July 2012

Some good news about autism this week: it seems that more of the general population know about the condition - and services are increasingly adapting their approaches to become more autism-friendly.
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This week, up to 7,000 existing incapacity benefit (IB)claimants will receive letters they have been dreading; asking themto be re-assessed for their benefit.While the mainstream mediawent with the 'benefit crackdown' angle on this, the…
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It is not often that a TV programme moves you to tears, butlast night's Panorama was one such show. Secret filming atWinterbourne View, a learning disability hospital in Bristol,exposed such shocking treatment of its residents that it…
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Recent news stories involving people with learning disabilities – from the alleged abuse uncovered at Winterbourne View to MP Philip Davies’ comments on employment – all had a common thread; it showed that equality with their non-disabled…
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News last week of a barber who cut the word 'fool' into thehair of a man with learning disabilities being sentenced to 200hours of unpaid work was welcome - and shows that hate crime isbecoming a priority. Bristol-based barber Michael…
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As more inspection reports from the Care Quality Commission(CQC) reveal that only a minority of residential facilities for people with a learning disability are fully compliant with essential standards, the case for change is becoming…
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Dan Parton writes (28th February 2011) : The government’s much-trumpeted Welfare Reform Bill was launched in February, outlining its plans for the welfare state, with a general theme of getting people off benefits and into work.
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Dan Parton writes (30th March 2011) : Last weekend about 500,000 people converged on London to protest about the size and speed of government cuts.
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Dan Parton writes (23rd March 2011) : We all know that these are hard times for people with learningdisabilities who receive local authority social care services - butnow we are beginning to find out how hard.
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There was a grim inevitability about the recent case of Riven Vincent.Ms Vincent hit the headlines when she admitted she could no longer cope with her daughter Celyn’s round-the-clock care. Exasperated and exhausted, she begged her social…
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