Labour must introduce a National Independent Living Service for disabled people

There are a number of reasons I will not support the call for a new Health and Wellbeing department; or indeed any service that tries to inextricably link independent living to healthcare. My greatest concern is that by tying social care to the NHS risks the medicalising of disability, or even over-medicalising some health conditions.

Social care (or as preferred by many Independent Living) and continuing healthcare often serve different purposes. Most people receiving social care packages do not have any medical or medicalised interventions within their support or care plans. 

My medical needs are met by my GP, practice nurses and the NHS generally. At no point (for the moment) do I need specialised care or support outside the usual, illnesses, etc. While I look to PAs and support workers to assist me with personal care, shopping, laundry, and in the workplace. 

The Needs Assessment itself does not need to be overly medical in its nature for many disabled people. Social workers and care managers aren’t healthcare workers, though many of them now fancy themselves as accountants or bank managers for the council. 

In my home borough of the 600+ recipients of social care who use direct payments only around 30 have continuing healthcare funding. This equates to around 5% of service users. Naturally, this figure is somewhat skewed given the difficulties faced when trying to secure continuing healthcare funding. Yet the people needing medical type interventions in their overall care would still be far fewer than those whose needs are predicated around living independently.

Many of those who argue for SC to be an integral part of the NHS do so on the basis that all care meted out via the NHS is free, while current social care packages can attract quite substantial personal contributions – or as we see it, a tax on disability. 

There are many within the movement who have a vision of a stand-alone National Independent Living Service; a service that would work closely with the NHS, social services, and all relevant bodies; a service free of charge at the point of need; a service funded nationally.

In my view, we should be pressing a Labour government to set up a National Independent Living Service state-run and funded.

Currys successfully applied a reasonable adjustment for me today

Due to the inaccessibility of many shops, I do a lot of my shopping online. Shoes, shirts, jumpers (I’m very lucky in this area) and a lot of electrical goods are very easily bought online saving me the frustration of being excluded from shops. 

But, there are some things I really need to try on before purchasing, such as over-the-ear headphones – to eliminate the excessive noise from my upstairs neighbour I wear headphones for most indoor activities.

So, I popped into Currys in Brixton today to purchase a set of wireless over-the-ear headphones. The headphones I use at the moment are quite heavy and leave my ears quite painful when I wear them for a few hours. Therefore, I was seeking a good quality lightweight set of headphones that wouldn’t bankrupt me.

Commandeering a young salesman, I asked to try a set of Bose headphones. The salesman lifted the phones and handed them to me, but the lead was too short to allow me to try them out.

“Could you release these for me please as I’d like to try them on?”

“Sorry sir, but the lead is glued into the headphones.”

Very politely I suggested he opens the cabinet and releases the headphones. Not possible because the individual companies install their products and the locked display unit.

“You do know that under the Equality Act your company should offer me a reasonable adjustment in this situation” I posed to the young man. Of course, he gawped at me as though I was speaking in tongues. 

Very pissed off with this I gave the headphones a firm tug to see if I could stretch the lead. To my, and the salesman’s, surprise the jack popped out of headphones. Before he could utter a word of complaint I smiled at him and congratulated him on successfully accommodating me with this reasonable adjustment.

This reasonable adjustment worked a further three times before I found a pair that suited my ears and wallet.

Access to Work Award

Ode to Joy, Access to Work has agreed to fund me for a further two years. The first two applications for A2W in my current job granted me the maximum three-year award; for some reason, my last two applications have awarded me A2W for a one year and a two-year period. While two years funding is preferable to a single year, the inconsistency of these awards is puzzling.

Last year I was not given a satisfactory explanation for my award dropping from three years to one year. However, as I was undergoing some mental health issues at the time, and weighing things up, I decided my MH was more important to me than the energy-sapping process of an appeal.

When I spoke to the A2W officer a few weeks ago she explained that as my records showed no evidence of me receiving DLA this could impact on the duration of the award. When I explained that I’d been in receipt of Mobility Allowance for 30 years and the HR DLA since 2000 the officer actually responded sceptically stating that since A2W had no record of this then I might be mistaken. 

WTF? 

So, I contacted the DLA office and requested a proof of benefit letter which I sent on to the doubtful officer. Yet even armed with this information I still didn’t manage to secure the maximum award. It appears that if you have the temerity to stand up to these bureaucrats and argue your corner they still manage to stitch you up. 

The DWP is notorious for its ‘go-ahead-we-don’t-care’ attitude to appeals. It is glaringly evident that the DWP has no regard whatsoever for the criminally wasteful misspending of its budget. Their philosophy seems to be money is no object as long as it is not going to improve the lives of disabled people.

