Independent living and social care

Bristol: Letter from DPOs accuses care cuts council of ‘inhumane’ policies

By winvisibleblog | 19 April 2024 | 0 Comments
Photos of Claire, Fazilet from Disability Rights UK and Rick from Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People. Claire holds a placard: Hands off "Substantial Risk to Health" protection for claimants. Rick holds a banner: "Make UNCRPD law".

Shared from Disability News Service — thanks to John Pring. Note by WinVisible: At the 2 May local elections, the Mayor of Bristol will be abolished and it’s widely expected that Bristol Green Party will become the governing party.  So far, the Greens opposed the cuts budget as “unrealistic” and “cruel” but haven’t made definite commitments: https://bristolgreenparty.org.uk/this-is-labours-budget-not-ours-say-bristols-green-councillors/ We all will have to make sure that there is change. —————————– By John Pring on 18th April 2024    Category: Independent Living Four disabled people’s organisations have written to Bristol’s mayor to call on him to abandon “inhumane and unacceptable” social care … Read more

Wed 17 April – join Bristol open meeting

By winvisibleblog | 10 April 2024 | 0 Comments
A paper budget cut by scissors

Please join this timely online event organised by Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living (BRIL) — we’ll be speaking on the panel: Wednesday 17 April 2024, 6.30pm-9pm  Cuts, charges and co-production BSL interpretation provided * CC closed captions BRIL and supporters oppose the hated “Fair and Affordable Care” proposals by Bristol City Council, and the cuts budget which the council recently passed – the budget affects even more disabled residents than the original policy.  Read BRIL’s statement here.  BRIL will give a campaign update.  They say: “This open meeting hosted by BRIL is an opportunity for disabled … Read more

Bristol update: Hated “affordable care” policy is back — by the back door

By winvisibleblog | 15 March 2024 | 0 Comments
Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living logo. BRIL in a circle.

We are among disability organisations working with Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living (BRIL), and supporting BRIL members who are facing the threat of being forced to live in a care home. Read BRIL’s latest statement about the budget agreed by Bristol City Council. BRIL’s response to the original consultation, including a legal opinion by Doughty St Chambers on Care Act and human rights, and links to media, is here Discover more from WinVisible Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Grandmother with cancer wins cancellation of care charges debt

By winvisibleblog | 04 February 2024 | 0 Comments
Women protesting outside a town hall building, most are disabled. Some hold the WinVisible banner. Others hold placards saying Care charges = Violence against women. We want free homecare as in Hammersmith & Fulham. No ifs, no buts, no care cuts.

A grandmother with cancer was pursued by Tower Hamlets council for £2,600 care charges arrears. Her debt was written off after our battle lasting over nine months, with various twists and turns.  Several times, WinVisible quickly had to write to the council asking them to hold off debt recovery, on occasions when she felt too ill to deal with them herself. Ms X is a woman of colour, and we don’t know whether racism was also a factor in how she was treated. She says: A MASSIVE ‘thank you’ to all the WinVisible team for … Read more

What is the family court “crisis”?

By winvisibleblog | 29 January 2024 | 0 Comments
Title image of the Family Court Crisis Unconference with white on black writing and drawing of a child sitting with head on knees.

On Saturday 20 January, Anne Neale from Support Not Separation and Tracey Norton from the Disabled Mothers’ Rights Campaign (DMRC)/WinVisible spoke about “What is the family court “crisis”? Watch below on YouTube (captions). Anne gives a general overview, Tracey’s talk starts around 15 mins along. This started off a free online conference organised by Family Court Crisis, a coalition of UK family court experienced parents supporting each other through child welfare proceedings, offering parents and carers a space to talk and share solutions to challenges posed by family proceedings. Family Court Crisis is “an unfunded … Read more

Care charges — our Open Letter to Brent Council

By winvisibleblog | 22 December 2023 | 0 Comments
WinVisible women holding our banner and placards at a protest against care charges.

