News
This area of the website is to keep you up to date with current news that NCIL feels would be useful and important to people using this site. If you have some news that you feel would be useful to share, please contact us and we will be pleased to consider it.
You will also find the last 6 editions of INDEPENDENTLY, our informative newsletter that provides information and articles on a wide range of issues relating to independent living. If you would rather to receive a paper copy of the newsletter, please contact us with your request.
07 October 2008 / NCIL's AGM
Booking Form for the 5th Annual General Meeting
~ AGM2008FLYERpage2 (2).pdf
07 October 2008 / NCIL AGM
National Centre For Independent Living 5th Annual General Meeting
~ AGM2008FLYERpage1.pdf
21 July 2008 / 'No one written off' welfare reform green paper welcomed by NCIL
NCIL welcomes Government plans to increase the support available for disabled people to find work - including doubling Access to Work funding; and to increase financial support for disabled people unable to work.
~ Welfare_reform_draft_NCIL_release_July_08.doc
01 July 2008 / Disability Equality Survey
Are you a disabled person using social care services? Have you used social care services in the past?
If so, Commission for Social Care Inspection needs your views in their new survey. The information you provide will be confidential and your answers anonymous.
~ 384761990_Disability equality survey.doc
04 June 2008 / Charging into Poverty? NCIL press release
NCIL press release on the 'Charging into Poverty?' report launch.
~ Coalition on charging NCIL release.doc
04 June 2008 / Charging into Poverty?
NCIL and the Coalition on Charging launch the findings of a survey of experiences of paying charges for care services at home in England.
~ Charging_Into_Poverty_FINAL.pdf
16 April 2008 / Sense, the national deafblind charity, published a report on its research into direct payments
From June to November 2007, Sense's Deafblind Direct project consulted deafblind people and families on their experiences of direct payments. Respondents included individuals who use direct payments and those who had thought about using them. The full report includes key findings, individuals' own experiences and recommendations for the Government, local authorities, CSCI, local support services and Sense. Information about Deafblind Direct and both the report summary and full report can be found at www.sense.org.uk/directpayments
~ DBD_Consultation_Report.pdf
16 April 2008 / Review of the Eligibility Criteria
The Commission for Social Care Inspection was asked by the Government to look at how the system for deciding who qualifies for support from local councils could be improved. So CSCI is now carrying out a major review of the eligibility criteria that councils use to decide whether or not a person receives help from the council with social care services. Please See Link Below:
http://www.csci.org.uk/about_us/news/review_of_eligibility_criteria.aspx
There is an online survey which CSCI is encouraging as many people as possible to have their say about the issues and problems associated with the current system.
The link to the online survey is:
http://www.csci.org.uk/SelectSurveyASP/TakeSurvey.asp?SurveyID=3KJm732Jl771K
07 April 2008 / Coalition on Charging
The Coalition on Charging was established to campaign against the current system of charging for community care services.
The Coalition is writing an up to date report, highlighting the current situation with charging for care, to ensure that the issue is on the government's agenda when looking at the future of social care.
Our survey:
As part of the report we want to include feedback from people who are affected by charging. We have developed a survey that will be used to help the Coalition on Charging produce good information.
The report is aimed at the Department of Health and Government. A Government consultation (‘green') paper on reform is due out sometime in 2008. The Government has said that it ‘believes that there are real opportunities for reform within a system that shares the cost between the individual and the state'.
However, in our view, it is very important that they look at the effects on people of the current charging system and hear the views of people who are currently being charged for their support.
In order that we can include your views please can you respond to this survey by May 1st 2008.
Please fill the survey on our campaigns, policy and research page.
03 April 2008 / Qualifying for care services – have YOUR say
Launching the Commission Social Care Institutes' CSCI third annual State of Social Care report in January 2008, CSCI Chair Dame Denise Platt said:
"On the one hand, those who qualify for council support are having a better experience than before. However, people who fall outside the system, including self-funders, have a poor quality experience that can leave them struggling to cope.
"People who only five years ago qualified for council arranged help are today excluded by the system and left to fend for themselves. The poor experiences of people and their carers trying and failing to get sufficient help contrasts starkly with those who do qualify for council help."
In response to our report, CSCI was asked by Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis to look at how the system for deciding who qualifies for support could be improved. We aim to make recommendations on how this system, called ‘Fair Access to Care Services', could change to meet the Government's vision of more personalised social care services.
We want to involve as wide a range of people as possible, including people who use services, carers, representatives from councils, provider, voluntary and community organisations, researchers and other interested parties at every stage.
There will be four key steps to the review:
1. ‘Have your Say'
We are holding an event on 1 April 2008 with people using services, carers, and stakeholder representatives, including the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Local Government Association. This is to ensure we consider everyone's concerns and ideas at the outset of our review.
2. Establishing the national picture
We will be conducting an online survey during April and May, and welcome responses from the public, people who use care services and all interested parties. The survey, and full details about written submissions, will be available on our website, www.csci.org.uk, from 1 April to 9 May 2008. Please e-mail queries and written evidence to FACSReview@csci.gsi.gov.uk
We will also conduct a literature review and draw on others' research findings, as well as our own inspection evidence.
3. Considering options for change
In the summer we will run a number of special workshops to consider our initial findings and discuss options for short and long term changes to the system.
4. Examining the evidence
A sounding board of key stakeholders will meet over the course of the review to receive all the evidence and debate the findings.
We have been asked to report to Government by 15 September 2008.
~ Eligibility Criteria Review.doc
03 March 2008 / Government's Independent Living Strategy Launched
NCIL welcomes the publication of the cross-Government Independent Living Strategy. An NCIL press release on the Strategy is available below.
~ PRESS RELEASE.doc
01 March 2008 / Jan-March 08 Themes & Actions
NCIL Individual Budgets Seminars
~ ThemesActions (2).pdf
25 February 2008 / Independent Living Bill 3rd Reading in Lords
Lord Ashley steers his Bill through 3rd Reading again and NCIL support with a briefing on the Bill and its importance to the pending Government green paper on social care reform.
~ IL_Bill_and_Care_Reform_Feb_08.doc
15 January 2008 / High Court finds that Council acted unlawfully and ignored rights of disabled people
Harrow Council forced to reconsider new policy withdrawing care services from 100s of residents
In a key case about disability rights and the provision of care services for 100s of people, a judge found a local council had acted unlawfully when introducing its new policy because it had breached its duties under the Disability Discrimination Act.
~ PLP Harrow press release.doc
07 January 2008 / Disability Equality Survey
Are you a disabled person using social care services? Have you used social care services in the past?
If so, Commission for Social Care Inspection need your views in their new survey. The information you provide will be confidential and your answers anonymous.
~ Disability equality survey.doc
