants from the Department of Health this year. One grant is for a project to use nationally agreed advocacy standards and develop a self assessment tool to be used by advocacy organisations. The project will benefit people with learning disabilities who are seeking advocacy support, advocacy organisations and statutory organisations that fund advocacy. The project will have a focus on advocacy support related to the Mental Capacity Act.
The second grant is for a project New ways of supporting people, new ways of supporting the workforce. It will explore the workforce development and support issues that will arise from the growth in direct payments and individualised budgets for people with learning disabilities. The project will provide information for people who use services, training managers and HR staff, training organisations and Skills for Care about the workforce implications of new types of services for people with learning disabilities.
New service for cancer patients with learning disabilities
In 2000, BILD highlighted the lack of information for people with learning
disabilities about cancer. It is pleasing to see this being addressed by the
launch of a new cancer information service.
See BILD cancer project
Macmillan Cancer Relief has funded the first information service of its kind
to meet the needs of cancer patients with learning disabilities. The project has
been developed following recent studies which show this group of patients miss
out on vital information and support because they have additional needs to those
of the general public.
Around 1.2 million people in UK have learning disabilities - approximately 25
per 1000 people. Figures show cancer incidence in people with learning
disabilities is increasing and indicate that around one in ten will die of
cancer.
The most striking difference between people with learning disabilities and the
rest of the population is the high incidence of gastro-intestinal cancers.
People with Down's Syndrome are also at risk of cancer - there is a 20/30 fold
increased risk of childhood leukaemia and an increased risk of testicular cancer
in men, but perhaps a lower risk of breast cancer in women.
The Macmillan Network Information and Support Service for the Learning
Disability Community has been developed as a joint venture between Macmillan and
The National Network for Palliative Care of People with Learning Disabilities (NNPCPLD).
The much-needed service offers telephone and email support, guidance and
information on caring for people with learning disabilities who have cancer to
healthcare professionals, learning disability staff or carers of cancer
patients. Opening hours of helpline - Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 - 6pm. The
telephone number is 01223 460 473 or email
info@natnetpald.org.uk
Information on cancer is essential for patients with learning disabilities who
have palliative care needs and could even help to save lives. Some studies have
found that a high number of cancer deaths among people with learning
disabilities were probably preventable. There are several reasons why people
with learning disabilities are vulnerable including; difficulty in accessing
screening programmes, difficulty in making healthy lifestyle choices e.g.
smoking or diet which can lead to cancer or problems in communicating signs or
symptoms, such as fatigue or pain which may indicate cancer.
Linda McEnhill, Macmillan Information and Support Service Manager, says, 'There
are so many issues to consider. It's important to be able to break the news of
cancer to patients in a way they can understand or to be able describe how
treatment works to people with learning disabilities. We are pleased to have
this much needed service up and running for this hard to reach audience. There
is a growing demand for this type of information that needs to be met.'
Richard West is deaf and has learning disabilities - his father died of cancer.
He says, 'I used to visit my father in hospital, no-one told me what was going
to happen to him. I didn't know he was going to die. If someone had talked to
me, it would have been easier to find out what was going on. When he died the
nurse didn't tell me I could see his body. It would have better if she had
written everything down so I could have looked at it later. People with learning
disabilities should be given the same information as anyone else, with pictures
or photographs so it is easier to understand.'
The Macmillan Information and Support Service is the lead in its field and will
provide information and support on caring for people with learning disabilities
who have cancer or palliative care needs - details of local organisations, a
range of literature and resources, training prospects, and signposting to other
sources of support are all offered.
People with learning disabilities who have a friend or relative with cancer also
have different information needs that need addressing and Macmillan's
Information and Support Service offers advice and support on these specific
information needs also.
For more information, please email:
info@natnetpald.org.uk
Lloyds TSB Foundation announces new England and Wales-wide funding priorities for people with a learning disability
The
Lloyds TSB Foundation has announced its new funding priorities for 2006 for
charities throughout England and Wales.
The Foundation gives grants to charities that help people, especially those
who are disadvantaged or disabled, to play a fuller role in their communities.
