Stop ignoring people with disabilities

As politician’s rush to address the social care crisis and manifesto promises tumble forth, two important issues are being ignored. Firstly, the cause of the crisis, and secondly, the needs of the 1.2 million people with disabilities who rely on social care.

The crisis was born out of the worldwide recession which began in 2008. Austerity saw central government significantly cut funding to local authorities. This led to shrinking pots of money available to spend on social care. Local authorities have been making difficult choices ever since.

Today care providers are competing for unsustainable contracts as many individuals with disabilities are struggling to get by without care. Combined with the funding cuts, care providers have also seen big increases in costs, and many are in fear for their organisation’s lives as they try and provide the right support to the many people relying on their services.

FitzRoy are calling on all political parties to face up to this crisis, address the needs of all who rely on social care, and deliver a serious long-term funding settlement. We want to see manifesto promises that uphold the rights of people with disabilities, giving them a bigger voice in society, more control over their lives, the opportunities to participate in society, and a robust and sustainable care sector with highly trained staff.

In short, FitzRoy, like many fellow organisations, is calling on our next Government to stop ignoring the causes of the crisis, and stop ignoring the needs of people with disabilities who rely on social care services to live fulfilled lives.

Anna Galliford, Chief Executive, FitzRoy