England
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An Introduction to Basic Income Plus
Caroline Richardson and Simon Duffy outline a practical approach for making sure basic income works for disabled people and others who face extra costs.
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The Pathology of Control
Management of the NHS and other public services often produces harm by misunderstanding people's basic motivations.
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A Response to All Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter. We all need to accept that institutional and systemic racism is still prevalent in our society today.
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How Have We Misconceived the NHS?
David Zigmond argues that government is forcing the NHS to adopt the worst features of neoliberalism and communism.
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Energy Impairment Easy Read
This is the Easy Read version of the Energy Impairment and Disability Inclusion report produced by the Chronic Illness Inclusion Project.
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Is Basic Income Essential to the Good Life?
Simon Duffy gave this keynote talk for the Centre for Wellbeing in Public Policy and as part of the Festival of Debate 2020 online.
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Growing New Models of Support
Chris Watson describes how using individual service funds can lead to new ways of supporting people in their own communities.
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Rekindling Democracy
Cormac Russell's inspiring book describes the limitations of current models of public policy and offers a positive community model in their place.
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Good Things About Individual Service Funds
An easy read guide to Individual Service Funds or ISFs. A great way to manage your support.
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Putting Personal Budgets in Their Place
Personal Budgets do not need to reinforce individualistic consumerism, they can be a route to a more collective approach where care is shared.
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Child Poverty: the New Normal in Education
As the teaching profession debates the new normal in education and schools slowly reopen, Kieran Roberts discusses the challenges children and families face.
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Social Care's Response to COVID-19
Chris Watson shares his observations on how commissioners in health and social care have responsed to the COVID-19 crisis.
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Closer to Home
Amy-Grace Whillans-Welldrake reports on the progress of Greater Manchester devolution and explores the possibility and desire for even deeper devolution.
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Re-Imagining Our Streets
Lynne Friedli shares an inspiring idea to convert residential parking spaces into green spaces for fruit, vegetables and flowers.
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A Two-Tier Pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis and subsequent coronavirus legislation demonstrates that Government does not value disabled or older people as equals.
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I am More than My Mental Health
Poems in memory of Kes, a wonderful young man who died before his time, but who brought joy into the lives of many.
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I Feel Forgotten
The Chronic Illness Inclusion Project's submission to the Women and Equalities Committee inquiry into the impact of coronavirus on people with protected characteristics.
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Contracting for ISFs
Chris Watson briefly outlines some of the main legal features of an Individual Service Fund (ISF) and explores how community hubs or micro-enterprises might use them.
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Confused Discharge in COVID-19
Alex Leeder argues that the NHS discharge policy was rushed through in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis and will lead to a confusing array of different approaches.
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COVID-19 and Cleaning the Thames
David Zigmond explores the historical parallels between today and the public health crises of the nineteenth-century and the lessons for the NHS.
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Who's Counting Carers?
Robert Kay expresses his anger at the constant failure to respect or even remember the existence of 7 million unpaid carers amidst the COVID-19 Crisis.
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Energy Impairment and Disability Inclusion
This ground-breaking report outlines the barriers facing people with chronic illness and explores the concept of energy impairment.
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Coronavirus Act 2020: Easy Read
Dorset Advocacy have shared their Easy Read guide to how the Coronavirus Act might affect your care and support.
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Basic Income and Independent Living
Basic income (UBI) could have major benefits for disabled people, but the independent living movement needs to be fully included in the conversation.
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Public Spending in Sheffield
Joshua Shepherd analysed public spending in Sheffield in order to understand the impact of the UK's centralised system on local communities.
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Scientists Inform, Leaders Lead
Alain Catzeflis argues that the UK Government's behaviour during the COVID-19 crisis looks worryingly like group-think - its consequences are very dangerous.
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Participation at 45 Degrees
Colin Miller has compiled 12 short essays on techniques for citizen-led change and constitutional reform in partnership with Compass.
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Universal DisCredit
The Canary supported Videoblogg Productions to produce a documentary describing the problems with the Universal Credit system.
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Does COVID-19 mark the end for markets in the NHS?
UK Government response to the COVID-19 is an implicit acknowledgement of the limitations and dangers of a marketised healthcare system.
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COVID-19, The Black Death and Basic Income
Bill Jordan explains why COVID-19, like the Black Death before it, may finally push the current elites to accept the logic of basic income.
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The Upstream Response to COVID-19
Dr Simon Duffy sets out some key principles to guide local communities as they develop their response to the COVID-19 crisis.
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Self-Directed Support Graphics
Infographics on self-directed support developed for the SDS Network.
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The DWP Fails People with a Learning Disability
Neil Carpenter describes the barriers to justice and economic security created by the DWP's systems.
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Talk Shop - Citizens Assemble
Citizens Assemblies are all the rage, but the Talk Shop model offers a low cost and grassroots approach which can galvanise local citizen action.
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The Hub at Yeovil
The Hub at Yeovil is an example of a community bringing young disabled people together to build lives of citizenship and useful employment.
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Buurtzorg and Self-Management
Buurtzorg is a powerful social innovation, started in the Netherlands, which enables self-management and continuity of care.
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A Commissioners' Guide to Individual Service Funds
This guide offers a commissioner's perspective on how to implement Individual Service Funds and widen self-directed support beyond Direct Payments.
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Self-Direction Worldwide
Lynn Breedlove observes the competing conceptions of self-directed support emerging around the world.
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Local Area Coordination Graphics
Infographics on Local Area Coordination created by Ralph Broad, Simon Duffy and Eddie Bartnik.
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Adventurous Social Work?
Tim Keilty describes how self-directed support can be successfully applied to help families stay safe and create solutions to avoid their children going into care.
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Learning from Penzance Citizens Panel
Gavin Barker shares lessons learnt from the recent Penzance Citizens Panel on Housing, Homelessness and Low Pay.
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ALLFIE Manifesto for Inclusive Education
The Alliance for Inclusive Education's (ALLFIE) manifesto demands Government moves to a fully inclusive education system to support human rights.
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UK Food Banks in 2019
Lizzie Peck provides an overview of the emergence and rapid growth of food banks since the Coalition Government and the combination of austerity and welfare reform.
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Undercooked Analysis
Steve Griffiths argues that the Institute for Fiscal Studies has failed to be objective in its analysis of Labour's 2019 Manifesto.
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Social Work Writing and Bureaucracy
Why has writing reports, plans, case notes and assessments come to dominate everyday social work, often at the price of real social work practice?
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Accountancy is not Economics
Steve Griffiths examines the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) critique of of Labour's 2019 Manifesto and discovers some major problems.
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Advancing Inclusive Schooling in Latin America
Further reflections from StepanÃa Duarte Mora and David Towell on advancing the journey to inclusive and quality schooling in Latin America.
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Why I Wrote Second Class Citizens
Stef Benstead found that many people, like Christian Conservatives, care about poverty but have false beliefs about why it exists, this inspired her to write Second Class…
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NHS Reform: Money Can't Buy Love
David Zigmond argues that more money alone won't restore the NHS to the values of its birth. The NHS needs more trust, freedom and cooperation.
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Influences and Consequences
In the conclusion to the Preventable Harm Project Mo Stewart shows how US companies and right-wing ideology have savaged the lives of disabled people.
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Private Firms Can Serve the Public
Gary Wootton explains how the state can overcome the limitations of markets by creating procurement systems that promote equality.
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The Journey to Inclusive Schooling
This new guide shares eight case studies from schools already well-advanced in the journey to inclusivity now focusing on changing themselves from within.
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The Reform of Social Care Regulation
John Burton explains why the regulation of social care must change its culture and why we need something more human and more local.
