VODG Blog:

The human impact of ordinary residence disputes – disagreements between local authorities over the funding of an individual’s social care – is at the heart of our long-standing campaign to change the rules. These disputes are a national problem, but the extent to which the Care Bill, introduced into Parliament on 9 May, will solve them is debatable.

Sue, who has limited communication skills, epilepsy and is prone to falling, moved from registered care in the south west into supported living with two friends. She wanted the privacy of her own room but is unable to use or keep a key.

There’s a social care charity I know which ran day services for a council for several years. As the service was operating at a loss, the provider worked with its users and commissioners for the last two years of the contract to turn the organisation into an independent community interest company. It is now thriving and financially healthy; the service still exists but the delivery vehicle is different.

A couple of weeks ago I went for a walk with my wife; the weather was great and the scenery wonderful.  When we returned to the car, we had a flat tyre.  Thankfully I had a spare; we put it on and home we went.

Can you spot a good support worker or nurse as soon as they walk through the door?  The evidence of Winterbourne View and the recently published Francis report demonstrates, beyond any doubt, that clearly we can’t.

You’re searching for a local care home place for an elderly relative, you need to find somewhere they can be safe, comfortable and happy - how do you start?

The sustained climate of cuts is shaping a new social care landscape where providers are expected to offer an Ikea-style guaranteed service – reliable and at a bargain price.

Just over a year ago, MacIntyre shared the inspiring story of Joe in the VODG report Another Way, proving how collaboration between commissioners and providers can avoid the trap of long stays in out-of-county assessment and treatment centres.

The government spends around £270 million on home adaptations every year. Research shows that the amount is worth twice that in terms of health and social care savings. A London School of Economics report, Building a business case for investing in adaptive technologies in England, outlined that for every £1 spent by the government on adaptations, £2 was saved in health and social care and quality of life gains.

The Panorama follow up to Winterbourne View, due to be broadcast tonight, will remind us of the shocking culture of abuse at Bristol’s Castlebeck private assessment and treatment unit for people with learning disabilities.

Simon spent over a year at Winterbourne View, the privately run residential hospital for people with a learning disability exposed in last year’s Panorama.

Scratch beneath the surface of failures in institutional care and you will find one common denominator; the voice of the individual has been ignored.

At a rough count, carers get more than 200 mentions in the draft care and support bill – firmly placing carer and their needs where they should be right at the centre of care and support. It’s about time - carers have been waiting for legislation around social care to be sorted out for many years to get to a position where they and their needs are properly recognised.

Each year, hundreds of disabled people are prevented from moving home because of disputes involving councils and primary care trusts over who should pay for their care and if their support packages can move with them.

When we first met Jane (not her real name), she required two-to-one support from her care agency to help her up the stairs of her house and to transfer her into the bath and bed. By installing a stair lift, grab rails and hoisting equipment, she now needs only one carer and is able to remain in her home much longer than she expected to. This means her current support package will be reduced and, because she can stay in her own home for longer, it also potentially delays fees associated with residential care.

At long last the government is saying loud and clear what housing providers have been shouting about for years – that having somewhere secure to live is fundamental to both health and well-being. The new white paper on care and support rightly insists that the kinds of transformational change it advocates will only be delivered by bringing together the knowledge and resources of local authorities, the NHS - and housing .

In March of this year Camphill Houses Stourbridge merged with the Berith Foundation. While we’re all used to hearing a lot about the managerial efficiency and organisational benefits of mergers and partnerships in the current economic climate, you often don’t hear about the impact on individuals. Which is why Louise’s words are important.

There is so much to agree with about Caring for our future and the draft social care bill.

At the end of my recent blogpost on the white paper and its position on quality, I concluded that unless its implementation has a positive influence on the quality of day-to-day interactions between staff and those being supported and their families, it will make no difference. Quality and workforce are inextricably linked and so I shall now turn my attention to the workforce chapter entitled: “I know that the person giving me care and support will treat me with dignity and respect”. Shame the document devotes only three pages out of 70 to this vitally important subject.

The Winterbourne View scandal took place over a year before this month’s white paper, Caring for our future, reforming care and support, and the recently published Department of Health (DH) interim report reinforced the connection between bad staff and bad care. Given how in social care the workforce and quality are inextricably linked, it is surprising and unfortunate that the white paper separates them into two different chapters. That being the case, I’ll blog here on the proposed quality systems and look at the workforce proposals in a forthcoming post.

So what took them so long? The answer to why the government dragged its heels in publishing yesterday’s long-awaited social care white paper is, in a word, Dilnot.

“Nobody should have to struggle to get control over their own life,” says 49-year-old Ann McCallum.