Tens of thousands of people going through a severe mental health crisis are being deprived of the NHS treatment and support that was promised by the government, parliament’s spending watchdog disclosed today.
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A two-month strike which shut day care centres for adults with learning and physical disabilities across Glasgow has ended.
{mosimage}A narrow majority of the 250-plus social care staff, all members of Unison, voted yesterday to return to work after an offer by the city council on pay and gradings was accepted. All return to work on Monday, with a pledge that current earnings are protected. There had been some concern that the strikers would reject the deal, despite its recommendation by Unison leaders.
Advice by union officials not to strike until the local authority had published its blueprint for the reform of the day care service had been rejected at the outset of the action.
Union sources talked yesterday of a “wind of change” blowing through the council following threats that other social work departments were primed for their own walkouts, while some within the local authority spoke of “strike fatigue” within Unison.
Both sides are still poles apart in what has been achieved through the action.
Mike Kirby, Unison’s Glasgow branch secretary, said: “This settlement gives these people the grades they were looking for but our view is the council could have come forward with this weeks ago.
“It’s taken eight weeks for them to realise the original grade was wrong.”
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Childminders, care homes and nurseries are to get tough new ratings to help the public choose the best services, it was announced yesterday.
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The Alzheimer’s Society is asking the government to consider spending more money on training care home staff and to cut the NHS’ prescription of sedatives to dementia patients.
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Anne McGuire, the minister for disabled people, has launched a consultation aimed at getting people with physical and learning disabilities good employment opportunities.
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The GSCC is concerned at the poor standards of services provided for people with learning disabilities reported today in the Healthcare Commission’s audit of services.
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The city council has agreed to set up a special committee to make recommendations on the provision of adult social care.
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A father who stabbed a social worker six times in the back has failed in an appeal to cut his indefinite jail sentence.
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The government today promised a comprehensive review of the controversial eligibility criteria which determine services for older people.
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The government will today tell local authorities to use their purchasing power to drive out of business any care home proprietor who fails to provide older people with a quality service, delivered with dignity and respect.
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