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Basic Income and Equal Citizenship
Dr Simon Duffy of the Centre for Welfare Reform and UBI Lab Sheffield gave this talk on basic income and the idea of equal citizenship for the Citizen's Basic Income Network…
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Narrative Approaches and Inclusion
Colin Newton provides an overview of the emerging use of narrative approaches in psychology and their relationship to person-centred planning.
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A New Deal for Sheffield Old Folk
This 1951 paper shows how social policy has and has not changed since World War II and suggests that we have made less progress than we might have hoped.
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Grow a Better Future
In this paper Steve Newman demonstrates that it is entirely possible to reimagine housing, planning and development so we could live and thrive in harmony with nature.
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The Partner State
Reimagining care with the Commons and peer to peer (P2P) alternatives.
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Fixing Social Care
This presentation was hosted by the Yorkshire branch of the Socialist Health Association at an event to explore radical and progressive ideas to reform the broken social care…
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Individual Service Funds (ISFs) in Context
An overview of the development of Individual Service Funds (ISFs) - what they are and how they are developing
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Canaries in the Coal Mine
Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service (NCVS) share their 2019 report on the state of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Gateshead and Newcastle.
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Social Value Policy and Framework
This policy sets out the legal context for social value and an approach a council could adopt to deliver social value through commissioning and procurement activities.
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Making the Private Sector Serve the Public Good
Gary Wootton argues that we can do so much more to improve society by ensuring that the private sector works to serve the greater good.
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Creating Blue Space
David Towell reviews Hans Meissner's illuminating account of the journey from institutional services for people with learning disabilities to individualised housing and…
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Fully Funded Social Care
Simon Duffy and Gordon Peters explain how we might fully fund social care and why this is vital next step in achieving human rights in England.
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The Rights of Nature
Gavin Barker argues that a new constitution for the UK should not just protect human rights, it should also protect the rights of nature.
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The Perils of Industrialised Healthcare
David Zigmond argues that we underestimate the perils of industrialised healthcare and that the NHS needs to be built on a human scale.
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End Parliamentary Sovereignty
Gavin Barker sets out the case for limiting the sovereignty of Parliament.
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Creating a Veganic Farm
Jo Kidd describes the beginning of her family's journey into veganic farming in Kent.
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Creating Space for Citizens in Social Care
Peter Limbrick's model of Caring Activism does not assume that everybody will want to or should take on a caring role. But what if just some of us did.
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Universal Engagement and Civic Engagement
Anna Grant argues that Basic Income could be an important policy for increasing democratic and civic engagement by citizens.
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Bill of Rights Including Social Rights
Gavin Barker explains why human rights need the full protection of the constitution and why social rights and the right to access the law must be included.
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Why We Need a Yorkshire Parliament
Simon Duffy gave this talk at the launch of the Campaign for a Yorkshire Parliament, in York on 27th July 2019.
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Crippled by Austerity
Simon Duffy reviews Frances Ryan's important book which describes the devastating impact of the UK Government's attack on disabled people since 2010.
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Know Your Place
Joyce Bullivant documents an issue that is vital to justice and to our wellbeing - the survival of our local heritage, our buildings, our green spaces and the social structures…
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Being a Think Tank in the North
Written for Now Then Magazine, Simon Duffy reflects on the Centre's ten years in Sheffield.
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Reinventing Social Services
Bob Rhodes argues that social work and social services has been undermined by three decades of failed policy and it's time to redesign the system around the principles of…
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An Emancipatory Welfare State
A draft consultation paper setting out the arguments for a basic income for people with disabilities.
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Learning Disability, Autism and Human Rights
A guide co-produced by the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), together with people who have learning disabilities, autism, or both and their families, carers and support…
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What Kind of Region Do We Want to Live In?
As the UK battles with Brexit, citizens in West Yorkshire are invited to join We Share The Same Skies in an alternative approach to politics.
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Stories of Our Lives
Catherine Hale has edited five stories describing the reality of living with and managing a life with severe energy impairment.
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Shameful Attack on Disabled People
Brian Collinge explains how the government's failure to update the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) for people entitled to social care acts as another form of theft.
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Inclusion Demands Communication
Colin Newton argues that we need low tech, accessible communication systems that can be learned easily by everyone.
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Close Down the ATUs
The Centre for Welfare Reform made a submission in April 2019 to the Joint Committee on Human Rights calling for the closure of all ATUs.
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We Need to Talk But Not About Brexit
Sheffield's Festival of Debate shows that social progress in the UK only begins when we start talking to each other.
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The Inclusive Headteacher
Inclusive Solutions work around the world to advance inclusion for all in schools and in the wider community.
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Policed Industrialisation of Healthcare
David Zigmond reflects on the enforced closure of his GP practice and imagines an intelligent dialogue with the forces of regulation.
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Electric Vehicles: Good or Bad?
Philip Adams provides an introduction to the benefits of using an electric car.
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The Long Shadow of Winterbourne
The values of inclusion and person-centredness which must underpin support are being undermined by regulations that promote institutionalisation.
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Childcare Policy and the Economy
Childcare policy in the UK wrongly assumes that professionalised solutions are always best for children and families.
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Transgender Children and Social Work
This paper explores how social workers and professionals can approach an understanding of the complexity of working with transgender children.
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Sustainability Strategies for Local Area Coordination Programmes
Advice for Local Government on how to extend and strengthen the application of the Local Area Coordination (LAC) model in practice.
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Mental Health and Continuity of Care
David Zigmond asks the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care whether mental health can be advanced by procedures instead of relationships.
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Crisis Prevention
This guide has been written by families for families of children and adults either with learning disabilities, autism or both.
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Life Nourishment
A review of Simon Goldsmith's book Life Nourishment, which explores how to build relationships and community
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Austerity's Victims
One million adults with a learning disability in the UK who have suffered because of government measures since 2010.
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Regulation in Education
David Zigmond tells the story of Eve, a teacher whose joy in her work is being strangled by over-regulation.
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Making Healthcare Human
John Burton interviews David Zigmond and together they explore the growing inhumanity of modern approaches to healthcare.
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Real Devolution for Yorkshire
The Campaign for a Yorkshire Parliament is about the kind of Yorkshire we want for our children, grandchildren and future generations.
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Health Needs Equality
Mike Grady makes the health case for radical cross-government reforms to end poverty, reduce inequality and building a fairer society.
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Academia is in a Critical Condition
Thomas Allan explores the emerging conversation about the social responsibilities of an academia that is increasingly consumed by narrow market dogma.
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Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA)
A statement from the Centre for the #WOWdebate on the Government's reasons for refusing to carry out a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA).
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Unjustified Imprisonment
Alain Catzeflis argues that the ongoing scandal of the enforced detention of young people with autism demands more than another review.
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Special Rights
A celebration of difference and a collection of proposals for more inclusive schooling and an expression of solidarity with those facing ongoing discrimination in the UK…
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Challenging Learning Disability Stereotypes
Made Possible is a new book arguing for an alternative approach to treating and supporting people and outlining the benefits to everyone of that alternative approach.
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The Injustice of Benefit Sanctions
The welfare system has become punitive, even more bureaucratic and humiliating. It delivers pain instead of support and disregards people's basic needs.
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The Fight for Equal Citizenship
Wendy Perez describes the ongoing work to try and help people with learning difficulties take their rightful place in society as equal citizens.
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The Iatrogenic Tranquilliser Scandal
Barry Haslam has been campaigning for many years to raise awareness of the significant negative impact of the over-prescription of tranquillisers.
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Setting Stupid Targets for the NHS
John Carlisle explains why setting targets for the NHS is both wasteful and diverts attention from the real business of improving quality.
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US Corporate Influence on UK Welfare Reforms
Mo Stewart has been researching the damage caused by welfare reform and the malign influence of US private insurance companies.
