Leonard Cheshire

"Treat everyone equally, the way I do my minced pies" Can't wait for Chris McCausland's Channel 4's Alternative Christmas Message. Watch him appeal for an end to discrimination against disabled people and much, much more. A toast to you Chris!

The provisional local government settlement still falls short for disabled people, older people and social care providers. Large gaps in funding must be filled. Otherwise, disabled people will miss out on vital care – just basic needs like getting up, washing, and meeting family, let alone wider support for living full and active lives. Funding allocated to local authorities must be passed on to social care providers. We must see real terms uplifts, reflecting the increasing cost of delivering care. Without this, many care organisations will be forced to hand back contracts. This could leave disabled and older people without vital support in the year ahead. While there are welcome attempts to allay fears, this settlement does not cover huge extra costs: it does not meet the full rise in employer National Insurance Contributions, or the crucial increase in the National Living Wage. The limited new money for social care will quickly deplete before the year is out. This could lead to further back-door cuts to social care as local authorities struggle to meet their statutory duty to provide it. We need to see a long-term funding solution. And the government must urgently start a process for clear, comprehensive social care reform.

“They make me smile, they make me laugh, and they take me to places I never thought I’d go.” In the latest episode of our podcast The Disability Download, Sarah shares how her assistance dogs motivate her every day - from getting her out of bed to exploring new adventures. Plus, hear about the amazing work she’s doing with her guide dogs’ fundraising group and the incredible support she’s found in her community. 🎧 Listen to Sarah's episode anywhere you get your podcasts or click on this link: https://lnkd.in/eY4X53tf Video description: Subtitles of a clip from Sarah's episode of The Disability Download play on top of a photo of her and her two dogs. #Podcast #GuideDogs #DisabilityCommunity

Today marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024. The United Nations theme for this year is “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future". We explore this theme in relation to employment and the workplace in our latest blog https://bit.ly/4g9bony #IDPD2024 #DisabilityInclusion

Disability Smart Awards 2025 are now open #IDPWD2024

We've joined over 60 social care organisations, coming together to demand social care funding data is revealed, in an open letter to Government. After numerous attempts through legal processes by Access Social Care to request government transparency regarding adult social care funding, successive governments have consistently refused to supply this information. This is in clear opposition to the new ministerial code, drawn up just this month, which requires honesty and openness. The state of social care funding is now absolutely critical and we need action now. As a result, we and the 63 other organisations listed below, have signed an open letter to express our deep concern directly to the Prime Minister. Achieve together Ltd Access Social Care Age UK Lancashire Aldingbourne Trust Aspens Association for Real Change Association of Mental Health Providers Aurora Nexus Autism Alliance UK Autism at Kingwood Avenues Group Being the Boss Bridge Care Services Ltd Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living (BRIL) Bromley Mencap Bury Older People's Network Campaign for Freedom of Information Campaign for Real Care Camphill Village Trust Care and Support Alliance Care England Centre for Care, University of Sheffield Certitude Choice Support Civil Service Pensioners Alliance (CSPA) Dimensions UK Father Hudson's Caritas FitzRoy GM Coalition of Disabled People Hft - Learning Disability Allies Hollybank Trust Homecare Association Imagine Act and Succeed Independent Care Group Independent Living Group Ltd Jayne Kilgallen interim solutions Learning Disability England Learning Disability Network London Leeds Care Association Leonard Cheshire MacIntyre Milestones Trust National Care Association National Care Forum National Star Papworth Trust PossAbilities Quality Healthcare Solutions Race Equality Foundation Richmond AID Rossendale Trust SeeAbility South Tees NHS Foundation Trust Studio 3 Supportability The Together Trust The West of England Centre for Independent Living (WECIL) The Wilf Ward Family Trust United Response University of Sheffield Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) Walsingham Support Wirral Mencap Read the letter here: https://bit.ly/3ZywI0o

We welcome the government's focus under 'Get Britain Working' on addressing the barriers to work, rather than demonising those currently unable to work. Too often employment support and careers guidance ignores the aspirations and needs of young disabled people. It's crucial that the proposed National Jobs and Careers Service and wider new initiatives take a disability inclusive approach and are tailored to individuals. We believe it is the right approach to tackle the root causes of unemployment before launching any changes to health and disability benefits, to ensure there is a safety net for young disabled people desperate to start their careers and fulfil their potential, but currently locked out of the labour market due to the barriers they face.   Employers play an important role in ensuring disabled people can remain, progress and succeed in employment. We know from our work with employers that many want to do more but are unsure of where to start. We hope the independent review announced will hear from disabled people and experts on what works to create disability inclusive workplaces. #InclusiveEmployers #InclusiveJobs #InclusiveWorkforce

Read Nuffield Trust's analysis of the financial impact of the Autumn Budget on adult social care. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eqR-XXKA The sector faces £2.8bn in extra costs due to rises in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) and the National Living Wage next April. This contrasts to the £600m allocated in the Budget for adult and child social care combined. As Nuffield Trust says, "it’s clear that things do not add up." This must be rectified in the Local Government Financial Settlement. #SocialCare #AutumnBudget

It was great to get together yesterday and pause to reflect on the huge amount we have achieved together as an organisation over the last three years. In a care conference session with service and support leaders Ruth Owen OBE, her Executive Team and Chair of Trustees Neil Goulden showed how the efforts of everyone have financially strengthened the charity and driven quality improvements in our frontline care. The next phase of our exciting modernisation journey was also focussed on as part of ongoing future strategy work. #SocialCare #Innovation #QualityImprovements

Very proud to announce our new Service of the Month - Trafalgar Lane 🎖️ Located in the north of Edinburgh, Trafalgar Lane is a supported living service with eight individual flats, providing personalised support to residents aged 33-63 with learning and / or physical disabilities. The team are thrilled to have received the award, and say it’s all thanks to a fantastic team effort! Service Manager Lyndsay Elvin stepped in to support the team when the previous Service Manager went on maternity leave, and together, Lyndsay has kept things running smoothly by staying on top of key performance indicators, diving into additional training, and making sure colleague feedback guided every step of their changes. Every day, the team are committed to supporting residents as they pursue independence, build connections, and engage with the local community. With daily visiting support, they're there to make sure everyone feels empowered and valued. We’re so proud of the team’s dedication and can’t wait to keep building on this success! 🌟 #SupportedLiving #TeamWork #CommunityCare