At last – something sensible on FII
Allegations by professionals that families are guilty of FII (Fabricated or Induced Illness) appear to be proliferating as do training programmes that seek to alert social care and health professionals…
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Office of National Statistics report
Following the High Court judgment finding concerning the unlawful discharge to care homes of hospital patients with asymptomatic Covid, a report by the ONS notes that all disabled people were at greater risk…
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No more than ‘reasonably practicable’
Councils do not have to charge for care and support services under the Care Act 2014, but if they do the Statutory Guidance states (para 8.2) that in determining…
Read morePetition to introduce Personal Health Budgets in Wales
For a copy of the submission by Ann James and Luke Clements to the Senedd Petitions Committee concerning Petition P-05-1106 – click here.
Read moreCare proceedings: parents with a learning difficulties
For important High Court guidance on this issue click here: see paras 105 – 108.
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Government concedes carers’ hospital discharge rights
An earlier posting referred to Baroness Pitkeathley’s amendment to the Health and Care Bill which – although opposed by the Government – was passed in the House of Lords by…
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The NHS in Wales and the social care workforce crisis
The current edition of ‘Senedd Research’ highlights two important social welfare issues – namely the serious problems with the Welsh NHS and the social care workforce crisis. In relation…
Read moreWebinar Parent Carer Blame
For details of an update research webinar on 27 April 2022 click here
Read moreCouncil Contempt
Welsh Council found to be in contempt of court for its failure to address the needs of a young disabled man – click here for further details.
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Direct payments and disabled children with the ‘wrong impairments’.
A parent complained that a local authority commissioned ‘Early Help’ service (for ‘short break’ sessions) was unsuitable for her son. She complained that the Council had offered no alternative and…
Read moreSenedd Research – carers
For an honest / depressing report on the pressures experienced by carers click here.
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The end game: Continuing NHS Healthcare (CHC) in Wales
The Welsh Government has finally published its revised Continuing NHS Healthcare Framework Guidance for Adults - giving just over a month for its implementation. Although it published a draft of…
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Carers victory in the Lords
The Health and Care Bill currently going through Parliament repeals the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003 and with it, the duty on NHS trusts to ensure that…
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Coroner criticises ‘Working Together 2018’
A further report by Richard Travers, the Senior Coroner for Surrey has been published concerning the death of Oskar Miles Nash. The report focuses on action that is necessary to…
Read moreRe R-E: An unusual contact dispute
For a review by Dr Julie Doughty of this unusual Wales family law case which involved the use of powers under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 click…
Read more‘Parent Carer Blame’ policies
A short talk summarising the 2021 Cerebra / Leeds University research can be accessed by clicking here.
Read mores117 OR inaction
The Department of Health has decided to do nothing pending the outcome of the s117 Ordinary Residence Supreme Court ping-pong finals. For its announcement, click here (and for the posting…
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Holidays and Poor Law Commissioners
R (RG) v Suffolk County Council[1]. On one level this case concerns the extent to which a council’s ability to promote an individual’s well-being (under section 1 Care Act 2014)…
Read morePre-payment cards
the Payment Systems Regulator has fined 5 companies for cartel behaviour in the prepaid cards market - click here for the story.
Read moreDisability Evidence portal
For a valuable new resource from the LSHTM concerning poverty and disability in low- and middle-income countries click here.
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It is time to recognise the unpaid carer as a worker
The guest post you are about to read from a good colleague considers one of the greatest issues confronting the care system in the UK – namely the need for…
Read moreSENDIST data
Councils allocating £60m pa defending SEN appeals with a success rate of 3.6%. For an excellent / depressing post in Special Needs Jungle click here.
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What a mess – s117 ordinary residence (again)
In a nutshell – and congratulations if you understand this: The Court of Appeal has reversed a High Court decision that reversed a decision of the Department of Health and…
Read moreThe State of Caring 2021: Wales Briefing
A briefing by Carers Wales on the annual 'State of Caring report' and can be accessed by clicking here.