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Northamptonshire - Abandon Hope All Who Enter
Marion Turner-Hawes describes the hopeless, divide and completely undemocratic process by which Northamptonshire is to be divided into two parts.
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Careless Care
When the state takes children into its care it has a responsibility to support them into adulthood and as they become parents - currently the state is failing in its duties.
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Shared Decisions in a Democratic NHS
Shaun McBride argues that we must enable citizens to share in key decisions about the NHS as we begin to unravel decades of wasted NHS reforms.
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Mental Health and Tentacled Snowballs
An anonymous article describing how medical and bureaucratic approaches to mental health undermine flexible and person-centred solutions - and make you a little crazy.
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GaN Canny 2018
Over 168 voluntary and community organisations from Gateshead and Newcastle responded to a survey by Newcastle CVS on austerity and the voluntary sector.
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Only a New Democracy can Save the NHS
Gavin Barker explains why protecting the NHS and other vital public services requires a radical change from politics as usual and a reform of the UK's constitution.
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Extreme Poverty in a Time of Austerity
This summary of the harm caused by the UK Government's austerity policies was submitted to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights.
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Parent Carer Health
This important survey of family experiences suggests that ill health for family carers is a significant problem and one worsened by current welfare systems.
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Opus Independents - Platform for Meaning
James Lock and his friends have begun an exciting social innovation in Sheffield by helping people build lives of meaning.
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Principles for a National Health Service
9 distinctive and essential characteristics of a National Health Service according to Dr Julian Tudor Hart.
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Preventable Harm and the Work Capability Assessment
Mo Stewart provides a brief overview of some of the most important elements in the development of a policy which is causing preventable harm to UK citizens.
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What is the alternative to neoliberalism?
Simon Duffy reflects on the intellectual and practical challenge facing thinkers opposed to the current neoliberal consensus.
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Reclaiming ‘Chronic Illness’
An exploration of the meaning of the term ‘chronic illness’ and the relationship between people with chronic illness and the disability movement.
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Why Northamptonshire Went Bust
Simon Duffy explains why Northamptonshire went bust and what kind of thinking is required to return local government to its proper role.
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Self-Directed Support
This paper has been written as part of the SKILLS Project to begin the development of an international exploration of best-practice.
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Euston, We Have a Problem
Wendy Perez has complained to Euston Station in London about the ongoing failure of their support to disabled people.
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Lowering the Complexity Bar
Chris Ware explains why homelessness is not just a function of poverty but also of the increasing complexity of modern life.
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A Holiday with a Difference
Amanda Topps describes a shared holiday where everyone is equal and where everyone takes care of each other on their own terms.
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A Constitution for Disability Rights
Claudia Gilberg, Geoff Jones and Gavin Barker explain why disability rights activists have every reason to support the campaign for constitutional reform.
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How to Fund the NHS and Public Services
Gavin Barker summarises the arguments for Modern Monetary Theory and explains why government does not need to be bound by the limitations of tax.
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Challenging the Democratic Deficit
Steve Griffiths examines the Government's proposals for boundary reform and finds they make the current electoral system even more unfair.
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Heritage Is An Asset
Joyce Bullivant explains why our heritage is a vital asset for sustainable development and asks why Sheffield City has so far failed to build on its legacy.
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Cities for All
This paper explores how disabled people and their allies can be at the heart of the civic partnerships required to make our towns and cities better for everyone.
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Inclusion and the Commons
Thomas Allan explains why we must explore and develop the Commons, and end our fixation on the State or the Market as the basis for creating a more just and inclusive world.
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Basic Income or Basic Services
Dr Simon Duffy reflects on the debate between Barb Jacobson and Anna Coote on the respective merits of UBI or UBS.
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Elements of a New Constitution
The Centre for Welfare Reform supports the movement for a written constitution, based on radical democratic reform, strong human rights, peach and devolution.
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Open Letter on Constitutional Reform
The Centre, alongside a wide-ranging alliance of organisations, has written an Open Letter calling for a Citizen's Convention leading to a written constitution.
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Letters to the DWP
Correspondence between Mo Stewart, the independent disability researcher, and officials at the DWP, reveals the difficulty of holding a bureaucracy to account.
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Reforming Social Care
This report explains why integration between health and social care is not desirable, setting out a clear vision for reforming social care in its own right.
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Who Is Accountable?
Alain Catzeflis argues that the outsourcing of public services to organisations like Motability has created a bloated and corrupt system which serves the public poorly.
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Commonfare: Inclusion and the Commons
Thomas Allan argues that new thinking about the role of the Commons in our shared community life will put the ideal of inclusion on a stronger footing.
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Workers' Rights Versus the Right to Care
Alain Catzeflis describes how UK social policy has created a severe, but unnecessary conflict between the rights of workers and disabled people.
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Behind Relative Poverty
The stories in Relative Poverty address the imbalance of power; Les Monaghan describes the thinking behind his photographs.
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Inclusion Facilitation
Inclusive Solutions have been piloting this work in the last three years, making traditionally clinical plans more person-centred for children, families and carers.
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Zigmond on CQC and Regulation
David Zigmond is interviewed by Simon Duffy about the conflict he had with CQC and the negative impact of the wrong kind of regulation on healthcare.
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Zigmond on Neoliberalism and the NHS
David Zigmond explains to Simon Duffy what has gone wrong in the NHS as neoliberalism has exploited technological change to undermine the humanity of the NHS.
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Zigmond on the Human Scale
David Zigmond talks to Simon Duffy about the importance of scale on the NHS if we want to nurture human understanding and a more caring approach.
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Zigmond on Renationalising the NHS
David Zigmond explains to Simon Duffy why renationalising the NHS must be the first step to going back to a more human, local and collegial NHS.
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Zigmond on Mental Health
David Zigmond talks to Simon Duffy about the importance in true and empathetic understanding in nurturing good mental health and what this means for the NHS.
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Zigmond on the Future of the NHS
David Zigmond tells Simon Duffy that a better NHS will be more local, more human and that it involves restoring some of the older practices we've abandoned.
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Zigmond on His Books
David Zigmond provides an overview of some his main writings on the NHS and the nature of good pastoral healthcare.
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A Grounded Theory Study of Disability Benefit Changes
Jessica Saffer carried out doctoral research into the psychological impact of Government changes to the disability benefit system - welfare reform.
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The Binary Trap
Alain Catzeflis explores why our commitment to social justice has been in such decline and argues that a new approach must avoid binary thinking.
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Inequality is a Constitutional Issue
This article explores the reasons why the UK has become an increasingly unequal society and what we could do to reverse this trend.
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Democratising the NHS
Simon Duffy sets out why the latest wave of planned reforms to the NHS must be unacceptable and proposes a democratic alternative
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The Great Troubled Families Fraud
Simon Duffy reviews Professor Gregg's book on the fraud and dishonesty behind the Troubled Families Programme.
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Deleted BBC News Item on Unum
In 2007 the BBC reported on the influence that a US insurance company was having on UK policy, in 2010 this item was deleted from BBC archives.
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Keeping Kids Out of Care
Tim Keilty describes life as an adventurous social worker helping people develop common-sense solutions to avoid children going into care.
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Becoming True Citizens
How Bournemouth People First’s LifeLink project is building connections for life by encouraging meaningful relationships and contribution.
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Supporting People with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
This guide provides key standards to improve the standards of support to people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
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Community Circles
Inclusive Solutions have created a powerful approach to help communities to come together and create a shared world of inclusion and equal citizenship.
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Don't Crowd Out People with Learning Disabilities
Alain Catzeflis argues that people with disabilities are being harmed by bad Government policy and people with learning disabilities are doubly excluded.
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A New Way Home
Frances Brown and John Dalrymple provide practical guidance on a personalised approach to leaving institutions.
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Why the UK Needs a Written Constitution
Gavin Barker addresses the issues of democratic accountability and the protections that need building into our welfare system against undue corporate influence.
