PPlog

Was Minister of State for Health, Phil Hope, appointed in Ivan Lewis’ place for his skill in deflecting any criticism of Government delays? In his comparatively low profile appearances so far, indications are he is using a political tactic that is practically impossible to challenge. For example in the recent mental health advocacy debate (see below), when asked why the delay between the rest of the new Act being implemented last November and the advocacy arrangements in the Act not being implemented until April 2009 he said: “We want to get on with it and make things happen, but also ensure that we get it right. They say, “Marry in haste, repent at leisure,” and I am afraid the same is true of the more prosaic act of our implementing legislation.“ In today’s Guardian (27.01.09.), in the news piece, ”Doctor’s condemn NHS as ‘institutionally ageist’,“ it says: Phil Hope, the minister for care services denied tha...

I’m getting some unevidenced worries from people living in country areas away from towns that their Local Involvement Networks (LINks) may be selecting people to participate in activities who live in or near the urban area where the LINks Host has its office and the NHS and local authority concentrates its services - and excluding those who live some distance away. It is surmised that this is because those living some distance from the host office and NHS services are a drain on the travel expenses budget. It is difficult to see how this can be ascertained if it is happening but the only thing I can suggest is to wait for the annual report which will give a chance to ask questions and make challenges. However, if more people are concerned this might be happening, it would be useful to compile a record of suspicions so please get in touch here.

The Disabled Persons’ (Independent Living Bill). Parliamentary Summary (PS): “To impose duties upon certain persons and bodies in respect of disabled persons; to confer certain rights upon disabled persons for independent living; to amend the Mental Health Act 1983; to amend the Health and Social Care Act 2008; and for connected purposes“ 1st reading 09.12.08. No date yet fixed for the second reading. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Health Bill. PS: ”To make provision about The NHS Constitution; to make provision about health care (including provision about the National Health Service and health bodies); to make provision for the control of the promotion and sale of tobacco products; to make provision about the investigation of complaints about privately arranged or funded adult social care; and for connected purposes.“ 2nd reading set for 04.02.09. -----------------------------------------------...

I came across this in the last Rural Health Network newsletter and made an inquiry about the scheme. The reply came today saying: Hi Mike,   Thanks for your interest in the Mental Health First Aid Training Course. Your best source of information is the MHFA Wales website – www.mhfa-wales.org.uk – to give you an idea of what the course is all about. Mind Cymru are coordinating MHFA in Wales so they would also be a good source of information. Their telephone number is 029 2039 5123.   The course is being very well received in Wales and I believe there are plans to bring the course to England very soon. Many of my fellow instructors have already delivered several courses and have received excellent feed back.   If you need any further information, please feel free to contact me.   Many thanks – Richard     Richard Jones Healthy Ageing Assistant Age Concern Cymru Tel: 029 2043 1553 To me, this presents good opportunities for se...

On Monday night I was flipping through the TV channels looking for something interesting and rested on the Parliamentary channel. There’s rarely anything interesting on there but the practically empty House of Commons Chamber caught my interest - one bloke isolated in a vast space with about five other MPs there. It turned out to by a very interesting adjournment debate about statutory mental health advocacy as required by the Mental Health Act 2007 which was implemented at the beginning of last November except for the advocacy duty which doesn’t come into force until 1st April this year. I thought this important development deserved an airing here, so I’ll mainly let extracts from Hansard speak for themselves: “Mr. Charles Walker (Broxbourne) (Con): ... The Bill has now become an Act and its measures came into force on 3 November 2008. Many parts of the Act were welcomed by all sides of the House. However, some parts of the Act caused many Members on all ...

The front page feature article in Guardian Society today (click on the title) is by Clare Allen, who, by the way also wrote a telling article in last week’s GS about how benefits and financial issues can make things geometrically worse for mental health service users. Clare’s article - really a tribute to her social worker for the last 11 years; consistency that’s very very rare these days - is a wonderful example of how service user expertise can add value to social work education. The article should be a standard reference in all social work education courses.

I was in error talking of LINks involvement with Child Protection Services in my last entry. I have now checked and the the Regulations (Statutory Instrument 2008 No 915) say: “ “excluded activities (of LINks)” means any activities provided in pursuance of— (a) the social services functions of a local authority so far as relating to persons aged under 18; (b)the functions, in so far as not covered by paragraph (a), conferred on or exercised by a local authority under the Children Act 1989(4), the Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Act 1999(5) or the Adoption and Children Act 2002(6); and (c)the functions, in so far as not covered by paragraph (a), continuing to be exercisable by a local authority under the Adoption Act 1976(7)“ My apologies.

Now 2009 is less than 40,000,000,000 light years away - here anyway - real activities in LINks is accelerating and I want to, once again, shout from the mountain tops (difficult in Norfolk!) that the system offers wonderful opportunities for service users and carers of all flavours and breeds - opportunities we have been fighting for for the last thirty to forty years. Real service user and carer involvement and influence is now making a tangible difference and in the latter part of 2008, facilities have begun to mushroom around the concept of the user as an equal expert in her/his own right in heath and social care.Tokenism still exists: take for example the several websites set up by the "NHS Centre for Involvement" run entirely by civil servants, resistant to any suggestion of real service user and carer involvement and operating on vacuous government rhetoric. On the other hand the National Association of LINks Members (NALM), a body set up by those previously involved in...