What are Health and Wellbeing Boards? They were established in local council areas in 2013, with responsibility for encouraging integrated working between health and social care.

They are key to effective deployment of the Better Care Fund

And according to a new report from the Local Government Association, they are doing a good job of helping people lead healthier and happier lives in their communities - but...

Read more here

 

As you probably know by now, food and nutrition is a topic of perennial interest here at Independent Living.

So I was intrigued to read some recent research highlighting a link between poor quality diet and increasing frailty amongst older people.

No particular food type was implicated in maintaining robustness: eating lots of animal protein didn't seem to make any difference, for example. It was overall quality that counted.

More details here

 

Helen Bull has become the UK’s first wheelchair-user to qualify as both a swimming teacher and lifeguard.

Currently employed as a swimming teacher at the London Aquatics Centre in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Helen retrained through GLL College after a break of nearly 20 years, and went further, by successfully passing RLSS UK’s National Pool Lifeguard Qualification, with reasonable adjustments for her needs.

Read more here

 

The Disability Benefits Consortium is a national coalition of more than 80 different charities and other organisations committed to working towards a fair benefits system.

They are launching their latest report, "The impact of welfare changes on disabled people" at a reception in Parliament next Tuesday.

The report is a culmination of over a year's worth of research looking in detail at the impact of the last 10 years of welfare reform.

Read more here

 

If we were still holding our collective breath, awaiting the publication of the government's Green Paper on adult social care, we'd be long dead of asphyxiation.

And the recent Lords Committee report on the future of social care funding says bluntly that it's really too late for yet another consultation. Immediate action is required, as every delay just builds up further unmet need and creates more misery for those people denied access to the support they desperately need.

Read more here

 

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has confirmed that it is launching a formal investigation into the DWP advertisements promoting Universal Credit.

Forty-three individual complaints were received, including a number from charities representing the interests of various groups of people with disabilities.

More details here

 

Don't forget that you can apply to join the Independent Living Facebook group, if you would like to spend more time discussing these themes with other interested people. 

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Until next time, best wishes,

Frances