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Don't Cramp My Style
Simon Cramp's biography offers a real insight into a man with learning difficulties who has made a significant difference to social policy in England.
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Agency Workers and Zero Hours Contracts
This publication by the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centre describes the way in which agency work and the use of zero-hours contracts is creating a punitive work culture.
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Progress on Personalised Support
This report builds on an international survey of support organisations to develop a model of personalised support on behalf of Citizen Network.
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Heading Upstream
This major report describes how Barnsley Council have been increasing social justice by redistributing power and resources to local citizens, families and communities.
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Social Rights Are Human Rights
Paul Hunt explains that social rights are fundamental human rights, but that in the UK these rights are not taken seriously in the political and legal system.
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What are the Keys to Citizenship?
Simon Duffy describes the 7 keys to achieving citizenship in practice for everyone.
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Civic Ethos
Henry Tam explains why it is important we share and develop a coherent world view of how as human beings we can live together with mutual respect.
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Back to Bedlam
This report describes how and why support of people with a learning disability is heading backwards in the UK because of austerity and the complicity of civil society.
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Compassionate Living
Jo Kidd explores veganism and justice for all in this presentation given at the Mental Wealth Festival held in September 2016.
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Alternatives to ATUs
Steven Rose explains why there are alternatives to ATUs and the private hospitals where too many people with disabilities remain incarcerated.
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A Rural Parish Initiative
Bob Rhodes describes how his parish, Ruspidge & Soudley Parish Council, is exploring the use of a community worker to better understand the true needs of its community.
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Development from Within in 60 Minutes
Erna H. Majormoen explored whether the principles of development from within, taken from Manavodaya, could be quickly shared with social work students in Norway
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Kent Vegan Festival
The ethos behind the Kent Vegan Festival is to raise awareness about veganism as a compassionate, holistic, healthy and intrinsically non-violent way of life.
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Opportunities for Smart Commissioning
An analysis and insight into the current nature of service provision for alcohol-related harm in Cheltenham, exploring opportunities for a ‘Smart…
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It's My Home
Adrian Kennedy's poem, It's My Home, based on Sam Sly's Guide to Keys to Citizenship, in a film by Ben Drew's Open Future Learning.
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National Debt v Right to Social Security
International researcher Alison Graham shares her PhD thesis exploring the targeting of cuts on disabled people, people on low incomes and other groups lacking effective…
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Breaking the ATU Impasse
Steven Rose wonders why Government policy to close ATUs and end the admission of people with learning disabilities to private hospitals has been so poor.
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How Unofficial Social Policy Drives Change
Steven Rose argues that social policy for people with learning disabilities has largely been driven by collaborative values-based work, not official government policy.
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Social Work and Disappointment
Michael Balkow argues that social work is inevitably a profession that must attend to the inevitable limitations of our human situation, but that this has its own special value.
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Is Brexit an Opportunity to Sort Out Social Care?
Bob Rhodes argues that Brexit offers at least one silver-lining, the chance to end the procurement rules which have undermined social care for the last 25 years.
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Assisted Dying
Michael Balkow argues that compassion and respect for the autonomy of those with terminal illnesses requires change in the law to enable assisted suicide.
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Relative Poverty
Materials developed by Les Monaghan as part of his project to show the reality of poverty in modern Britain.
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How the Eight Steps Help
Pete Richmond explored, with colleagues on Tyneside, how Manavodaya's Eight Steps of Action help to promote appropriate facilitation
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Cuts Target Disabled People
Dr Simon Duffy explains to Anton French Films how Government policy has targeted cuts on disabled people.
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Small Sparks Grants Programme
Bob Rhodes outlines how Small Sparks grants can work at the level of the parish as he sets out the framework published by Ruspidge and Soudley Parish Council.
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State Crime by Proxy
In this paper Mo Stewart continues her research into the links between the DWP, Atos Healthcare & Unum Insurance.
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UBI: A Psychological Impact Assessment
An important report which sets out the case for Universal Basic Income (UBI) from the perspective of psychologists.
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Individual Service Funds (ISFs) in Dorset
Dorset have established a ground-breaking commissioning strategy enabling people with learning disabilities & mental health problems to manage their personal budgets.
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Individual Service Fund (ISFs) Agreement
This Individual Service Fund (ISF) Agreement describes the contract between the person and the community service that they choose to manage their budget.
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Individual Service Funds (ISFs) Easy Read
This Easy Read guide explains how Individual Service Funds (ISFs) let people manage a personal budget without needing to use direct payments.
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Fighting for Inclusion or Building Community?
Tim Keilty describes how New Prospects have shifted their attention from advocacy for inclusion towards building community - and the results are encouraging.
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Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centres
Part of a larger network of TUC Unemployed Workers' Centres, this is Derbyshire's Annual Report for 2016.
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Blowin' in the Wind
Steve Griffiths rewords a Bob Dylan classic - a reflection on our crazy times where injustice and hatred seem to fuel political careers.
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What's Wrong with CQC?
John Burton explains why the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is unable to effectively safeguard standards for adult social care.
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Towards an Holistic Democracy
Marion Turner-Hawes reflects back on the tumultuous 2016 and looks forward to the possibility of a different kind of holistic democracy.
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Parenting Chrissy
Jane Gregory explores the internal and external challenges facing young disabled people and their families in the UK disability system.
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Community Care & Inclusion for People with an Intellectual Disability
Robin Jackson and Maria Lyons are the editors of a series of essays reviewing the history of services for people with intellectual disabilities.
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Love and Welfare
In this paper Simon Duffy argues that there is a spiritual tradition that has been forgotten, which offers us a much more positive and loveable vision of the welfare state we need.
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How Does It Feel To Be Assessed?
Chris Akers explores how it feels for people with physical disabilities to be assessed for receipt of benefits.
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Big Red Food Shed
Julie Lowe runs the Big Red Food Shed a community business providing fresh and healthy food to local people on low incomes as an alternative to food-banks.
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Citizenship: A Guide for Providers of Support
Sam Sly and Bob Tindall have written a new guide for providers of support working to develop true citizenship for all.
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Stop Unethical Research on Children
Catherine Hale explains why unethical research on children with ME must be stopped and urges you to sign the #stopGet petition.
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The Future of the Professions
Robin Jackson reviews The Future of the Professions: How technology will transform the work of human experts.
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Beyond Efficiency: Care and the Commons
Thomas Allan argues that respect for the Commons is critical to rethinking our approach to social care and the welfare state.
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Political Literacy and Civic Thoughtfulness
Henry Tam describes the principles that must underpin any coherent and decent community and outlines the Synetopia framework - the keys to community.
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Legal Literacy in Adult Social Care
Belinda Schwehr, a leading expert in social care law, explores the declining standards in legal literacy which are undermining good practice in adult social care in England.
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Personal Budgets - A Lived Experience
A report published by Hestia highlighting both the strengths and challenges of holding a Personal Budget.
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The Rise of the Robots
Robin Jackson urges everyone with an interest in achieving welfare reform to read Martin Ford's book and consider the important issues it raises.
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Stronger Together - Family Event
Bringing Us Together and Respond hosted a gathering of disabled children and young people, parents and families to listen to their views and experiences on care and support.
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Avoiding Crisis Support Needed
Bringing Us Together and Respond carried out a survey to find out what support families of disabled children and young people wanted and needed when approaching, or experiencing…
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Can ISFs Save Domiciliary Care?
Martin Walker of TLAP suggests that in the midst of the severe funding crisis hitting social care the use of Individual Service Funds (ISFs) is at least one possible way forward.
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Dangers of Prescribed Tranquillisers (Benzodiazepines)
Barry Haslam explains the devastating impact that commonly prescribed tranquillisers (Benzodiazepines) have had on his and many other lives.
