1. Thoughts on the new government

As the new Labour Government gets settled around the cabinet table, there is no shortage of advice for them about how to manage the long list of problems they have inherited.

Clearly, for members of the Independent Living community, the most pressing concerns are around social care, welfare reform and disability rights.

Here is a roundup of comments and requests

2. Community for Accessible Transport

The research panel created by ncat (the National Centre for Accessible Transport) has grown to well over 1,000 members.

The panel, named the Community for Accessible Transport (CAT), now totals 1,160 members, over a thousand of whom are disabled people themselves or the family member / carer of a disabled person.

The aim of the panel is to consult with disabled people on their experience of accessing transport in the UK, in order to develop a full picture of how disabled people use (or don’t use) transport and why.

Find out more here

3. Homecare: Expecting the Unexpected

The Homecare Association has published a new report titled: "Expecting the Unexpected: Homecare providers' views of hospital discharge”.

The report draws on findings from focus groups with homecare providers and a survey of 283 members, who represent over 21,000 care workers providing care and support for over 31,000 people across the UK.

You can see the key findings here

4. Carers' Direct Payments

An intriguing blog from Belinda Schwehr, Director of CASCAIDr CIC, examines the situation around carers' budgets and direct payments.

It was triggered by a question from someone who had been told by her council that it had decided not to give carers any money, even if they were eligible, for respite or for services, ie as direct payments. 

Belinda's view is that it is clearly unlawful for the council to have a blanket policy which is fettering its discretion with regard to an individual request for a direct payment.

It is well worth reading the blog here

And signing up for CASCAIDr's very reasonably priced alert service will keep you up-to-date with the latest legal developments and policy changes in the sector.

5. A letter to Liz Kendall

Mo Stewart, research lead for the Preventable Harm Project, has lost no time in writing to the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

"Now that there is another Labour government, it is hoped that the brutality of the DWP in recent years, and the dangerous use of sanctions whereby chronically ill claimants can be starved to death by the State, as punishment for being too ill to attend a work-focused interview, will now be ended as a matter of urgency."

Read her letter here

6. Bilingual Anthony and Cleopatra

News of an exciting new production of Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra coming up at the Globe Theatre in London (pictured here).

It is bilingual, with some scenes in spoken English, some in British Sign Language and others using a mixture of both.

The production will also be captioned throughout.

More details here