Reversing from Recovery?

To The Right Honourable Theresa May MP

Dear Theresa,

It has been a while since I last wrote to you. This is because I have always found you to be pleasant, generous and humane but the Policies that your government are following are, to me, mutually exclusive of these characteristics I recognise in you. I therefore chose to believe that you were being forced into going along with these policies!

However, I would like to bring to your attention a report produced by the same team that gave you the "Spartacus Report". The "Spartacus Report" did not receive the critical acclaim it deserved on launch but I suspect that the passage of time will be kinder to it than it will be to the ConDems.

I think you will find the attached report is more relevant to the UK's economic prospects and taxation position than the comedian Jimmy Carr. On that subject, do you have a personal view as to why Mr Cameron did not comment on Gary Barlow's alleged tax evading affairs.Mr Cameron justified his comments on Jimmy Carr because his situation was already in the public domain. Surely Gary Barlow's is now in a similar position and I would be pleased to hear an explanation as to why he, and countless thousands of bankers, are not fair game. They can't all vote for and fund the Tory Party.

The attached report "Reversing from Recovery - The Hidden Costs of Welfare Reform" highlights a potential lack of joined-up thinking in the ConDem Cabinet and may support the view of Dennis Skinner MP that George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has indeed been "educated beyond his intelligence".

I would be grateful if you could critically review this report and let me know if you support or reject its findings?


Thank you in advance for taking the time to consider this letter,

Your Constituent,

Ian M Jones

Reversing from Recovery?

What Next?

Hi,

The job is going well, thanks for asking!

I now work in the care industry looking specifically after people with Learning Difficulties (LD), or to be more specific looking after the money that Local Authorities pay to companies like mine to look after people with LDs. It is rewarding but it also reminds me that the battle is not over and we need to fight very hard to protect our way of life.

Strong words?!

1. Bedford Borough Council is applying a blanket 2.5% reduction to is care fees for LD residents (in addition to pay freezes for previous years and no inflation uplift of 5% for this year). I note the Chief Execs still managed to get bigger pay packet! However, they do not expect the level of care to diminish because Care Companies should be able to absorb this cut. The people telling me this had an argument with me over the cost of raising a single invoice which he insisted was more than £50 and he suggested that to save money we invoice once a year against one a month currently (in arrears - giving them 12 months free credit). If it cost us £50 to raise a single invoice we would have gone bust a long time ago! How can you deal with people like this. To put it into context, our staff have had no pay rises for the last 3 years. We are not fat cats - just a company trying to improve the quality of life of others. We cannot absorb the
2. Worcester Local Authority is moving people out of supported living back into residential services. This is a big deal because my company tries to operate a "Care Pathway". By this I mean that if a resident is admitted into one of our Homes we do not treat him as a captive cash cow until death. We operate services ranging from high need residential services, to low need residential, to leaving care, to supported living etc. and work in conjunction with local social workers and the Local Authority Care Managers to place our residents in the most appropriate setting. Some residents need everything done for them. Some residents can live independently with support. Some residents move from high need to low need to supported living, hence the term "Care Pathway". It may surprise you to learn than independent living costs more to deliver than residential care because some local Authorities I deal with demand savings. However, Worcester recognise this fact because they are moving all Supported Living residents back into residential. People who require care in Worcester have lost their right to choose the most appropriate services for their needs - is this a return to the bad old days of locking all people different from the norm away in big old houses. (In homes the most common care ratio is for 1 member of staff to 2 residents. Therefore1 member of staff can look after 2 residents during a shift whilst delivering full time oversight to both. In supported living the residents are generally not located in the same building so a member of staff on an 8 hour shift cannot adequately look after 2 residents in the same way because she is not on call to both residents over an 8 hour period and she may have travel time between the residents.) Supported living costs more and delivers more.

The overriding principle we work to is that every action must be taken in the best interests of the resident. It seems to me that the overriding principle the Local Councils and Authorities work to is that the disabled cost too much and they need to suffer like the rest of us, without any real understanding of the levels of suffering the disabled have to endure at present.

Expect to see legal challenges. If the CQC has any balls they will stop this.


Which brings me back to the title of this blog.

WHAT NEXT.

We made a noise with the Spartacus Report. We fought WRB valiantly. We told the government they were making us ill and killing us. They didn't listen and people that bravely fought them are now either dead or recovering from illnesses no doubt brought on by this Governments intransigence.

