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You are here: Home / Archives for Personal assistants

Personal assistants

Peer calls for disabled people to ‘take control’ over PA vaccinations

By John Pring on 14th January 2021 Category: Independent Living

Peer calls for disabled people to ‘take control’ over PA vaccinations
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A disabled peer is calling on other disabled people seen as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to coronavirus to “be proactive” and ask their GPs to vaccinate them and their personal assistants, following the publication of new government guidance. The advice from […]

Coronavirus: New NHS guidance ‘leaves door open to dangerous discrimination’

By John Pring on 18th June 2020 Category: Activism and Campaigning

Coronavirus: New NHS guidance ‘leaves door open to dangerous discrimination’
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The failure of NHS England to consult with disabled people over new guidance on hospital visitors has left the door open to “dangerous and discriminatory” treatment, according to two campaigners. Fleur Perry and Mark Williams have asked NHS England to explain […]

Coronavirus: Control over support is helping keep disabled people safe, evidence suggests

By John Pring on 30th April 2020 Category: Independent Living

Coronavirus: Control over support is helping keep disabled people safe, evidence suggests
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Disabled people who use direct payments to pay for support in their own homes are using this control over their care to stay safer during the coronavirus pandemic than if they were in institutions, early evidence suggests. Disability News Service (DNS) […]

Coronavirus: PA guidance is finally published… five weeks late

By John Pring on 23rd April 2020 Category: Independent Living

Coronavirus: PA guidance is finally published… five weeks late
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Ministers have finally published guidance that should help disabled people who employ their own personal assistants (PAs) to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic, but activists say the delay in producing the document has put lives at risk. The guidance for […]

Coronavirus: Government’s continuing failure on PA guidance ‘will cost lives’

By John Pring on 9th April 2020 Category: Activism and Campaigning

Coronavirus: Government’s continuing failure on PA guidance ‘will cost lives’
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The government’s continuing failure to produce accessible information and guidance to help disabled people protect themselves during the coronavirus crisis is unacceptable and will cost lives, disabled people’s organisations have warned. Disabled campaigners spoke out after the Department of Health and […]

Coronavirus: Ministers’ failure on direct payments guidance ‘will not be forgotten’

By John Pring on 2nd April 2020 Category: Independent Living

Coronavirus: Ministers’ failure on direct payments guidance ‘will not be forgotten’
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Ministers have been warned that their lengthy delay in publishing guidance to help disabled people who use direct payments survive the coronavirus pandemic is risking lives across the country… and will not be forgotten. The Department of Health and Social Care […]

Coronavirus: Employers of PAs still await government guidance after nearly two weeks

By John Pring on 26th March 2020 Category: Independent Living

Coronavirus: Employers of PAs still await government guidance after nearly two weeks
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The government has failed to publish guidance to help disabled people survive the coronavirus pandemic if they use direct payments to employ personal assistants (PAs), nearly two weeks after ministers provided advice for the wider social care sector. It is now […]

Rates of pay set by councils ‘are so low that families struggle to recruit PAs’

By John Pring on 25th July 2019 Category: Independent Living

Rates of pay set by councils ‘are so low that families struggle to recruit PAs’
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Rates of pay for personal assistants (PAs) are so low that local authorities could be in breach of their legal duties to families with disabled children, according to new research by Leeds University. Results of a survey of families found the […]

PA employers are facing probes into ‘sleep-in’ minimum wage back-pay

By John Pring on 27th July 2017 Category: Independent Living

PA employers are facing probes into ‘sleep-in’ minimum wage back-pay
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Disabled people who employ personal assistants (PAs) are being investigated by the government for failing to pay their PAs the minimum wage during overnight “sleep-in” shifts. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has admitted to Disability News Service (DNS) that individual PA […]

Years of austerity have left personal assistance in ‘very fragile state’

By John Pring on 6th July 2017 Category: Independent Living

Years of austerity have left personal assistance in ‘very fragile state’
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The concept of personal assistance has been severely damaged by years of austerity and policies that have “degraded” the support mechanisms designed to enable independent living, leading figures in the disability movement have warned. They were speaking at the launch of […]

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