Tag: social care

Working together to dispel the myths about people with learning disabilities.

Throughout this week we have looked at just some of the myths and preconceived ideas that people can have about those with learning disabilities.

While individual efforts can always make a difference, the collective power of collaboration among organisations is a much needed boost when achieving important goals.

We continually suggest that by working together, we can help to create a society that embraces and supports individuals with learning disabilities, providing them with equal opportunities and breaking down the barriers they face. But what does this actually mean?

Sharing Resources and Expertise.

When organizations come together, they bring their unique resources and expertise to the table. Each organization may have specific strengths, such as research capabilities, advocacy experience, the ability to provide direct support, logistical help or simply the capacity to help with transporting these resources. The list is potentially endless and varied, but by pooling these resources and sharing our expertise, a comprehensive and impactful approach can be developed.

Amplifying the Message.

Collaboration creates a united front, enabling organisations to amplify their message. By combining efforts, multiple voices can come together to advocate for change and challenge the stereotypes surrounding learning disabilities. Just like everyone did this week! A collective voice is a louder voice and has the potential to reach many more people.

Building Stronger Support Networks.

Working together fosters the creation of stronger support networks for individuals with learning disabilities. Collaboration allows organizations to share best practices, exchange ideas, and learn from one another’s experiences. By doing so, they can enhance the quality of their support, improve their understanding of the diverse needs within the learning disability community, and establish a network of experts who can provide guidance and advice. Building such networks helps ensure that individuals with learning disabilities receive the well-rounded support they need and deserve.

Engaging Multiple Stakeholders.

Collaboration brings together diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and community groups. By involving a wide range of stakeholders, the impact of dispelling myths about people with learning disabilities can extend beyond individual organizations, and be far more likely to lead to societal change.

Inspiring Change and Empowering Individuals.

Collective efforts to dispel myths about learning disabilities inspire change in the people we support. When individuals with learning disabilities witness the collaboration and support extended by our organisations, it sends a powerful message of validation and encouragement. We all know many people who choose to be part of our organisations at the same time because they know we share values and support them in similar ways. Such collaborative initiatives help break down barriers, encourage self-advocacy, and empower individuals to pursue their goals and aspirations.

In the journey towards dispelling myths about people with learning disabilities, collaboration among organizations is paramount. By sharing resources, amplifying the message, building support networks, engaging multiple stakeholders, and inspiring change, collective efforts have the potential to create a more inclusive society. It is essential to recognize this power of collaboration and work together to challenge misconceptions, promote accurate information, and advocate for the rights and equal opportunities of individuals with learning disabilities. Together, we can foster a society that celebrates the diverse abilities and contributions of all its members.

June 25, 2023
‘A Gloriously Ordinary Life’ – Our Response

Options strongly supports the recommendations of the House of Lords report ‘A Gloriously Ordinary Life: Spotlight on Adult Social Care’.

Earlier this year, Options responded to a parliamentary inquiry examining the invisibility of adult social care. Last week, the House of Lords published the result of this inquiry, a report called ‘A gloriously ordinary life: spotlight on adult social care’.

Options strongly supports the recommendations in the report, many of which we advocated for in our response to the inquiry.

Perceptions of social care

Firstly, we welcome the recognition that work needs to be done to shift the public perception of social care. Social care is ‘the subject of misconceptions among the general public, who often do not realise the diverse, versatile and positive role that the sector plays in society’.

Too often, social care is perceived as ‘intended to support those who can’t support themselves: a burden on resources that is synonymous with decline and crisis’. This is by no means a true reflection of the transformative and enabling role social care plays in the lives of those who need it. We know that with the right support, people can lead full and meaningful lives.

This narrative of social care contributes to a stigma that ‘people with disabilities are somehow not capable of exercising choice and control over their lives’. We know this is fundamentally untrue. We believe that one of the most powerful ways to challenge this stigma is to share stories celebrating the amazing things people we support do.

Funding Adult Social Care

We also welcome the recognition that social care must become a ‘national imperative’, reflected in appropriate funding.

We agree that ‘there is no doubt that underfunding has led to the rationing of care, restricted choice and loss of quality of life’. In order to enable people to live full lives, social care must be adequately funded by central Government and support must be commissioned in a way that reflects what really matters to those who rely on it.

We strongly endorse the notion that ‘the Government must prioritise a comprehensive long-term national workforce and skills plan for adult social care, including a commitment to remedy low pay in the sector’.

The fantastic work our staff do is undervalued and not reflected in the wages they receive. Options will continue to advocate for a better-funded social care system, in which staff are rewarded and recognised for the important and highly skilled nature of the work they do.

Long-term change

Finally, we agree that ‘the greatest risk is not to change’.

There is an urgent need for significant change in both the perception and funding of adult social care. ‘Without fundamentally changing our appreciation of the role of adult social care as a critical service for people and communities, and as a key investment in our society and economy, any attempt to reform the sector will falter’.

As an organisation, we strongly endorse the recommendations made by the House of Lords. We hope they will continue to work with providers like Options and people with lived experience in the future.

December 21, 2022
Lifting the Veil – Our Response
Recently, UK Parliament announced that the House of Lords Social Care Committee will be publishing a major inquiry called ‘Lifting the veil: Removing the invisibility of adult social care’. The inquiry, which will be published later this year, will consider how the invisibility of social care impacts the lives of people who draw on care and support, as well as those who provide it.

At Options, we believe that it’s really important that the voices of people we support and our staff are heard, so we asked them to have their say about how the invisibility of social care impacts them.

‘My support worker makes me feel important‘.

‘It feels as though we’re belittled, and it makes the hard days even harder knowing that some people don’t think our job is worth much’.

These are just two of the many responses we received to our call for feedback in order to provide evidence for the inquiry. Last month, we sent a survey out to all of our staff asking them for their opinions, and then went to ‘Voices R Us’ to speak to people we support. We’d like to thank everybody who took the time to share their thoughts with us.

From the comments that were made, we were able to submit a full response to the Committee which we hope reflects the views we heard. The main points that were made were:
- We feel that one of the major problems facing social care is its invisibility which is made worse by a lack of understanding of the different parts of social care. People with learning disabilities and their support staff are particularly invisible in this wider system.
- We do not think that people with learning disabilities or their support staff are valued enough in society. We know that people’s lives can be changed by good support – this can change the public’s understanding of people with learning disabilities and what support work is all about.
- We need to shift the conversation away from ‘caring for people’ towards supporting people to live full lives. This will change the public’s ideas of what support work is, and challenge perceptions about people with learning disabilities.
- Changing this conversation must involve making sure there is enough money to recruit, develop and retain great staff. It also means making sure that there is enough money to support people to actively participate in, and contribute to, their communities.
- At Options, we believe there is a lot to be learned by listening to staff and people we support. Unfortunately, we do not see this reflected by our local authorities or government when it comes to deciding how social care is delivered.
- Finally, we know the work that our staff do is undervalued – this must change. The important and skilled work that our staff do is not reflected by the wages they receive. The way social care is funded and commissioned needs to be radically changed.
Once our submission has been accepted by the Committee we will be able to publish our response in full – so watch this space!
June 1, 2022