As you can see from the pinned post above, I am advertising for staff again. I am certainly feeling the pinch of the nationwide social care crisis and can only hope that things improve soon. The problem is that I am not living the independent life that I want to. I am not flourishing like I should be, due to a lack of necessary support from trained staff and the Local Authority.
As always, I am not just prepared to accept this and am coming out fighting – not only for myself but for the others who struggle to speak for themselves. Next week, I have set up meetings with people who may be able to assist in my goal to create a fairer society for all and enable all individuals to operate on a level playing field. I accept that this sounds hideously naïve and optimistic, but it is the right thing to do and I will always support the underdog while challenging the status quo.
On Monday, I am speaking with David Ashley from the Independent Living Group about setting up a Direct Payments Support Group in Wrexham. We are supposedly supported by People Plus but this is a body that is recommended by WCBC – my local authority – so forgive me for feeling that they do not provide a totally independent service. While running the #SaveWILG campaign, I quickly learnt that you can’t really rely on anyone but yourself.
Next Tuesday will see a meeting with my advocates and WCBC social worker in an attempt to finalise my care and support plan which has not been properly reviewed and finalised for many years. These are years that I have spent banging my head against a brick wall while glancing enviously at the way the Welsh Government illustrate the way in which they envisage the lives of disabled people in the Social Services and Well Being (Wales) Act of 2014. The fact that this is set in law, does not seem to concern WCBC who seem to think they can make their own rules. They didn’t seem to realise that they would be dealing with someone who is more than ready to challenge their authority and ensure everyone gets what they are legally entitled to.
Following the trauma of having to act politely to those who have made my life a misery for the past 6 years or so, I will be speaking to someone with regard to a Equality and Human Rights Commission survey. They have commissioned a non-profit research organisation, Research in Practice, to support their inquiry into how older and disabled adults and unpaid carers can challenge local council decisions about social care and support in England and Wales.
They need to talk to people about trying to challenge decisions around:
- Assessment of care or support needs
- How or where care or support needs will be met
- Changes to care or support needs identified by the council or to their package
- Some other decisions (but not on healthcare or which council is responsible) – they can advise which decisions would be appropriate so please email to check
I am only to happy to help with this enquiry and will do whatever I can to assist with this research.
Back in February 2019, the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services visited my comrades and I at my bungalow to tell me that they were putting safeguards in place to protect former ILF recipients in Wales as a direct result of my successful campaign. I did think at the time that my work was done, but the words of former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who I met a couple of times throughout my campaign, are continuing to reverberate. Never has a truer word been said, when he advised me that if I didn’t do anything to protect disabled people in Wales, then no one else would bother.
Lucky that I am the most mentally strong person I know and that I don’t plan on going anywhere just yet…
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This must be the perfect place to wish all my readers a happy and peaceful festive period. Unfortunately, I am in no mood to do such a thing when I am in the middle of fighting to improve the lives of those less fortunate than us in a heartless Capitalist society. While you are stuffing your face with turkey, sprouts and mince pies just take a moment to think of how you have helped to improve the lives of those less fortunate than yourself this year…
Thought not, you selfish fuckers.