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The Flexibility of Self-Directed Support
Simon Duffy, Pat Stack and Peter Gay report on the outcomes of a one day conference organised by the London Self-Directed Support Forum on the topic of flexibility.
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The Psychological Impact of Austerity
This report from Psychologists Against Austerity shares well-established psychological research that directly links cuts to public services with mental health problems.
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Local Area Coordination Evaluation Isle of Wight
This six month formative evaluation outlines the work carried out to plan, implement and evaluate Local Area Coordination on the Isle of Wight.
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Replacing Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
This research by Stef Benstead and Emma Nock, published by Ekklesia, looks at the support needs of people with chronic illness with regard to replacing Employment Support…
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Heading Upstream: Deinstitutionalisation & Public Service Reform
Simon Duffy explores the challenge of moving solutions upstream and away from the institutionalised solutions into which resources are locked.
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Social Value of Local Area Coordination in Derby
This report, published in March, was commissioned by Think Local Act Personal in order to measure the impact of Local Area Coordination across Derby City Council.
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DanceSyndrome
Founded by Jen Blackwell, DanceSyndrome is an inclusive dance charity that aims to inform and empower people through dance.
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Exploring the Meaning of Poverty
Poverty isolates and divides us. It leaves us thinking we are not good enough and we are too poor to spend time with friends or family writes Simon Duffy.
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A Troubling Truth
Dr Claudia Gillberg reflects on her own experience of living with the chronic illness, myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME, describing the multiple challenges she and others face.
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State Guardian or Head Gardener?
Robin Jackson sets out the wide-ranging concerns at the decision of the Scottish Government to put in place a 'named person' for every child in Scotland.
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Andrew's Passion for Cars
Andrew has a learning disability and a passion for cars. This short film gives an idea of how following this passion helps him find friends and build a life in the community.
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Calderdale's Guide to Individual Service Funds (ISFs)
Calderdale Council have produced a guide for Individual Service Funds (ISFs) which describes their benefits to citizens in clear and accessible English.
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Hope - Rise & Shine
Mark Russell outlines an innovative approach to preventing unnecessary mental health crises by giving people support and advice early.
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And This Time It's Personal
WellRedFilms explores the underpinnings of the psycho-coercive practices endorsed by the government with leading researchers and the Mental Health Resistance Network.
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In the Expectation of Recovery
George Faulkner's report outlines how misleading medical research has been used to support disability cuts and other changes to the welfare state.
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Getting Behind Individual Service Funds (ISFs)
Simon Duffy explores the reasons why ISFs are a helpful tool for achieving citizenship for people with learning disabilities and others who use social care services.
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CoolTan Arts Report on Personal Budgets
Alison Vine of CoolTan Arts explores the practice of personal budgets as it impacts on small voluntary sector organisations.
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The Problem with Mandatory Reconsideration
Eri Mountbatten outlines the worrying results from a recent survey of it's members by the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers (NAWRA).
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Why I Keep Banging on About Citizenship
Simon Duffy summarises the conclusion of his philosophical essay Citizenship and the Welfare State and what it means in practice.
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Citizenship and the Welfare State
In this short philosophical monograph Simon Duffy explores the role of citizenship in the definition and defence of the welfare state.
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What is the Good Society?
A presentation for the Adur Churches Network exploring the good society, citizenship and how we can restore the welfare state back to health.
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Synetopia: Resource Distribution Revisited
Henry Tam offers a new model for justice and the redistribution of resources - Synetopia.
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Basic Income Plus
Simon Duffy on why a system of basic income plus an appropriate disability benefit would be a significant improvement over the UK's current system of demeaning conditionality.
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Local Area Coordination Catalyst for a System Wide Prevention Approach
Authors Les Billingham and Maureen McEleney report on the potential of Local Area Coordination to be a catalyst for change in our local communities.
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Welfare: The Leadership Challenge
Susan Harrison reflects on the challenge of being critical about the welfare state from within the welfare state and the need for integrity.
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Citizen's Income: A Brief Introduction
This valuable guide provides an introduction to Citizen's Income, or Basic Income, explaining what it means, how it would work and answering some common questions.
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Metaphors in Leadership
Michael Croft of Innovation People has developed this resource to support effective and efficient strategic and operational decision-making.
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Carla Uses an ISF
Jenny Date describes how her daughter Carla uses an Individual Service Fund (ISF) so that she can have flexible support and a better life.
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Kent Vegan Festival
In October 2015, 1,500 people took part in the very first Kent Vegan Festival in Canterbury, Jo Kidd shares what happened on the day.
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A Modern Hospital
Jan Walmsley and a group of disabled researchers look back at life in Princess Marina Hospital, Northamptonshire in the years before its closure.
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Example of Flexible Support Contract
This is a real but anonymised contract between a local authority and a service provider enabling the service provider to use Individual Service Funds (ISFs).
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Close to Collapse
An interim report from Action for M.E on access to social care and advocacy for people with M.E/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).
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Fight Back
A report from Cyngor ar Bopeth Ceredigion Citizens Advice Bureau, written by Eri Mountbatten, on the impact of austerity, particularly on people with mental health problems.
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A Citizen with Learning Difficulties
Wendy Perez writes about what it means to be a citizen with learning difficulties.
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Demystifiying Individual Service Funds (ISFs)
These slides summarise guidance on the use of Individual Service Funds (ISFs) and the future of commissioning for health and social care.
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Learning Difficulty or Learning Disability
Wendy Perez explains why she prefers the term 'learning difficulty' to 'learning disability'.
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Equality and the Governance of Welfare
Dr Henry Tam believes that the governance of welfare has to be conducted transparently and inclusively. Here he sets out his ideas on how this can be achieved.
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Using a Personal Health Budget
Rob Moriarty describes the benefits of using a personal health budget for himself and the merits of the system.
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Why I Was Worried by the Assisted Dying Bill
Wendy Perez explains why she was worried by the Assisted Dying Bill and the problems people face in the hospital system.
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A Qualitative Study of the Impact of the UK Bedroom Tax
This report examines the impact of the bedroom tax on health and wellbeing in a North East England community in which 68.5% of residents live in social housing.
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Relationship Based Care in Action
Susan Harrison describes how she was inspired by an Alaskan model of relationship-based care - called Nuka.
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I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Alison Chalmers realised it was time for her daughter to walk with independence, however difficult she found it as a mother.
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The Person Who Most Inspires Me
Alison Chalmers describes all the ways in which her daughter inspires her.
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Learning Disability is Not a Mental Disorder
Robin Jackson asks why in Scottish law people with learning disabilities are treated as if they have a mental disorder.
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Why I Couldn't Care Less
Alison Chalmers writes with candour about the struggles of caring.
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People, Places, Possibilities
Written by Ralph Broad, this report describes the positive progress on Local Area Coordination in England and Wales.
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Spartacus Response to Cuts in ESA
The Spartacus Network show how Government policies are unfair, unreasonable and in conflict with International Human Rights.
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Spartacus ESA Mythbuster
Members of Spartacus Network bust the dangerous myths and misinformation that has grown up around ESA.
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Localism: As If People Mattered
Laird Ryan calls for localism to be brought back to the grassroots where it truly belongs.
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Private Good, Public Bad
The prevailing fiction of our times is that the private sector is better at running things than the public sector, Virginia Moffatt explores the reality.
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Our Lives: challenging attitudes to poverty in 2015
An important survey of the experiences of families living in in poverty in modern Britain.
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History of Keys to Citizenship
Sam Sly describes where the Keys to Citizenship came from and how they've changed over time.
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Vote for Hope
An election broadcast from the Centre for Welfare Reform - the case for hope.
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Re-Imagining Brokerage
This important paper from Liz Leach, Chair of the National Brokerage Network provides a new starting point for brokerage.
