If you asked anyone, where, they most wanted to live, and where, they would feel the safest, and happiest.
All would reply, if they could, within the bosom of their family.
This is why, a Private Members Bill, was put forward by Alf Morris, a Labour MP.
And despite opposition, by both Labour, and, a new Conservative government, became, the Chronically Sick and Disabled Act 1970.
It was the only, such Act in Europe, and, was heralded, the Magna Carta of the disabled.
The Act, placed a duty on Local Authorities, and NHS, to provide, in modern money, up to £164,000 per annum, for the social, and medical care, of the disabled.
If, a Local Authority, did not provide sufficient respite, house adaptations, medical equipment, care etc, parents/disabled, could sue them,to pay for these services.
This allowed, the disabled, to live, where they had always lived, with the friends, and family, they had known, and who had known them, since birth.
It also, prevented inadequate, unaccountable monopoly services.
Allowing families, and disabled, to obtain independent support, that fitted theirs, and the disabled’s needs.
The disabled could remain seen in the community, not, as they are now, herded in lines by chatting care workers.
Sadly, if parents found it impossible to cope, as they grew older, then, they could set up a trust fund, to pay state funds, to an independent provider, of their own choice, to care for their loved one.
But, 30 years on, under Tony Blair, the embryo of ‘Independent Living ’, was conceived, in academic publications.
Research, projected the figures, of older parents, who would be unable to cope, the disabled’s EU Right to ‘Independence’, was high jacked.
Housing away from their families became a priority for charities, LAs, and government.
All disabled charities, MENCAP, SCOPE, NAS, sang in unison, that ‘most disabled’ wanted independence, and, had a right to it,
‘Independence’, was perfunctorily construed, as living away from parents, in their ‘own’ home, regardless of how many lived in this ‘home’, and, 24 hour supervision.
And, all a disabled person’s decisions, being made by the care provider.
This has been renamed recently to ‘community living’.
A huge, profitable, largely unaccountable market, was there, for the taking.
In 2010/11, the largest component of local authority expenditure on residential services for people with learning disabilities was on residential care placements (£ 1.55 billion), followed by supported and other accommodation (£483 million) and nursing care (£75 million). Supporting People expenditure in 2010/11 was £149 million.
(Source: People with Learning Disabilities in England 2011
The disabled were a goldmine, waiting to be mined.
Providers of independent living, could, not only claim, the huge amounts of money, made available from the government, under The Chronically Sick and Disabled Act, but also, the disabled’s state benefits, Disability Living Allowance, Mobility, Housing and Council tax Benefits, and Independent Living Fund.
And, better still, whilst the Local Authorities, again, on the back of cost cutting, did not provide specialist disabled care, the independent providers, were still allowed, to claim for such care, under the Act, on the basis, of the need, and severity, of each individual’s disability.
This gave a huge profit margin, at the disabled’s expense, as they received basic, non-specific care.
Worse still, the worse the disabled’s needs were made, the more, that could be claimed.
This was not a recipe for care, but persecution.
With enforcement by the Court of Protection, under the Mental Capacity Act,
‘Independent’ Living, is now, effectively, the only option provided by Local Authorities, to a disabled adult.
in 2010/11, the largest component of local authority expenditure was on private, commissioned by LA, often enforced residential care placements (1.55 billion) for people with learning disabilities, followed by supported and other accommodation (83 million), and nursing care (75 million).
Supporting People expenditure in 2010/11 was 149 million.
(Source: People with Learning Disabilities in England 2011
Yet, see the map above, for the statistics of those still living with parents at 35, and not independently.
The Daily Mail lead on 5/11/16 that 25% of adults live with parents.
Yet our most vulnerable, who need their family most, are removed at 18, to 24 hour surveillance, not independence.
All overnight respite, and, day centre provision has been closed, on the excuse of cost cutting.
As services for disabled adults, are diversified, into this highly lucrative, ‘independent’ living industry.
The ‘Right’ to live ‘independently’ the only independence being forceful removal from family is the only ‘right’ promoted
Who would want a right to be encaged, all choice removed, and forcefully medicated ?
Disability charities, have found it a godsend, as a much needed, reliable source, of permanent income.
And, international venture capitalists, pension funds, are investing in this new profitable sector.
Parents, wishing to keep their beloved, disabled children at home, have found it, effectively impossible.
They can no longer sue for the support; they are entitled to under the Chronically Sick and Disabled.
As, if they could afford the lawyers, and took the risk, of the Local Authority’s legal bill, the Authority would show, they were providing such support, through this independent living provision.
The Local Authorities, are ruthlessly enforcing such provision, by enforcement under the Mental Capacity Act, accusing loving parents, of incapacity, abuse, and neglect.
These parents are, not only, refused adequate support, and respite, but accessed covertly, as if they were, parenting a normal child.
All in breach of theirs, and their child’s human rights, Equality Act, as discriminatory, and the Autism Act 2009 guidelines.
All disabled, now, effectively, belong to the state.
A state, that allows them no choice, and, no independence.
The disabled’s life, in independent living provision, is prescribed, controlled, watched, risk assessed, and, most of all, commercially aware.
No longer are they protected, and happy, in the bosom of their family.
They are unseen, at the mercy, of any itinerant, poorly paid zero hour carer.
And with no escape.
They cannot return home.
They are only allowed out to prescribed venues, heavily guarded.
Families contact is controlled, and often, cut out completely.
The disabled become an audit statistic, relied upon, to pay owners, managers, venture capitalists, and shareholders.
We do not even have figures, of the number of disabled encaged.
And this is called ‘valueing’ people.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/250877/5086.pdf
And, there is little, if any accountability, for the providers’ extortionately expensive services, or, the misery, and death, the disabled suffer in such provision.
We can only guess at it, from reports, that three learning disabled, die needlessly a day.
Disability charities have removed the disabled, and their family’s voices, and replaced them by meaningless propaganda, sound bites, self-preservation, and slick websites, as they put their own recycled profit interests, above their beneficiaries.
Tiny Tim, would not now, be allowed to remain in the bosom of his family, because he is worth too much.
finolamoss 