I read in the press that all the things we were told by the Fascists (Ian Duncan Smith, Grayling, Fraud, etc) were lies as the WCA is not fit for purpose, and the closure of Remploy has not been followed with any effort to include the disabled in the mainstream workplace.

Don't worry. The Paralympic are coming and the British Disabled are happy to perform like monkeys on chains for the establishment. I hope that our Paralympians have some integrity and don't forget us.

I'm not holding my breath. If they perform well they may get an honour and get to condemn the disabled to more servitude in future.

If we accept that the disabled have been targeted by this Condem government WHY are we supporting the Paralympics. 

The apologists for the Condems argue we mustn't allow Sport to be influenced by Politics despite the fact it was a political decision to bring the Olympics to London in 2012 and we are all paying for the best seats to be stolen from us and sold to the highest bidder.

MIND - They apparently don't - Do you?

I keep talking about the new Post Spartacus Blog,

Read more: http://nowr.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=charities&action=display&thread=5#ixzz1smEwXOxR

We are starting up new discussions on this Blog to try to give disabled people another route to express their worries and thoughts on. I had begun to think I was the only person who wanted to hold MIND to account in the world but we got this posted on our "MIND" thread.



"MIND-I was pressurised by GP to attend for sessions with MIND counsellor.It was 6 months of bullying and abuse, accused of faking autism, being sexually obsessed, a liar.I complained, to be told by MIND that the counsellor no longer works for them so it wasn't their problem.
Im not impressed and will never avail myself of MIND services again.Unfortunately there is precious little else available, mainly due to MIND allegedly providing them."

Read more: http://nowr.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=charities&action=display&thread=5#ixzz1smEVRu2Y

 

 

 

I will copy this to MIND but  can't see them responding as they've made it clear in the past the only people they take any notice of are the rich and famous who can help them get their knighthoods. 

 

I read this and was shocked. Is this how we want our Charities to be run? Is this what the "Big Society" is about? Are we gonna stand for this?

MIND apparently accused the writer of being a faker, bullied him, abused him, called him a liar and then dumped him - presumably when the funding ran out!

Most worryingly, I read this and immediately thought of another company operating on a similar model - ATOS. 

 

ATOS, MIND - 4 letters long!!! Are they more similar than that? Watch out for Stephen Fry becoming the face of ATOS?

Stephen Fry - Good Egg or Pompous Prat up his own arse? You decide!

It's been a while.

The novelty of working again after being on the scrapheap (the pre 2012 Workfare programme!!) for 4 years has caused me to ignore you (Am I now being a pompous prat up my own arse assuming both people read this and look forward to the next Blog?!). I am loving being back at work and doing well I'm told. I'm very tired but after a head-injury as bad as mine I was always going to be!

However, it's brought some unwelcome memories back.

After my accident in 1991 I went into the Rehab unit as a "no-hoper". Everybody there apart from my family, friends and a few of the medical staff thought that.Over the next 10 weeks I made a remarkable recovery, which was great. However, I became aware that I was getting better quicker than the other patients and so did they. Rather than being thrilled at what was happening all I can remember is feeling guilty. Why am I getting better and Gary/ Chris/ etc aren't? That guilt has stayed with me!

So, my return to the rat-race has awoken similar feelings. Why have I got a job and people like me (in fact, me for 4 years!) can't seem to get past the initial screening process?

The Spartacus Report awoke a felling of belonging to the disabled community in me. Once I got past the guilt (most of the people I tweet with appear to have "proper visible disabilities" that make me feel like a fraud!!) I wanted to do my bit. Now I am back in work I still want to do my bit if I can.

Which brings us to Stephen Fry. I have noticed that the Spartaci have been ignored by the press and everybody else. A few notable exceptions in the Lords (Thanks Tanni) have fought hard but the mainstream are unaware of the potential holocaust facing us. I though that some of our famous friends who have a position of responsibility to the disabled (i.e. The President of MIND) might say something that people might listen to.

Stephen Fry Tweets a lot. He is disabled. People might listen to him. Will he help?

Not unless you're a disabled Rhino or Tiger, threatened by man. Why are animals more important to him than the disabled. He didn't have to be President of MIND.