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Getting There
Simon Duffy's second report on the work of Beyond Limits and Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group to bring people home.
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Who Cares?
Author Robin Jackson offers a critique of the UK's social care system and the negative impact of ideology, marketisation and bureaucracy on people's lives.
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The Threat of Micro-Institutionalisation
Robin Jackson explains why people with learning disabilities are threatened by a growing trend to micro-institutionalisation.
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Who Benefits?
Kofi Sampaney, Marvin Blair, Alexander James, Tyrone Paul and Mark Williams made this short documentary to describe the negative impact of welfare reform in the UK.
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LDA England Newspaper
Learning Disability England Alliance newspaper highlighting the results of the Quality Checking Government survey and setting out a vision for a good society.
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LDA England Survey
A breakdown of the results from the recent Quality Checking Government survey carried out by Learning Disability Alliance England.
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Abbot's Mill Project
Jo Kidd describes the Abbot's Mill Project, an initiative that combines a commitment to sustainability and social justice.
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Rethinking National Security
Henry Tam asks why, if we are so interested in security, do we define it so narrowly.
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What Went Wrong with Welfare Reform?
Simon Duffy explores the reality of welfare reform in the UK.
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Social Innovation
Simon Duffy talks about how social innovations develop.
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What is Personalisation?
Simon Duffy talks about what personalisation really means.
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Key to Good Government
Simon Duffy talks about what good government is and should be.
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Self-Directed Support
Simon Duffy talks about the development of self-directed support in the UK.
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The Fate of Social Care
Simon Duffy talks about the fate of social care.
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Self-Advocacy
Simon Duffy talks about self-advocacy and Gary Bourlet's work with and on behalf of the People First movement.
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Pippa and Family Leadership
Simon Duffy talks about Family Leadership and the inspiring work of Dr Pippa Murray.
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Better Lives
An Evaluation of the Choice Support Personalisation Programme for Adults with Learning Difficulties in Southwark.
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Peer Support
Simon Duffy talks about one of the Centre's Fellows, Kelly Hicks and the work of the People Focused Group (PFG) in Doncaster.
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Citizenship is for Everyone
In this film Simon Duffy explains why Citizenship is for Everyone.
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Wendy Perez on Citizenship
In this film Wendy Perez talks about Citizenship drawing on her work and her own experiences.
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Keys to Citizenship - Help
Keys to Citizenship graphic - help is the 5th key to citizenship.
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The Impact of Welfare Reform
Simon Duffy is interviewed by Russia Today (RT) on welfare reform and what it really means for people living in the UK.
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Don't Judge Me, Listen
Sam Sly urges us to really listen to people's dreams and desires when supporting them to build a future for themselves, it's crucial to get this right.
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Civic Partnership
David Towell examines how citizen groups and local authority leaderships can work together to create the civic partnerships required to deliver local change.
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Help - What It Really Means
People with learning disabilities often get help that isn't very helpful. Wendy Perez explains what help really means.
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The Power of WomenCentre
WomenCentre is a pioneering social innovation based in Halifax. Local women have come together to support those of them who face the gravest difficulties.
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Fulfilling Potential?
In this significant report Catherine Hale explores the experience of a key group of disabled people who have been slotted into the 'Work Related Activity Group'.
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ISFs are a Simple Innovation
Simon Duffy explains what an Individual Service Fund is, why it it is useful and what a simple innovation it is.
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The Impact of Cuts in Haringey
A report from Haringey Learning Disabilities Partnership Board following a survey on the impact of cuts in Haringey to services for adults with Learning Disabilities.
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Whitehall Through the Looking Glass
Henry Tam's excellent novel explores what happens when corporate interests take complete control of British political life.
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Citizenship for All: An Accessible Guide
Simon Duffy and Wendy Perez have written this accessible guide to citizenship - what it means and how to achieve it. This guide is part of the Citizenship for All project.
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Sharing Our Gifts - Lessons for Social Work
Mark Harvey describes how understanding your own community gifts and assets will make you a better practitioner.
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Human Rights for Disabled People
In this film Nadia Clarke explains how important human rights are to all disabled people.
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Beyond the Barriers
A Spartacus Network report into Employment Support Allowance, the Work Programme and recommendations for a new system of support.
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Divide and Conquer Social Work by Education
Tanya Moore offers a critique of the latest changes to social work education.
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Regulation
Bob Rhodes and Richard Davis explore the damaging impact that regulatory systems can have on intentional communities.
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Crazy Money
In this animated film, Malcolm Henry explores where money comes from and where money goes.
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Abusing the Blue Badge Scheme
Wendy Perez is frustrated that so many people abuse the Blue Badge scheme and make life more difficult for disabled people.
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Right to the Same Life
Wendy Perez says people with learning (intellectual) disabilities have the right to the same life as the rest of us.
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Spartacus Network
Spartacus is a network of sick & disabled people who use social media to highlight the impact of the UK Government's 'reforms' and cuts.
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Briefing on ESA Regulations
This briefing was written to alert people to the impact on disabled benefits claimants of the Employment and Support Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 2012 reference no 3096.
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The People's Review of the Work Capability Assessment
This report was written in response to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) which assesses an individual’s entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
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Together We Shout
The ‘We Are Spartacus’ Community Submission to the Government Consultation on Assessments for Personal Independence Payments.
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Counting the Cuts
This film introduces the report Counting the Cuts outlining how the UK government's austerity programme has targeted disabled people and people in poverty.
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What is Welfare Reform?
In this film Simon Duffy explains what real welfare reform should be about.
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Counting the Cuts
This report was one of the first quantitative analyses providing an estimate of the cumulative impact of UK Government cuts on disabled people and those in poverty.
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Limits of Medicine
Vinesh Kumar reviews Ivan Illich's classic Limits to Medicine - Medical Nemesis: the expropriation of health.
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Eco Shed
David Towell describes a great innovation that provides employment for disabled people whilst supporting sustainability and social justice.
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From Isolation to Transformation
Hazel Stuteley gave this talk at TedxExeter 2013 explaining how communities can move from isolation to transformation.
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The Power of Dance
Shanna Dawes explains the exciting impact of the TR14ers on their own lives and their whole community.
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Housing to End the Prison of Hospital
Sam Sly explains why special hospitals are often worse than prison and why there is a need for bespoke housing solutions.
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Doctor knows best?
This policy paper from the University of Birmingham's Health Services Management Centre examines the use of evidence in implementing self-directed support in health care.
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The Impact of Welfare Reforms
This report examines the impact of recent welfare reforms on mental health service users in the North East of England.
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A Short History of Self Direct
Don Derrett tells the story of self direct - how it developed, what it achieved and why finally, it closed.
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Focusing on Outcomes
Tim Keilty from New Prospects explains their practical and simple approach to focusing on outcomes without the hype.
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Means Testing in ESA
Steve Griffiths explains how the introduction of more means testing in the ESA further damages the lives and families of disabled people.
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Deprived of Incapacity Benefit
Steve Griffiths explains how the old system of incapacity benefit was already depriving people of their entitlements before the introduction of the even worse ESA.
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Can You See What I See?
Vinesh Kumar explains why the Avarind Eye Clinic has much to teach the NHS and western medicine in general.
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All In This Together
This film by Dole Animators captures some of the real experiences people are facing today in the light of recent changes to the welfare system in the UK.
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How To Reform The ESA System
Simon Duffy argues that the current ESA system is deeply flawed and suggests an alternative based on a better understanding of unemployment.
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In the Hotseat with Herts Pass
Tanya Moore writes about Herts Pass a user led organisation in Stevenage that offers 'EmployerAbility'.
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Impact of PIP on Social Care
This analysis was carried out on behalf of We Are Spartacus and estimates how the end of DLA will hit local government.
