- Conference
- 2006 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 23 February 2006
- Decision
- Carried
This conference believes that disabled people should be entitled to an holistic assessment of their needs and to receive services to meet those needs, including rehabilitation and other support services. These services should be provided by appropriately trained and paid local authority staff within a good career structure.
Conference welcomes the campaign by “The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association”, which shows that blind and partially sighted people are not receiving the rehabilitation services they need to live fully independent lives. Research commissioned by the organisation paints an alarming picture of the state of rehabilitation service provision to blind and partially sighted people:
1)There is a chronic shortage of rehabilitation workers UK wide; currently around 1100 are needed to meet demand. The number continues to increase following the removal of ring fenced monies for local authorities in the Training Support Programme (TSP) in 1999 for the training of local authority rehabilitation worker to deliver services in their locality
2)Around 30% of rehabilitation workers do not hold the necessary level of qualifications – akin to someone without a driving license teaching a sighted person how to drive.
3)Around 20% of local authorities in England and 15% of local authorities in Scotland have no dedicated services for blind and partially sighted people.
4)Many authorities in Wales do not have adequate, dedicated services
5)Since 1995, there has been a shift away from local authority spending on services for people with physical and sensory needs
Conference therefore welcomes the Government’s commitment to reform adult social care in England to create services that are person centred and which promote safe, independent lives for all disabled people. However, we believe that an urgent scoping review of all rehabilitation services is required, followed by the introduction of new fully funded services by local authorities. We call on the Local Government Service Group Executive to set up a campaign from these objectives following full consultation with the National Disabled members Committee. The Service Group Executive should seek support from the Labour Link National Committee and the UNISON Parliamentary Group as necessary and this campaign should be used as an opportunity to recruit and organise workers in the sector