New priority areas are:
Supporting charities working with people with a learning disability to enable
them to play a fuller role in their communities
The Foundation will fund work that enables people with a learning disability to
have better access to information and services including housing choices, health
and employment. Of particular interest are projects that promote independent
advocacy to enable people with a learning disability to play a fuller role in
the community.
To support charities working with older people to enable them to play a
fuller role in their communities
The Foundation will fund work that tackles isolation and enables disadvantaged
older people to have better access to services including housing choices,
healthcare and employment. Of particular interest are charities that are working
with older people with a disability and also charities that take an
intergenerational approach to enabling older people to play a fuller role in the
community.
The following priorities also remain for 2006:
To support charities working with people from black and minority ethnic (BME)
communities to enable them to play a fuller role in their communities
To support charities working with refugees and asylum seekers to enable them
to play a fuller role in their communities
80% of the England and Wales-wide £3.2 million programme budget will be
available for funding in the above priority areas leaving 20% for more general
work enabling disadvantaged people to pay a fuller role in their communities.
Grants will be for one, two or very exceptionally three years to support the
following types of work:
direct service provision
support to second tier membership or umbrella bodies
infrastructure support
pilots and the research and development of work for replication throughout England and Wales
collaborative projects.
At an England and Wales-wide level the Foundation operates 2 programmes:
the Community Programme which is the largest and gives grants to charities working on new or established projects that benefit people throughout England and Wales
the Collaborative Programme which is specifically established to facilitate new ways of working and to promote the exchange of ideas, knowledge and good practice
Please note that each of the Foundation’s ten regional offices also has their
own regional priorities for charities with beneficiaries in that area (see
Foundation website below for details).
As there is a high demand for grants, the Foundation recommends that potential
applicants obtain a copy of the 2006 guidelines and England and Wales-wide
funding plan (including full details of 2006 priorities) from the website:
www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk.
If a potential applicant is interested in applying, they should contact the
England and Wales team (details on the website).
Kramer on the case - drug awareness for people with learning disabilities
The Wandsworth DAT sponsored this 21-minute film, ‘Kramer on the Case’ and the accompanying leaflet. The leaflet, which was produced from 'stills' from the film by St George's Hospital Medical School is particularly valuable as a complement to this learning tool but can be used as a stand-alone handout. The film is best shown to groups of people with learning disabilities by a facilitator who can lead discussion to aid the learning process and help clarify some of the scenes and statements made by professionals.
The film uses almost wholly actors with a Learning Disability from the Baked Bean Theatre Company, part of Act Too ltd, based in Merton Abbey Mills. The film follows the search by Private Detective Kramer for 'JJ' who was reported missing by his sister Diamond. She suspects he has been caught up with drugs. Kramer takes on the case and to learn more about the dangers sets off to discover more about the subject starting with a meeting with Suzette Polson, Manager of the Wandsworth Drug Project.
Kramer visits typical danger spots and checks out various situations - illustrating the dangers of excess drinking, and moving on to soft and hard drugs. This is acted out through a number of scenes and ends with the graphic and harrowing death of Tony from a Heroin overdose. It also shows the dangers of getting involved in the drug scene, particularly by being exploited by dealers. The intention is that in the way Kramer learns, so will the viewer.
There is advice on where to get help (not solely in Wandsworth), who to speak to and the legal consequences put over sensitively by WPC Janet Roger from Earlsfield Police Station. It is captivating and informative, being described as a typical episode of a TV 'soap'.
Copies of the film are available for £6 (just to cover costs). We have a few videos left (£5) but can more easily be produced on DVD format, these are also easier and cheaper to post for us. 20 free copies of the leaflet accompany each film, although more can be ordered at £5 per 20. Orders should be addressed to Robert Johnston, Provider Service Manager at Atheldene SEC tel - 0208 877 1474. Cheques with orders made out to Wandsworth Council. A copy of the leaflet, which gives a synopsis of the film, can be sent on request.
Luis Castillo
Development Worker
BILD members please note that this video is in the BILD Library
Page ref: 'headlines-history' Owned by: j.thompson@bild.org.uk Last updated: 16/08/2007