16 December 2023 To: Cllr Neil Nerva, Cabinet member, Public Health and Adult Social Care cllr.neil.nerva@brent.gov.uk Andrew Davies, Head of Commissioning, Contract and Market Management andrew.davies@brent.gov.uk Open letterResponse to Brent Adult Social Care Charging Policy Consultation Consultation info We are writing from WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities), a multi-racial grassroots self-help organisation, based at the Crossroads Women’s Centre. We are London-wide with a UK network, and part of the Scrap Care Charges Campaign and Disability Poverty Campaign Group. We include Brent residents in Kilburn, Harlesden & Kensal Green and other wards. We condemn … Read more

Event Mon 11 Dec: End torture of disabled people in residential ‘care’ settings

By winvisibleblog | 07 December 2023 | 0 Comments
Image for meeting End Torture of disabled people in residential 'care' settings. A Black woman is speaking into a megaphone standing next to Big Ben, Parliament.

Meeting in Parliament Monday 11 December, 3-5pm Grimond Room, Portcullis House, SW1A 2JH (allow extra time for security check) Westminster tube The Disabled Mothers’ Rights Campaign (DMRC) / WinVisible and other disability rights organisations are speaking at this meeting by the Alliance for Inclusive Education, Disabled People Against Cuts and Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance.   The End Torture campaign came out of the Hesley Group scandal in Doncaster, where the council was paying £250,000 per young person for residential “special school” placements where they were systematically abused. DMRC and the Support Not Separation coalition, which we … Read more

Bristol: Stop the proposed “Fair and Affordable Care” policy

By winvisibleblog | 28 November 2023 | 0 Comments
Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living logo. BRIL in a circle.

Open Letter sent from disability organisations 27 November 2023 (signatories updated 31 January To: Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol mayor@bristol.gov.uk Cllr Helen Holland, Cabinet member, Adult Social Care cllr.helen.holland@bristol.gov.uk Council officers: Mette.Jakobsen@bristol.gov.uk    James.Mahood@bristol.gov.uk    Hugh.Evans@bristol.gov.uk Emma Edwards, leader of the Green Group   Cllr.Emma.Edwards@bristol.gov.uk Cllr Jos Clark – leader of the Lib Dem Group  cllr.jos.clark@bristol.gov.uk OPEN LETTER Stop the proposed “Fair and Affordable Care” policy We oppose any cuts to social care which undermine disabled people’s survival; which threaten disabled/older people’s choice of where and how to live; and any increase in people being institutionalised.  We support … Read more

Emma won care charges down to £4.19 a week

By winvisibleblog | 24 August 2023 | 2 Comments

Thanks to My London news and reporter Joe Coughlan, read Emma’s story below.    WinVisible says: Our member Emma is severely disabled and won reduced care charges down to £4.19 a week, from £48.27, with our support.  She is due a cash refund from Bromley Council.  Bromley has privatised who decides care charges, so people have to deal with for-profit company Liberata, not directly-employed council staff.  This approach is similar to privatised disability benefit assessments.  Emma’s case is not resolved as the decision Liberata eventually made about Emma’s charges only applies from April onwards, and … Read more

Camden New Journal — report of Charter launch event

By winvisibleblog | 31 July 2023 | 0 Comments
A diverse array of people, mainly women, in a meeting hall, some seated at the front, are smiling and some are making the power salute, in front of the Disabled Mothers' Rights Campaign banner.

Disabled mothers called for an end to the forceful removal of children from parents who are deemed “unfit” to be carers just because they have a disability, writes Frankie Lister-Fell. “If motherhood was inclusive, we wouldn’t be gathered here today”, Kelechi Chioba, member of WinVisible, said at a packed out meeting in Kentish Town last week, adding: “Everyone stigmatises you as a disabled person.  They look at you and say ‘are you sure you can push a pram, in a wheelchair?’  Well why can’t you give me someone to push a pram for me, then?  … Read more


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