Skip to main content
In-House Discrimination???

My recent experiences around people with mental health problems being excluded from the nationally lauded Norfolk Joint Strategy for disabled service users (from the Norfolk Coalition of Disabled People, NCODP) engaged to monitor the development of the personalisation programme in Norfolk, have left a furrowed brow and a nasty aftertaste.

In the last stage of my local campaign against this breach of the 'People First' agenda and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, I'd had a positive statement from Norfolk County Council's Adult Social Care representative. However, when it came to the crunch and I tried to present the letter from Norfolk Adult Social Care at the last meeting of the monitoring group, most members of the group themselves were firmly against including people with mental health problems. In addition, two of the group - remember this group comprises physically disabled service users - directly stated they wished to exclusively for 'disabled people with physical and sensory impairments.' The Chair of the group, an officer of NCDOP, adamantly refused to allow me to speak about the letter.

I'm not sure, but the climate in the group and the style of group members' responses felt, to me, like prejudice against people with mental health problems. I'm wondering if there has been any research into mental health being stigmatised and discriminated against by fellow physically and sensory disabled people. Maybe the pan-disability organisations can help out?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

website

Just a confirmation of the search for a website host and my website ppeyes will be back on line. The functions are the same - as an independent monitor of how patient and public involvement in health is working with the addition of looking at how LINks will be set up (if they indeed are set up at all). This blog will be used for comments on current activities and developments closely allied to the website. As soon as the site is up and running I'll provide a link. Activities have extended further since ppeyes was taken off line (because it was criticising a government department - more later) in September 2005. I'm now active in service user campaigning and, being a disabled National Health Service User myself, in disability rights.
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

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