Clustered Injustice and the level green
A new book – to be published October 2020. For details click here.
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Embracing Complexity survey
For details of a survey for people with any neurodevelopmental conditions, and their families, on the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown measures – click here.
Read moreUpdated Covid Direct Payment guidance for Councils & NHS
Welcome updated guidance stressing – among go other things – the need for flexibility – click here for access.
Read moreBaroness Jane Campbell lecture 30 October
Baroness Jane Campbell will deliver the annual Caroline Gooding Memorial Disability Law Lecture on 30 October 12.00 noon -13.30pm 'Disability Rights and the Pandemic: A Story of Survival?’ via Zoom…
Read morePersonal Health Budgets
Sam Strickland and Rhys Bowler are campaigning for the introduction of Personal Health Budgets for people who are eligible and in receipt of a Continuing Health Care provision. For more…
Read moreInclusive Public Space Survey ~ Leeds
Research concerning disabled people’s experience of Inclusive Public Space involves 10 cities across Europe, one of which is Leeds (deadline 5 September 2020). Click here for details of how to…
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Disabled children’s assessments
Two new on-line webinars / lectures, both concerning disabled children’s assessments: Assessing the support needs of disabled children and their families The first is a detailed explanation of the process…
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Revised NHS ‘Who Pays?’ Guidance
NHS England has published its updated guidance for establishing which NHS organisation has responsibility for commissioning an individual’s care and which has responsibility for paying for that care. The guidance…
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We only met two minutes ago but you already think you know everything about me.
The guest post you are about to read from a good colleague details an incredibly troubling account of the health system’s approach to the care of a very distressed and…
Read moreSenedd Inequality Report
For a welcome and powerful paper from the Welsh Parliament ‘Into sharp relief: inequality and the pandemic’ click here.
Read moreVacancy
Cerebra is looking for a part-time Information and Support Officer to be part of the Legal Entitlements and Problem-Solving (LEaP) Project. For details click here.
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Public Accounts Committee Report
The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published its report Readying the NHS and social care for the COVID-19 peak The Committee's findings include the following comments concerning adult…
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Public Accounts Committee Report
The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published its report Readying the NHS and social care for the COVID-19 peak Although its focus on the NHS in England –…
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Unlawful ‘Autism Plus’ policies
More than a quarter of English children’s services councils are acting unlawfully by discriminating against children with autism. Research undertaken by the School of Law at the University of Leeds,…
Read moreAutism in children & council discrimination
The BBC publishes major research on the discriminatory policies of some councils. Click here for the article
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Charging for social care campaign
Mike Jones is a retired Finance Director from the private sector and is the Appointee for his sister, Julie (not her real name), who lives in shared accommodation with three…
Read moreJudicial review of social care charges
Permission given to challenge a council's charging policy – for details click here.
Read moreBarbara Pointon Obituary
An obituary for the great NHS CHC campaigner can be accessed by clicking here.
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NHS Continuing Healthcare & young people: R (JP) v NHS Croydon (2020)
Preliminary note This briefing concerns a recent English judgment. The NHS (Wales) Act 2006 and the NHS Act 2006 (which focuses primarily on England) both create almost identical duties to…
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NHS Continuing Healthcare & young people: R (JP) v NHS Croydon (2020)
The disregard of the law concerning NHS Continuing Healthcare responsibilities by Health Bodies in England and Wales is hardly news. However, where one is confronted by a disabled child with…
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Delay and the ombudsman: how depressing.
In the last few years the Cerebra Legal Entitlements and Problem Solving (LEaP) Project has had to deal with many cases of delay by councils in England and Wales in…
Read moreCarers and the failure of ‘identity’
For a YouTube talk by Luke Clements for the Sustainable Care Seminar Series (15 June 2020) click here.
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Ordinary Residence s117 ~ all change in England (and Wales?).
The English Department of Health and Social Care has changed its mind concerning the determination of a person’s ordinary residence for the purposes of section 117 Mental Health Act 1983…
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Ordinary Residence s117 ~ all change
The Department of Health and Social Care has changed its mind concerning the determination of a person’s ordinary residence for the purposes of section 117 Mental Health Act 1983 –…
Read moreEnglish ombudsmen return
The local government ombudsman and the NHS ombudsman have announced that the will be resuming their complaints work from the 29th June and the 1st July respectively.
