Learning from 2020 and FAQ’s for 2021
2020 will have been one of the most difficult years many of us have had.
NEW
COVID 19 Vaccines Campaign – Update and reply from JCVI
On the 18th of December, the JCVI replied to the Open Letter that Learning Disability England and partners sent to them in November.
Information for organisations and people who employ their own personal assistants
Useful resources and guidance
Vaccination resources to help paid supporters prepare
COVID-19 vaccination training for clinicians – from NHS England
Supporting people with everyday technology – resources from Skills for Care
Managing capacity and demand within inpatient and community mental health, learning disability and autism services for all ages – from NHS England and NHS Improvement
Wellbeing resources for registered managers – from Skills for Care
Standard operating procedure: COVID-19 local vaccination services deployment in community settings – from NHS England and NHS Improvement
Resources for paid supporters on the 3 tier rules – from The Access charity
Going to work safely: Easy Read – information on how to travel to work and stay safe from Covid, from Mencap.
Information on the health protection regulations from the 4th November for all kinds of care and support providers – from The Access Charity.
The updated guidance on shielding and people who are clinically vulnerable – from The Access Charity.
Learning Disability and Autism Peer Education Contracts
As we move into a new future after Covid-19, families and carers face new challenges. Health Education England is looking for bids from potential suppliers who can provide rapid training to families, personal assistants and small independent care providers:
Peer Education and Coaching (Autism)
Peer Education and Coaching (Learning Disabilities)
Easy read guide to how the Coronavirus Act might affect your care and support.
Blog about Coronavirus emergency legislation and what it means for the Care Act. The Coronavirus Act has emergency measures & changes to the law including the Care Act & Mental Health Act & measures to allow more staff in health & social care.
Resources for advocacy organisations and those who support self-advocates from Voiceability.
Grab Sheet about trauma from NWTDT and partners.
Guidance for employers and employees specific to Coronavirus, from ACAS.
Resources for organisational members and family members who are carers or who help manage a family member’s Personal Budget. From NCVO.
Emergency fund to help support workers, including Personal Assistants, who need to take time off work due to Covid 19. From the Care Workers Charity (CWC).
Page for people and families to help share useful links, practical tips and ideas, including information about what people who manage their direct payments have put in place for themselves and their PA’s. From BeHuman.
ADASS has published the second of two reports on Social Service Directors feedback of the ‘terrible impact’ of the Covid-19 pandemic for those of us who need social care, our family carers and those organisations providing these crucial services. Find out more and read the report here.
TLAP have published Stories of Promise – a collection of stories that show the many positive and creative responses of communities, provider organisations and councils to the pandemic.
Paradigm have launched their report “Don’t ever call us ‘unskilled’ again!” It is about the experiences, stories and ideas from support workers during the pandemic.
Resource archive
The Coronavirus situation keeps changing all the time. On this page you will find older resources which are now out of date. But you might still find them useful.
Guide for families from the Learning Disability Professional Senate and a guide for Self-advocates – easy read
Easy read and children’s resources from Inclusive Communication Essex (ICE).
Information to help organisations and workers think about helping people keep safe whilst at home more. From Respond.
Covid grant pot funding easy read
Staying happy and healthy: Things you can do to support your mental health while you have to stay at home. Booklet from The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities.
Workbook and Coping Calendar (via Twitter only) from Dorset People First.
Coronavirus Lessons Learnt Joint Inquiry: Letter to Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP and Rt Hon Greg Clark MP
Ian Davies and Chris Hatton have written to Jeremy Hunt, the Chair of the Health and Social Care House of Commons Select Committee and Greg Clark , the Chair of the Science and Technology House of Commons Select Committee.
Ian Davies is a self-advocate and founding member of Northamptonshire People First.
Chris Hatton is Professor of Social Care at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services
On 22 December Scott Watkin, Co Chair of Learning Disability England’s Representative Body, appeared on Good Morning Britain.
Changes to the Care Act during Coronavirus
The government have made a new law called the Coronavirus Law.
It has changed some things to help the country and services cope whilst Coronavirus is widespread
One of the things it changes is how Councils use parts of the Care Act.
This is the law that says how Councils make decisions on what support disabled or older people get. There is an Easy Read version of the Care the government made here
The Care Act is still the law and all the law should be followed until a Council says it needs to change because of Coronavirus. Until your Council explains why it is changing it should be still following the all of Care Act.
The changes under the Coronavirus law will mean that Councils can stop following some of the rules in the Care Act in the next 2 years. This will happen when the Director of Social Services and the Principal Social Worker do some things to say they need to change the rules whilst Coronavirus is here.
When the Council makes the change they must tell all the people getting support and support providers in their area. This need to be accessible information.
Even when these changes are made there are still a lot of rules and laws Councils must follow. These include following everyone’s Human Rights
Dorset Advocacy Advocacy have made an Easy Read Booklet on these changes.
The full guidance on these rules is on the government website here
Shared Lives Plus has done a guide on what the changes mean that is for Shared Lives Carers but has useful information for other people on the Act too. The guide is on their website here
Carers UK have done a guide on what the changes means for carers and local carers organisations. You can see the guide on their website
Staying safe at Christmas and Season’s Greetings!
The government have changed the rules since Gary wrote this blog. We have updated the links where the rules have changed.
The new government rules include
- Tier 4 rules that say stay at home and you cannot meet anyone outside your house or bubble. The places in Tier 4 are mostly in London, South and East – you can find them here
- Christmas changes to the rules are only for 1 day now
Accessible Information Campaign
The Accessible Information Campaign is a campaign to make information more accessible for everyone.
They want to press the government to act on its promises about making information accessible.
It is led by self advocate campaigners.
They are worried because there has not been enough accessible information shared by the government, especially during the Covid 19 outbreak.
A lot of the accessible information during COVID19 has come from self advocacy and community groups. They have done a great job.
But it is not their responsibility to do it.
And groups often do not have the resources to do this.
The campaign thinks that the government should know this and take responsibility for accessible information.
Learning Disability England is supporting the campaign.
We believe accessible information can help everyone, not just disabled people.
