Skip to main content

New Minister for Social Care

Well, we’ve certainly lost an ally with Ivan Lewis’ departure from the Department of Health. Not one generally impressed with MPs and the distance they tend to go to any lengths to keep other people at (Charles Clarke is a scorching example), I met Ivan Lewis at Peter Beresford’s Shaping our Lives 10th birthday party a couple of years ago and found him natural, genuine and caring about the dire level of social care in this country. All of us at the party were service users and Ivan Lewis mingled and nattered without side or affectation. I thought him fighter for people’s rights - probably the reason Brown has had him removed: there is a internal friction there at present around social care finance.

Ivan Lewis was Junior Minister. The new guy, Phil Hope, MP for Corby has been made a full Minister for Social Care and he will also carry the Mental Health portfolio. His website tells us his qualifications are in teaching and he has been much involved in learning and skills and particularly in youth development. He has, apparently, done quite a bit of work with “equality, empowerment and ethical practice” so perhaps that promises something.

So what on earth does he know about social care and especially mental health? Will he care about us service users and carers and listen to us, or will he just lecture us and teach us the error of our ways? Ivan Lewis did know. His grounding was in social work. The future can certainly be said to be Hopeful in one way. But the other?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SURVIVOR HISTORY NEWSLETTER

>From Andrew Roberts Secretary Survivors History Group http://studymore.org.uk/ studymore@studymore.org.uk telephone: 020 8 986 5251 home address: 177 Glenarm Road, London, E5 ONB Survivor History Group Summer 2012 Newsletter The July London meeting of the Survivors History Group will be held on Wednesday 25.7.2012 from 1pm to 5pm at Together, 12 Old Street, London. Everybody is welcome and refreshments will be provided. The September meeting has had to be moved from a Wednesday to Thursday 27.9.2012 (subject to approval by this Wednesday's meeting) because of the availability of a room at Together.   -------------------------------------------------------------------- The agenda for the July meeting will be drawn up at the beginning of the meeting, but it will include Peter Campbell's regular report back on the research he is leading on the history of Survivors Speak Out and discussion of material received from other people about Survivors Speak Out.  Rick Hennelly has se...
Post a Comment
Read more

The DLA and Workfare Scandals.

This ConDem Coalition is exploiting the apparent helplessness of disabled people by taking essential money away from them and forcing vulnerable people, for example, people with mental health difficulties. I remember, when I was a practising social worker, the horror experienced by service users when they received a letter summoning them to undergo a medical examination (25 miles away in Norwich). Some became absolutely terrified at the prospect and the stress of having to get to and face the appointment led to one or two relapses and hospital admissions. Against local authority policy, I always took them to the appointment, went in with them and supported them through the interview acting as advocate. The doctors at these reviews were employed by the Benefits Agency and usually retired from practice. They were also usually empathic with the service user and mostly helped to reduce the terror of the interview. The new 'Workfare' reviews which every DLA claimant will have to und...
2 comments
Read more

Mental Health Labels?

I read this valuable little report yesterday. It presents issues and dichotomies around disability labels, models of disability and rejections of the disability label by mental health service users/survivors. The report makes positive recommendations about furthering the debate but, in my opinion, the user contributions muddy rather than clarify matters. The subjects are seminal to the work being carried out to integrate physically, sensory, mental health and intellectual disabilities - essential if we are to progress further in our strivings for human and statutory rights. For me, the report is enormously helpful in providing a foundation for discussions of what are important questions and perhaps, if properly distributed, it could bring a better focus towards some resolution. Heddwch. Mike.
Post a Comment
Read more