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Visual impairment rehabilitation timeframes
Danny Dooney, Legal Rights Officer at the RNIB has provided the following note concerning a recent Ombudsman decision.[1] It found Hammersmith and Fulham LBC was at fault for failing to…
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Coronavirus and direct payments
Interesting update guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care concerning the ‘Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: people receiving direct payments’. My good colleague Steve Brett has flagged up this…
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Urgent care
R (Ali Raja and Ali Hussain) v. Redbridge LBC [2020] EWHC 1456 (Admin). An important case concerning the power in the Care Act 2014 s19(3) that enables a council, in…
Read moreLife in lockdown for siblings of disabled children
A powerful report with some troubling statistics from by Sibs the charity supporting disabled people’s siblings – which can be accessed by clicking here.
Read moreCOVID-19 and unpaid carers
The Welsh Government has published ‘Guidance for unpaid carers: coronavirus (COVID-19) – which can be accessed by clicking here.
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Home care charges – the injustice continues
The severe impact of local authority home care charges is an overlooked injustice faced by large numbers of disabled people in England. The hardship caused by these charges has been…
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The suspension of care home inspections
For an excellent paper by Alison Tarrant and Lydia Hayes concerning the suspension of routine inspections which they argue renders care homes invisible to scrutiny and costs lives – click…
Read moreIn Brief
An interesting article by Amy Clifton for the Welsh Parliament ‘In Brief’ concerning the challenges facing the adult social care sector in Wales as a result of the coronavirus pandemic…
Read moreWebinar ~ 21 May 2020 6pm
Social Work Action Network (SWAN) is hosting a webinar 'Fighting for Social Justice: What's Happening to Human Rights during Covid-19? – for access details click here.
Read moreWebinar ~ Social Services in Wales during Covid-19: New Guidance
A webinar with Joanne Clement and Jonathan Auburn of 11KBW Chambers can be accessed by clicking here - the access password is 8Y@m=+1k. The PowerPoint can be accessed by clicking…
Read moreCoronavirus Act 2020 and the implications for Wales
A webinar with Jonathan Auburn and Joanne Clement of 11KBW Chambers can be accessed by clicking here - the access password is 11KBW2020. Thanks to Jonathan and Joanne for making…
Read moreWG Guidance on vulnerable children & safeguarding
Information about vulnerable children and safeguarding during the coronavirus pandemic – click here.
Read moreCommunity Care Solicitor
"Access Social Care' is looking for a Community Care Solicitor to join their team as their Legal Manager - for details click here. Application deadline extended to 18 May 2020.
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Welsh Government Guidance & Covid-19
Adult services On 30 April 2020 the Welsh Government issued formal guidance – see Adult social services during the Covid-19 pandemic. The guidance emphasises that the modifications permitted by the…
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Magic wands, misdirection and shock
Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine may have its critics – but it is difficult not to think about it, at times like this. Her central argument is that governments use national…
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Undermining children’s safeguarding duties
Major changes to the law concerning the protection of looked after children (among other things) have been brought into effect via the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020. Article…
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Social Justice another coronavirus casualty
What do you do if a local authority or NHS body decides to stop processing all complaints – even complaints which relate to matters of life and death or another…
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Coronavirus: WG Guidance for children’s social services
The Welsh Government has issued guidance concerning the role of children’s social services during the emergency. It’s primary focus is on child protection and ‘looked after children’. Welcome is its…
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Coronavirus: Direct Payments & Personal Health Budgets
Some welcome guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care concerning local authority and NHS decisions about permissible use of Direct Payment and Personal Health Budgets during the emergency.…
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Coronavirus update
More Chinese whispers and some guidance concerning disabled children and their families. Chinese whispers first. In a recent post I referred to emails from Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) saying that…
Read moreEqualities Committee Inquiry: Coronavirus emergency.
The UK Parliamentary Women and Equalities Committee is seeking evidence about the different and disproportionate impacts that are resulting from Coronavirus emergency. For details – click here.
Read moreGovernment Covid-19 Action Plan Social Care
On the 15 April the English Government published its COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care. To access this document click here.
Read moreBMJ Editorial ~ social care
For a British Medical Journal Editorial on 'Covid-19: why we need a national health and socialcare service' click here.
Read moreCovid-19 Legal Qs & As
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation has published an excellent and extensive list of Legal Questions & Answers concerning disabled people’s rights during the Coronavirus emergency. Click here to access these.
Read moreCovid-19 court cases
Two recent cases concerning altered visiting arrangements due to the Covid-19 outbreak and disabled people – see BP v Surrey County Council & RP and a (settled) case involving Hertfordshire…
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