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Blamed and criticised for her parenting
Seven years after he was adopted (as an infant) a child was diagnosed as having an alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder, autism and ADHD. His adoptive mother made multiple requests to the…
Read moreADSS Cymru Report
ADSS Cymru has published the findings of its assessment of the impact of the pandemic on short breaks, respite services and day services – which can be accessed by clicking…
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Parent Carer Blame webinar materials
On the 8th December 2021 Cerebra hosted a webinar that provided an overview of the 2021 Cerebra Legal Entitlements and Problem-Solving (LEaP) research report. The report describes how local authority…
Read moreParent carer assessment failure in Wales
A BBC news story cites a Care Inspectorate Wales report that has found that almost two-thirds of people who care for disabled children have not been offered an assessment of…
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Disabled Children and their Families – a damning ITV Wales news story
Earlier this year, the Cerebra Legal Entitlements and Problem-solving (LEaP) Project at the University of Leeds published a major report concerning English social care policies and practices that had the…
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Webinar: Wednesday December 8th: 10am
Parent Carer Blame: bringing about meaningful change. A 90 minute, free webinar that provides: (1) an overview of 2021 Research report that describes how local authority policies create a culture…
Read moreParent too scared to ask for help
For a troubling ‘Parent Carer Blame’ article in the Birmingham Mail click here.
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A High Octane Conflict
A very welcome judgment of the High Court concerning a ‘high octane conflict’ between the parents of a profoundly disabled 12 year old boy and the professionals involved in his…
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‘Autism Plus’ policies
In 2020 the Cerebra Legal Entitlements and Problem-solving (LEaP) programme together with the Disability Law Service published research ( generally referred to as the 'Autism Plus Report') which highlighted the…
Read moreIs there a Welsh Health Law?
John Harrington, Erin Thomas and Barbara Hughes-Moore of the Cardiff School of Law & Politics have written two papers on this topic, one for the UK Constitutional Law Association click…
Read moreAdult Social Care Reform in Wales
“The current legislative framework [in Wales] constructs social care as a ‘last resort’. Rather than maintaining this view of social care as an unwelcome necessity for some, reform should be…
Read moreOskar Nash Inquest
Oskar Nash Inquest gross failures; neglect and missed opportunities - if CAMHS had carried out a proper review his death probably prevented. For further details click here.
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Parent carer blame with added stereotyping
On the 2nd September BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour[1] featured the recent Cerebra research report ‘Institutionalising Parent Carer Blame’.[2] The programme included compelling accounts from parents of disabled children who…
Read moreExtra demands to be placed on unpaid carers in Wales
For a troubling article from Carers Wales concerning profound policy changes – click here.
Read moreNew NHS Continuing Healthcare guidance
Guidance has been issued to explain the resumed process by which NHS CHC assessments & hospital discharge care costs will be undertaken. Click here for the guidance and click here…
Read moreNew NHS Continuing Healthcare Guidance
Revised NHS CHC guidance (and DST) has been published. We will provide a short overview in due course. For the Guidance / DST click here and for the Ministerial statement…
Read moreNew Autism Guidance
The Welsh Government has issued a Code of Practice on the Delivery of Autism Services and accompanying Practice Guidance. For the Code click here and for the guidance click here.…
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Is there ‘Parent Carer Blame’ in Wales?
A recent report entitled ‘Institutionalising Parent Carer Blame’ has been published by the Cerebra Legal Entitlements and Problem-solving research team at the University of Leeds. It considers the policies and…
Read moreWebinar
For details of a Parent and Carer Alliance webinar on the ‘Institutionalising Parent-Carer Blame’ Report click here.
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Institutionalising Parent-carer Blame
Disabled children and their families are one of the most severely disadvantaged groups in the UK. A major research report published today (21 July 2021) finds that most English Children’s…
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An expression of righteous anger might sometimes not be amiss?
In 2019 the ombudsman published a report[1] which criticised a council for its decision to (among other things) reduce a disabled person’s care and support plan without a proper assessment…
Read moreThe impact of Covid on disabled people
The Welsh Government has published an independent report ‘Locked out: liberating disabled people’s lives and rights in Wales beyond COVID-19’ and also published a statement in response to this report. …
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Carers in Wales: new reports.
Two new reports concerning carers in Wales have been published. The first is a Public Health Wales funded publication by researchers at Cardiff University entitled Voices of Carers during the…
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Parent Carer’s Needs Assessments
Some local authorities appear to think that they have no duty to provide support for a family as a result of a Parent Carer’s Needs Assessments (PCNA) – with statements…
Read moreReforming Social Care in Wales
For an excellent paper by Dr Alison Tarrant in the IWA publication 'The Welsh Agenda' click here.
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The enigma of section 16
Dr Alison Tarrant of the School of Law and Politics Cardiff University discusses a unique provision in the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. . When the (then) National…
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