PERSONALISATION IN GLASGOW

We continue to monitor this situation closely and are in the process of producing a campaign bulletin aimed at raising awareness of the issues arising out of the cuts being imposed in Glasgow.

We are organising a meeting from 10am to 12 noon on Tuesday 20^th September at the City of Glasgow Branch of UNISON, 4th Floor, 18 Albion Street, Glasgow G1 1LHfor service users, workers and families affected by personalisation in Glasgow, though the meeting will be of interest to people beyond Glasgow as what happens here will be picked up by other local authority areas.

Learning Disability Alliance Scotland Newsletter July 2011

We have provided a link to Learning Disability Scotland's newsletter below.

There are two main articles in this edition.

First looks at how the dominant position of local authorities in funding of social care for people with learning disabilities might affect the development of Self Directed Support. A fuller version of this article is available at http://tinyurl.com/SDS2011

Our second article looks at the increasing charges applied for social care services and wonders if this is a new form of "tax" on the most vulnerable.

UNISON calls on Glasgow City Council to halt attacks on people with learning disabilities

UNISON, Scotland’s largest union in public services, has joined together with communities across Glasgow to fight against service cuts.


Trade unionists and members of the public packed out a meeting last week to share concerns over personalisation and fears that Glasgow City Council is using this process simply as a means to save money.

Glasgow City Council started its personalisation agenda last summer. While UNISON supports the principles of personalisation, which are about providing people with more independence, control and dignity, this is not what is happening in Glasgow. The council has always been explicit in its ambition to realise 20 per cent savings as a result of the process.

Mandy McDowall, regional organiser for UNISON, said: “We’re not against the concept of personalisation, but direct payments should be used to complement a range of public services and should not be used as a disguise for cutting services.

“We held this meeting to bring together those who are being directly affected by these cuts. The meeting was packed with staff, users and members of the community who all wanted to share their experiences. We heard from carers who are having their packages cut by 50 per cent; staff who are having their terms and conditions slashed and communities who are suffering facility closures.

“Each person had a different story to tell and the true human cost of each and every cut was laid bare.”

Parents, carers, service users, campaign groups, academics and disability groups were all in attendance at Thursday’s meeting. UNISON says the meeting will be the first of many and is calling on Glasgow City Council to put a halt to service cuts.

Simon Macfarlane, regional organiser for UNISON, added: “Glasgow City Council has not properly assessed the impact of these cuts and is rolling ahead with scant regard to the devastating consequences.


“We’re calling on the council to call a halt to this process and to reinstate the packages that service users had before the new personalisation agenda was agreed, until a thorough review of the process and the impact on people with learning disabilities is assessed. This assessment must involve service users, their families and front line workers and their unions.”

Personalisation Networking Meeting

Arising out of the current crisis in learning disability services in Glasgow brought about by a bastardised version of personalisation UNISON and Defend Glasgow Services have called a meeting for those affected by the issues. The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss what is happening and how workers, service users, carers, families and activists can work together. Whilst focussed on the current experiences in Glasgow the meeting may well be of interest to those from other areas facing similar issues.

The meeting is not a rally, rather a chance to share news, tactics and information. If you have an interest in personalisation please consider joining us on:

7th July 2011

10 am

UNISON House

14 West Campbell St

Glasgow

G2 6RX