Submission Disability Care and Support
This Submission is offered from a UK home care provider who has been providing disability care and support to people of all ages over a thirty year period. The service is available throughout the UK.
Prior to the government of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980’s the care of disabled people with dependency care needs was simple in that either a disabled person was cared for by their family or they could move into an institutional form of care, eg.special school, residential care facility, etc.
The Griffiths Report, produced as a result of Mrs Thatcher’s government, amongst other factors gave the overwhelming message that disabled people, if given the choice, would prefer to live in the community and in their own independent home situation.
As a result of this, legislation, The NHS and Community Care Act 1990 was implemented in 1994.
In 2010, my company looks after many disabled people who have their own adapted housing, daily living financial benefits, an appropriate vehicle and their care paid for by the State. (The cost of my care provision to the clients that I care for is in the region of $80,000+pa.)
The people, I and many other “for profit” social care companies provide care for are enabling individuals to have their and their family’s desired outcome. 
Within the Health and Social Care Sector, there are working environments for our disabled clients which provide “joined up” care. For example part of an individual’s care team could be a social worker, a District Nurse, a physiotherapist, an advocacy service, etc.  This ensures problems are sorted out quickly and professionally, care plans changed to meet new circumstances, but with an understanding that the services are client focused. A question of “not what you can have” but how can we achieve what “you would like”.
Since the implementation of the 1990 Act, the “for profit” sector in the UK has grown exponentially. Legislative safeguards are in place and standards have risen. However, the main difference since before the implementation of the Act is that disabled people have come to recognise, or their advocates have, that they are indeed the “customer” and as a result, the private sector has had to react to customer demand. This has had the effect of providing the individualised services that people want. If for example you are being put to bed at 6.30pm and you are paying for your care by a Direct Payment (Government funded but you have the freedom as to where you spend it) and you do not want to go to bed at that time, you contact another social care company who can offer you the service when you want. The money following g the customer is a powerful weapon to improve care services.
The success of the UK policy has been dependent to a great degree on working with “housing”. Without adapted homes the number of disabled people having their own accommodation would be small. Many County Councils in the UK work with Housing Associations that have to provide a certain amount of adapted accommodation. New developers may be expected to build into their new housing estate certain numbers of properties for disabled residents. For disabled people living in accommodation that does not have the facilities that they require.e.g. wet room, then if they are in landlord accommodation this has to be provided and if in privately owned accommodation then government grants are available.