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The care regulator has defended the failure of its own inspectors to uncover evidence of serious abuse at a private “hospital” for people with learning difficulties. The Care Quality Commission faced serious questions this week after it published its report into alleged abuse at Winterbourne View, near Bristol.
Disabled people’s organisations are to boycott a review set up by two of the big disability charities into one of the most controversial parts of the government’s welfare reform bill. The “independent review” into how the mobility needs of people living in residential care are met and funded was launched by Leonard Cheshire Disability and Mencap.
The government has replaced the disabled director of its Office for Disability Issues with a non-disabled civil servant, without advertising the post externally. Tim Cooper has refused to discuss the reasons for his departure, amid speculation that he could be leaving due to unhappiness with the coalition’s policies on disability and equality.
Meanwhile, the government has launched a scheme designed to support the growth of local disabled people’s organisations. It will invest £3 million over four years in helping DPOs improve how they are run.
Two older disabled women have taken their fight against council cuts to care and support to the high court. Lawyers for the two women have argued that Lancashire County Council breached the Disability Discrimination Act by failing to take into account the impact of proposed cuts to its social services budget on disabled people.
Activists staged a protest over the treatment of a disabled woman denied the night-time care she needs by her local authority. The Supreme Court caused outrage earlier this month when it ruled that Kensington and Chelsea council did not break the law by deciding to withdraw night-time support for Elaine McDonald, even though it had assessed her as needing that support. The council’s decision meant McDonald would be forced to use incontinence pads at night, even though she is not incontinent.
The government has failed to fulfil its pledge to end the glaring disparity between sentences for disability and other hate crime murders.
And campaigners have welcomed the government’s decision to postpone the next parliamentary stage of its controversial welfare reform bill until 13 September.