Disgraceful Accusations have no Place within the Labour Party or its Affiliates

On Saturday I drove up to Leeds from Manchester to attend Disability Labour's (DL) AGM. The day began badly with a leaden sky pouring its cold wetness upon us as we traveled to Leeds. We arrived at the Queens Hotel wet, thirsty and hungry.

For the past year a distinct fracture had appeared within DL. One particular post to DL's Facebook accused Marsha de Cordova of backing an Executive decision that donated £4,000 to the Fabian Society; stating that Marsha should be ashamed of herself.

When I pointed out the flagrant unfairness of blaming one Executive member over the group I was viciously attacked. The irony of this accusation was that due to her fighting for a parliamentary seat Marsha was unable to attend any of the DL Executive meetings. This fact was ignored by those whose only interest was attacking others.

On Saturday there were Motions of No Confidence in the Chair of DL. The Chair had announced that he was not re-standing for the position; indeed, he was not standing for any positions within DL. Given this I approached the person who was moving the Motion and asked if he would withdraw the Motion. The Motion would cause division and rancour within our numbers.

As was his prerogative, he refused. Then, as I predicted the meeting became very fractious.

OK, people are entitled to have differences. It was obvious that a majority of the people present were unhappy with the outgoing Executive. Of course people have the right to voice their criticism when they feel aggrieved. However, the way some of the DL members acted on Saturday displayed a worrying development within our movement.  

Knowing that a particular slate was going to take the DL Executive was OK with me. When people feel the need to change an organisation bringing together like-minded people to win the day is a legitimate way to operate. However, bullying and shouting people down is not the Comradely way to act.

In my view the meeting became toxic when a delegate claimed: “The Executive of Disability Labour is responsible for the deaths of thousands of disabled people”. This was a disgraceful accusation and I called on the Chair to demand the withdrawal of the remark. My request was met with inaction. At this point I decided I could not remain in a meeting that allowed such vicious points of view to prevail.

I wish Disability Labour great success for the future. Indeed, as a member of Disability Labour I will play my part in progressing progressive policy for disabled people. However, DL must censure outrageous and comradely language and behaviour with its ranks.

Burston Strike School

Sunday was a glorious day to leave London and head up to Norfolk. Just as kids are finishing their long summer holiday break it is quite apposite that trade unionists celebrate the Burston Strike School.

The significance of the Burston Strike School lies in the fact that the action came about as an act of solidarity by schoolchildren; and, that the action was the longest strike in the UK lasting from 1914 to 1939.

The school was staffed by Kitty Higdon, as headmistress, and her husband, Tom. Both Higdon’s were Socialists, and Tom Higdon had stood and beat the local rector for a place on the Parish Council.

As Socialists and decent human beings the Higdon’s were unhappy with the condition of the school building and the practices of local farmers. The Higdon’s complained about the school building being damp, inadequately heated, poorly lit with a lack of ventilation.

The Higdons also voiced their concern with local farmers withdrawing their children from lessons to assist on their farms, thus interrupting their learning. Though the children lived on local farms some would travel three miles to get to school. Sometimes they’d arrive at school soaking wet, and quite naturally on such occasions the Higdon’s would light a fire to dry the wet clothes.

The school management board used their lighting of a fire and a spurious charge was made against Kitty of beating two girl pupils; a charge that was found to be not proven. Despite this the school management board sacked the Higdons.

 Their sacking led to their pupils, led by Violet Potter, to going out on strike. The strike led to the Higdon’s, with the aid of trade unions, local trades councils and the Labour Party CLPs raising the funds to open a new school. Of their 72 former pupils 66 attended the Burston Strike School which ran until Tom’s death in 1939.

So, fast forward some 104 years on from the strike and here we were. Several hundred trade unionists and Socialists gathered on the green outside what is now the Burston Strike School museum.

The event was Chaired by Theresa McKay and Megan Dobney; and, the speakers included Gail Cartmail, Mark Serwotka, John McDonnell and Mick Cash. While entertainment was provided by the Red Flags (band), Kate Smurthwaite (comedian), Anto Morra (musician), Maddy Carty (musician) and the 1st May Band.

At around 1 pm the programme was halted while most of the strike attendees took part in the march carried out by Violet Potter and her school friends over a century ago.

Leaving the village was like being transported way back. We passed a few thatched cottages; and, if not for the odd modern sign, we could have been those children.

Taking part in the march was a real delight. The sense of Comradeship was heightened by a lovely sunny day with a cloudless blue sky, the air filled by the delightful sound of the RMT’s brass band.

The Burston Strike School is definitely a calendar date for all trade unionists. Could I also urge Unite London members to attend Burston to show Solidarity with their Eastern side of the Region.