A maths teacher who was told by managers after she became disabled that if she had been a horse she would have been “taken out and shot” has spoken of a campaign of bullying and harassment that left her traumatised and suicidal. Catherine Scarlett spoke out this week after an Ofsted report found the comprehensive […]
Year: 2016
Secret DWP proposal to scrap ESA ‘substantial risk’ rules ‘would breach right to life’
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has proposed scrapping two benefit regulations that offer vital protection to disabled people facing the controversial “fitness for work” test. In response to a freedom of information request, DWP has sent Disability News Service (DNS) a document titled Appeals Strategy – Post Election Planning, which was drawn […]
Revealed: DWP’s secret, ‘financially devastating’ proposals for benefits appeals
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has drawn up secret plans for sweeping reforms that would make it far harder for disabled people to appeal against having their benefit claims turned down. The heavily-redacted document was sent to Disability News Service (DNS) by DWP following a freedom of information request, but disabled activists from […]
Mental health goals may not be met, audit office warns
Waiting-time targets were scheduled to start in April, but NAO report says officials do not yet have a grip on how much the policy will cost. government pledge to bring mental health services up to the standards of those for physical ailments will struggle to be met, the government’s official spending watchdog has concluded. The […]
Abolish care fees to save families thousands, says Plaid
Scrapping care fees for the elderly and dementia sufferers would save families thousands of pounds each year, Plaid Cymru has said. The party wants to scrap both fees over a 10-year period, at a cost of £226m. Plaid health spokeswoman Elin Jones said those with relatives in residential care for dementia could save up to […]
Learning Disability Wales Training
Learning Disability Wales are pleased to announce the start of their new training programme which will run from May 2016 to October 2016. Their new training programme for summer 2016 is full of useful and informative courses such as Making Information Easy to Read and Understand Personal Relationships and Sexuality Introduction to Autism Spectrum […]
Delays to Disabled Facilities Grant process have major impact on people’s lives says Ombudsman
People with disabilities are being left for too long in unsuitable homes because of problems with councils’ Disabled Facilities Grants processes, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) says. In a report issued this week, the LGO highlights some of the complaints it receives when the grants process goes wrong, and the significant impact this can have […]
It took a serious accident for my autistic son to get the help he needed
Social Care Network: My Social Care Story – Lucy Marsden I don’t wonder how the accident could have been avoided, because I know. The way everything was at the time, I don’t see how any parent or carer could have avoided it other than by marching to the council offices, handing their child over and saying: […]
RICA consumer panel would like more Welsh representatives. – interested?
Use your knowledge and experience – help with consumer research Rica is a consumer research charity that works with older and disabled people: www.rica.org.uk It has the RicaWatch panel made up of over 500 people of all ages who help us with research including mystery shopping. Rica is looking specifically for people who live in […]
Welsh election: Local factors with national impact
As the BBC Wales election tour gets underway, I’m looking forward to hearing the views of voters across the country. The latest ITV Wales/YouGov poll suggests Labour would remain the biggest party with 28 seats, down two from the current 30. It also indicated a decline in Conservative support – 10 seats, down four from […]
