In the 1970s, disabled people with high care support needs were often placed in out of town institutions, often against their will. Independent living promised greater choice and control. However, there are wider national concerns that the clock might be turned back, as a result of austerity.
Plans by Conservative-run Barnet Council to end the policy of placing people with social care needs in a community setting ‘by default’ could mean disabled people with high support needs being confined in residential care homes against their will. The policy change will mean a cut of £424,000.
Labour councillors at this week’s Adults & Safeguarding Committee (18 March) raised concerns about the policy change and cut. Peer-led Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation, Inclusion Barnet, have written to Council Leader, Richard Cornelius, setting out their concerns about the policy change. Labour councillors were copied into the letter but to date have not seen any formal response from the Conservative administration.
Inclusion Barnet, which, as a charity is a non-party political organisation, highlight that the proposal is controversial and clearly open to challenge. In their letter they state:
“This proposal carries the risk of disabled people with high support needs being confined to residential placements against their will, as the proposal tacitly acknowledges, and thus runs counter to the universal right to a family life, and also to the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, to which the UK is a signatory. Article 19 of the UNCRPD states that “a) Persons with disabilities have the opportunity to choose their place of residence and where and with whom they live on an equal basis with others and are not obliged to live in a particular living arrangement.”
Labour lead on Adults & Safeguarding, Cllr Reema Patel said:
“Due to austerity, there is more incentive for councils to offer people with high support needs residential placements because it is cheaper. However – this runs counter to established principles around disabled people’s rights – principles that support the right to independent living, choice, agency and control.
“This measure predicts a cut of £424,000. It assumes that 50% of new high cost placements will be replaced with residential care – which might suggest a target. Given that in the last financial year, 85 new high cost placements were awarded, that would be 40 people going into residential care when they may have otherwise stayed at home.”