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Hospital - a guide to staying safe
Terry Lynch describes how you can stay safe in hospital - a guide relevant to all of us - but especially older and disabled people.
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Whose Community Is It Anyway?
Written by Simon Duffy this paper suggests it's time to re-think commissioning and work with communities in a real partnership of equals.
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Returning Home
Simon Duffy outlines a promising innovation from Plymouth that aims to return people home from institutional care.
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Call for a Cumulative Impact Assessment
Catherine Hale shares the text of a letter to her MP calling for her support for the Cumulative Impact Assessment.
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Freedom
Written by Simon Duffy, this new practical guide gives advice on supporting people to be free.
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How We Try to Keep Our Promises
Tim Keilty explains how New Prospects have designed a simple approach for helping people to network and support each other.
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Community Networks
A community network is a simple but powerful innovation developed by New Prospects - team work.
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In Memory of Carl Poll
Carl Poll was a leading innovator and champion for people with learning difficulties - he will be greatly missed.
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People First Quality Checkers
People First Quality Checkers is an independent quality checking service run by people with learning disabilities.
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247 Grid Tool
The 247 grid tool is a simple and visual way to design an effective support package around someone’s life.
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The Big Society Fails the Hardest Hit
Catherine Hale's article explains how a range of UK government policies target disabled people.
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21st Century Vision
A paper following the launch of the Housing and Support Alliance offering a new vision for the future.
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My Rights
Nadia Clarke writes about the damaging impact that cuts to her personal budget will have on her life.
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Getting Help if you have a Learning Difficulty
This is a guide to getting support in Sheffield if you have a learning difficulty.
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No Going Back
Authors Tim Keilty and Kellie Woodley write about the forgotten voices from Prudhoe Hospital.
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It's Not Systems That Stop Abuse
Transformative leadership - not new systems, targets or policies - will help public services to tackle the problems of abuse in hospital.
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Augmentative Alternative Communication and Leadership Research
This report outlines the power of alternative systems of communication and was written by Nadia Clarke following her Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to the USA in 2012.
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Watching Brief
The care and support white paper has some good commitments in it, but some of the biggest issues have been ignored, say Don Derrett and Simon Cramp.
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Decisions, Decisions
The Mental Capacity Act has helped many people with learning disabilities to make decisions for themselves since it came into force in 2007.
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Person Centred Planners Lose the Plot
The story of how one self-advocate with learning difficulties came into conflict with the Person Centred Planning industry.
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Pass It On Parents
This innovation is a system of peer support for families of disabled children.
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A Fair Society?
This short 3 minute film explains how the UK Government's current programme of cuts ends up targeting disabled people.
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Regulation without State Dominance
Bob Rhodes outlines a different approach to regulation than the on-going expansion of incompetent state-run bureaucracy.
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Family Leadership
A film about Pippa Murray's work to make family leadership authentic, building on real wealth and strengthening the human spirit.
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Can You Buy Care?
Bob Rhodes of Lives Through Friends explores the absurdity of assuming care can be purchased in a market place. He offers an alternative account of the human nature of care.
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Help and Connect
Kellie Woodley of Skills for People outlines the Help and Connect model which is transforming their advocacy practice.
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Why Inequality Matters
Written by members of My Fair London this paper presents further essential information about income inequality and its consequences in a brief and accessible format.
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Better Nights
An evaluation of a Choice Support initiative to improve night-time support for people with learning disabilities as services are personalised by the use of an ISF.
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The UK is Very Unequal
The UK is the third most unequal developed country - and this inequality is bad for all of us - it causes many social problems.
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Poor Commit the Least Fraud
A lot of fuss is made about benefit cheats - but few people realise it is the poor who commit the least fraud - it is taxpayers and government itself who defraud the poor.
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Cuts Target Disabled and Poor
This short film shows how the UK government's spending decisions have targeted disabled people and the poor for cuts.
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What Goes Around...
Bob Rhodes reflects on the ups and downs of building a fairer society amidst the craziness of the current system.
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The Poor Are Very Poor
The popular myth is that there is no real poverty in the UK - however the reality is that the poor are very poor - living on impossibly low incomes.
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Poor Pay the Most Tax
This short film explains the surprising fact that in the UK it is the 10% of poorest families who actually pay the most tax - 47%.
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Personalised Transition Journal Article
This article outlines the key elements of what is still the most radical version of personalisation in the UK today - integrating health, education and social care funding.
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Manifesto for a Fair Society
A short film setting out the principles behind and the main ideas within the Campaign for a Fair Society's Manifesto for a Fair Society 2012.
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Is the UK a Fair Society?
This movie introduces the Campaign for a Fair Society - which is organised to campaign against the injustice of a system which seems biased against the poor and disabled people.
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21st Century Beveridge
In this journal article from Policy & Politics Jon Glasby, Simon Duffy and Catherine Needham make the case for a radical review of the welfare state.
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Bridging the Rubicon
Bob Rhodes explores the gap in thinking between public services and real communities.
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It's the Toughest of Commissions (Song)
Bob Rhodes offers a song about the paradoxes of commissioning.
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Innovation and the Work Programme
A case study by Su Maddock on the UK government’s Work Programme procurement process.
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Innovation in Welfare to Work
A presentation given by Su Maddock on Innovation in Welfare to Work.
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Life Is Not a Commodity
Bob Rhodes reflects on the difficulties of helping people move beyond a commodified notion of the role of public services.
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Teaching Personalisation
Tanya Moore provides an overview of the University of Hertfordshire's course on personalisation.
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Meeting the Politicians
Nadia Clarke spends time with ministers at the House of Commons.
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Real Localism
Argument for a profound shift in control towards local communities and the outline of a new strategy for local government.
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Help and Connect
Help and Connect is a powerful innovation, developed by Skills for People, to bring together their different forms of advocacy.
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Local Area Coordination
Ralph Broad describes a long-standing social innovation, first developed in Australia, which helps people stay part of their communities and prevents crises and unmet need.
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Innovation in Public Services
Innovation in public services goes through a series of phases and meets inevitable resistance.
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Peer Power
Simon Duffy explores the inspirational work of the Personalisation Forum Group and its efforts to improve their own lives and challenge current mental health systems.
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Welfare Reform is Not Welfare Reform
A short 4 minute film explaining why current Welfare Reform plans are not real reforms and exploding some key myths.
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Resilient relationships
Lynne Friedli explores the role of the public sector in supporting resilient relationships.
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West Lancashire Peer Support
Les Scaife describes how the West Lancashire Peer Support Group was born and the work it continues to do.
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Innovation in public services
A talk for Sheffield Hallam University on the way in which social innovations struggle to succeed and how innovations are resisted and corrupted.
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ISFs in Action
A research report by Sian Hoolahan of Choice Support describing the progress being made in Southwark using Individual Service Funds.
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Help & Connect Model
Skills for People are providing brokerage by combining the best of their supports in a cost-effective and empowering system.
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Learning the Art of Facilitation
Carl Poll talks about Manavodaya, the art of facilitation and the importance of the inner dimension of work with real integrity.
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Creating Stronger and more Inclusive Communities
A paper setting out some lessons for positive action in the context of austerity drawn from five agencies across the UK.
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Citizenship in Further Education
Pippa Murray and Jane Shepherd set out the next steps for extending Personalised Transition into Further Education.
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Local Area Coordination Evaluation Report
This report outlines early outcomes, lessons and opportunities from the first evaluation of Local Area Coordination in England.
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Implementing Self-Directed Support
This short essay offers some thoughts about the lessons other countries might want to draw from the English experience of implementing self-directed support (SDS).
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There is An Alternative
A report from the Association for Supported Living (ASL) demonstrating how effective community-based support is for people with learning disabilities.
