Providing Independent Living For Disabled People Social Work Essay

For assignment help please contact

at help@hndassignmenthelp.co.uk or hndassignmenthelp@gmail.com

Independent living is about disabled people having the same level of choice, control
and freedom in their daily lives as any other person. Everyone will need assistance or
equipment of some kind, although many people with learning disabilities, physical
and/or sensory impairments, mental health support needs, long-term health
conditions or who experienced frailty associated with old age, will have additional
needs for assistance. Although these additional needs for assistance and equipment
may be met, it is not always giving people choice and control over the matter, others
will decide on behalf of them which can lead to segregation and social exclusion. It is
necessary for everyone, whatever their impairment, to express preferences and
therefore express choices about their needs and how they should be met.

What evidence is there that it is an issue?

With reference to Christensen, K. (2010), 'The late 20th century rhetoric about
empowering people by providing them with more independence in their lives has
recently emerged within developed welfare states and led to the introduction of cash
for care systems in many European countries. These systems allow local authorities
to pay people cash instead of providing care if they are assessed as eligible for
community care services and are willing and able to manage the payments alone or
with assistance'.

What evidence is there that different policy

options will affect the issue?
The Prime Ministers Strategy Unit produced their final report on, 'Improving life
chances of disabled people', in January 2005. Within this report it sets out an
ambitious programme of action that will bring disabled people fully within the scope
of the "opportunity society". By supporting disabled people to help themselves, a step
change can be achieved in the participation and inclusion of disabled people. This
report sets out a strong vision for improving the life chances of disabled people,

which is needed to help disabled people face fewer disadvantages. It is never going to
happen straight away so they give themselves a 20-year vision:
'By 2025, disabled people in Britain should have full opportunities and choices to
improve
their quality of life, and will be respected and included as equal members of society'.
This report plans to have big changes as a result of this strategy, to make these
changes the strategy will 'empower and involve disabled people, personalise the
support they receive and remove the barriers to inclusion and participation'.
Reference!! The centrepiece of this strategy is the promotion of independent living.
Independent living is more than about being able to live in their own home, it's about
providing disabled people with; choice, empowerment and freedom.
For the government to give disabled people more choice and control over their care
'The Community Care (Direct Payments) Act was introduced in 1996. With reference
to the Directgov website, 'Direct Payments are local council payments got people who
have been assessed as needing help from social services, it gives the individual the
chance to arrange and pay for their own care and support services instead of
receiving them directly from the local council'.
Direct payments and individualised budgets are central to the UK government's
independent living strategy for disabled people 'to live autonomous lives, and have
the same choice, freedom, dignity and control over their lives as non-disabled people'
(ODI, 2008:27).
While Direct Payments have delivered important choice and control for some people,
they are not suitable for everyone. Furthermore, the fragmentation of people's needs
across different budgets means that Direct Payments are not always sufficient to
deliver a personalised and holistic response to individuals' needs. The report,
'Improving life chances of disabled people', therefore suggests proposes that
'different sources of funding should be brought together in the form of individual
budgets - while giving individuals the choice whether to take these budgets as cash or
as services. The overall aim would be to enable existing resources to be allocated and
services delivered in ways that personalise responses to need, and give disabled
people choice over how their needs are met'.
The Independent living strategy was published in 2008 and its aim was to 'ensure
that all disabled people, including those with significant learning disabilities or other

forms of cognitive impairment (including dementia), are enabled to have choice and
control over how their support needs are met, and also to have greater access to
housing, education, employment, leisure and transport opportunities and the
participation in family and community life'. REFERENCE!! Of paper. Within this
strategy it includes; 'Putting People First, a shared vision and commitment to the
transformation of adult social care, introducing personal budgets and help gaining
information, advice and support, 'Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbours, a national
housing strategy for an ageing population', the development of a national
employment strategy to enable individuals to remain in employment when they
become disabled or when an existing condition gets worse. Therefore the strategy
covers all aspects of a disabled individual's life.

Why is this an important issue?

What should we do about the issue?
Disabled people themselves, employers, health professionals,
educators, local communities, and providers of goods and services all have a key role
in improving the life chances of disabled people. Disabled people's experience of
government support and services needs to change. Too often disabled people feel
that they are fighting a system which is fragmented, complex and bureaucratic, and
which does not put the needs of disabled people at the heart of service provision.
Public service reform and investment has not yet benefited disabled people to the
extent it should. REWORD paper improving life chances of disabled people.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/financialsupport/DG_10016128