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Personalised Transition Briefing
This paper provides a clear account of the Personalised Transition that has transformed the post-school experience for many disabled young people.
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Who cares? Policy proposals for the reform of long-term care
The case for the reform of long-term care using self-directed support.
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Health Efficiencies
This report describes the efficiencies possible in healthcare through the use of personalisation.
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Dying with Dignity
This report explores how personalisation could transform end of life care. It outlines the approaches necessary to avoid the current high levels of undue hospitalisation.
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The Architecture for Personalisation
Presentation given in Sheffield to describe the necessary underpinnings for personalisation in social care.
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Towards a Good Life?
A discussion of the Western philosophical tradition and the lives of people with learning difficulties.
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Peer Support
How to promote peer support as an element of community brokerage and the new script for social work.
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Community Engagement
How to work with communities to identify information, advice and assistance for people controlling their own support.
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A New Script for Social Work
Social workers need to be released from a damaging set of bureaucratic structures that are making their work more difficult and undermining personalisation.
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Positively Local
John Gillespie, with Susanne Hughes, describes how community development and improvement must begin by putting local people in control.
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Making Social Innovation Real
Simon Duffy describes the barriers that face social innovators and how to overcome the obstacles to reform.
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Help and Connect
A new form of community-brokerage called Help and Connect which is being piloted by Skills for People in Newcastle.
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Overcoming the Barriers to Innovation
Exploring how social innovation works and the barriers it faces within the welfare system.
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Revisiting Barclay
Bob Rhodes and Ralph Broad argue that social work and social care should return to the thinking set out in the Barclay report and renew their commitment to community.
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Women at the Centre
Simon Duffy and Clare Hyde explain how WomenCentre achieves its astonishing outcomes and explore the difficulties faced by innovative organisations in the welfare system.
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Do's and Don'ts for a New Script
This paper is a working document to help authorities 'rescript' their social work role - to make it more positive, enabling and effective.
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Using the Law to Fight the Cuts
This guide sets out the most important principles of the law in England which can be used to fight the cuts to services for disabled people and protect human rights.
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Prospects for Radical Welfare Reform
Phillip Collins, Leader Writer for The Times, Chair of DEMOS and ex-Speech Writer for Tony Blair, reflects on the complexity of welfare reform.
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About the Centre for Welfare Reform
Fellows of the Centre for Welfare Reform discuss social justice, citizenship and the reason for setting up the Centre.
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Local Justice
Clare Hyde argues that the current criminal justice system is failing communities by drawing resources into damaging and inefficient systems.
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A Fair Start - reforming services for disabled children
Dr Pippa Murray founder of ibk initiatives and inventor of the Personalised Pathway on A Fair Start.
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Family Income Security
Dr Simon Duffy, Director of the Centre for Welfare Reform, explores how we could reform the income security of all families.
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Introduction to the Centre
Dr Simon Duffy, Director of the Centre for Welfare Reform describes the purpose and design of the Centre at its Westminster launch in March 2011.
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Active Patient
Vidhya Alakeson of the Resolution Foundation describes how personalisation and the use of individual budgets in healthcare could promote better health and well-being.
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Local Justice
Clare Hyde MBE of the WomenCentre and founder of The Foundation for Families on Local Justice.
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How Can We Save the Big Society?
Gabriel Chanan and Colin Miller argue that the Big Society project will fail unless it focuses on real community development and volunteering.
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A Fair Society and the Limits of Personalisation
This discussion paper describes how the current cuts that target disabled people reflect deep flaws within the welfare system and sets out the case for more fundamental reforms.
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Unfair Cuts in Detail
The current social care system in the UK is deeply unfair and needs reforming; however current efforts by Central Government seem self-defeating.
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Commissioning for Innovation
Commissioning for innovation means focusing on the real assets of community in order to shape innovative and appropriate solutions to meet real community needs.
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First and Last
Mark Brend describes the history of the closure of the learning disabilities hospitals that were once used to segregate people with learning difficulties.
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Don't Monkey with People's Lives
Carl Poll gets to the heart of why the relationship between professionals and citizens can often go so wrong - and what we can do about it.
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Active Patient
Vidhya Alakeson's Policy Paper sets out the case for extending the principles of self-direction, and in particular the use of individual budgets, to many areas of health care.
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Much More to Life than Services
Bob Rhodes offers a vision for personalisation in social care that goes beyond the use of social care services and returns us to community and citizenship.
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A Fair Start
Pippa Murray makes the case for an integrated Personalised Pathway to enable disabled children and their families to take control of health, education and care funding.
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Commissioning for Innovation
Commissioning should mean focusing on the real assets of community in order to shape innovative and appropriate solutions to meet real community needs.
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Citizenship & Professional Gift Models
The Citizenship Model is a new paradigm for public services where support is treated as an entitlement which can be shaped and driven by the citizen instead of as a professionally.
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Safety for Citizens
Simon Duffy explores the relationship between safeguarding and personalisation and the risks that come from institutionalisation.
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Architecture for Personalisation Toolkit
This toolkit will help local leaders develop their own strategy for producing local systems that enable personalisation. It contains helpful hints, ideas and a framework for…
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Architecture for Personalisation
A report describing progress in Yorkshire & Humber towards developing a community-based approach to supporting personalisation and self-directed support.
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Decision-Making in Health
When our life is threatened and real expertise offers us some possibility of extending or improving our life then it makes sense to share control with appropriate professionals.
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Individual Service Fund (ISF)
An Individual Service Fund is a mechanism for controlling an individual budget using an organisation.
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Helping Providers to Change
This is a book by Self Direct that focuses on the work necessary to help service providers change and to develop more personalised forms of support.
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Personalisation in Mental Health
A report setting out a model for integrating health and social care for people with mental health services - designed to promote personalisation, empowerment and citizenship.
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Constitutional Social Justice
An essay on the possibilities of radical reform within the welfare state.
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Personalisation Model
The Personalisation Model provides a framework for reorganising public services so that the citizen remains in control of their own life and any support that they need.
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Personalised Transition
An evaluation of a new and radical policy innovation in Sheffield which gives young people with disabilities and their families a totally new level of control over their life…
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Personalised Pathway
This model enables families with disabled children to take effective control over their support, while getting coordinated expert support.
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Personalised Transition
Personalised Transition is a system for enabling young people with complex needs to leave school and to achieve active citizenship within their communities.
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Should We Ban Brokerage?
Local authorities need to make much better use of all the varied resources that communities already have to offer when building the support system for Self-Directed Support.
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Being the Boss is Best
An article which describes the benefits of being your own boss.
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Real Wealth
Money is only one way of achieving things and it can only achieve some things. What people really need in order to live good lives is the elements of Real Wealth.
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Professional Gift Model
The Professional Gift Model remains the prevalent model for public services, whereby support is defined by professionals and given as a unilateral gift to needy people.
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Resource Allocation System (RAS)
A Resource Allocation System (RAS) is any set of rules that allows fair allocations to be made to people who need extra support.
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Individual Service Fund (ISF)
An Individual Service Fund is a useful way in which resources can be used flexibly to achieve personalised support.
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Decision-Making in Health
The focus for decision-making in healthcare needs to change depending upon the circumstances and the level of clinical evidence available.
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Self-Directed Support
Self-directed support is the 7 step process by which people obtain control over their support in order to achieve a better life for themselves.
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Smart Commissioning
In the past commissioners were told by central government that their job was to purchase services on behalf of citizens; this model turns that idea around.
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Tapered Control
People need Tapered Control, different levels of control, depending upon their needs and circumstances.
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Total Transformation
The process of transformation is complex and multi-layered, however it is possible to identify an underlying logic and phasing.
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Personalisation in Social Care
This article explores how the current reforms in social care are rooted in a radically different approach to social justice and welfare to those that preceded them.