My activism against Stephen Fry highlighted a problem. I fell out on Twitter with 2 people.

• Grace @Greyseahorse thought I was being anti-endangered species. I engaged with her and explained my position re the pompous Oxbridge twit and she became a supporter. 
• @CreativeCrip held a different view than me and we fell out (I got un-followed for the first time I know of!!). I am sorry for upsetting her.

I asked MIND how I could mobilise a vote against him through their procedures. The reply is below.
Don't forget, MIND uses workfare as slave labour. MIND reports people to the DWP for not carrying out Workfare. MIND is working with the CONDEM's to reprogramme the disabled. If you read below MIND (a Charity) WILL cut off services to disabled people that lose their funding.

MIND have told me I am the only person to complain about Mr Fry. Their contact details are below. If their attitude is OK then file me in the rebel without a cause box. If you think they are wrong, contact them.

Mt final question.......

Who do these Charities represent?



Some of us have started a "Post Spartacus Blog" link below. Please have a look?

 

Read more: http://nowr.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=charities&thread=12&page=1#ixzz1slYPoy9F

Dear Ian

The appointment of the President is aninternal decision, voted and approved by our board of trustees. It is notsubject to external election or review. Our trustees are elected by our membersand are therefore empowered to make decisions on their behalf.

We have no plans to review the appointment.We would do so if the postholder was not fulfilling the role or we felt theywere bringing our values and organisation into disrepute. This is not the caseat the present time.

Best

Ruth

Ruth Richards
Head of Communications
020 8215 2318
Mind
15-19 Broadway, Stratford,London E15 4BQ
 www.mind.org.uk

---

From:Ian Jones [mailto:ian8jones@me.com]
Sent: 19 April 2012 12:40
To: r.richards@mind.org.uk
Subject: Re: Tweet by MindCharity

Dear Ruth

Can I suggest you consult with Twitter for other negative commentsabout your President. You have not told me the mechanism by which he can beremoved?

Thanks

Ian

Sent from my iPhone

On 19 Apr 2012, at 11:48, r.richards@mind.org.ukwrote:

Dear Ian

Thank you for your message.

I assume you're referring towhether individuals with personal budgets will be able to access services fromMind if this funding is cut? This is complex, as it would depend on what thecontract was to deliver those services and how the costs are covered. Someservices are funded in a way that allows us to offer universal access. Someservices require a referral.

Mind operates a federatedstructure, so each local Mind is an independent charity in its own right. Ifyou want to know the access requirements for their services, you would need tocontact the local Mind involved. They would be able to tell you whether theycould offer the service to someone without a personal budget.

Of course this isn't aperfect situation. We want to see everyone be able to access the support theyneed. We are always working on ways that we can improve access. At a nationallevel we're campaigning hard to see mental health services improve across theboard.

But, being charities, allMinds are reliant on funding. We can only carry out the work we have money for.We work hard to encourage people to donate to us but the reality is, like manysmaller charities, many local Minds are struggling in the current climate.

We'd never want to withdrawa service, but sometimes we don't have a choice.

In response to your secondquery, I'm aware that you have expressed disappointment in our appointment ofStephen Fry as our President. This feedback has been logged. However, we havenot received any other negative comments. In fact, we have received verypositive feedback from members and supporters. So we do not feel we need toreview the arrangement.

The 'President' of Mind is ahonourary post. It's an awareness raising role. We want Stephen to use his publicprofile and popularity to reach out to people who may not know much aboutmental health and helping us challenge the stigma that exists in much of themedia.

This is a very different rolefrom that of our Chair and trustee board who oversee the governance of Mind.They are responsible for ensuring we operate in a way that holds true to ourvalues and that is of maximum benefit to everybody with a mental healthproblem.  

Best wishes

Ruth

RuthRichards
Headof Communications
0208215 2318

Mind
15-19Broadway, Stratford,London E15 4BQ
t: 020 8519 2122
w: www.mind.org.uk
Registered charity number 219830. Registered in Englandnumber 424348.

-----Original Message-----

From: Ian Jones [mailto:ian8jones@me.com]

Sent: 12 April 2012 12:38

To: contact@mind.org.uk

Subject: Tweet by MindCharity

@edwinmandella That isn'twhat we're saying, but it's difficult to answer in 140 characters. Please emailcontact@mind.org.uk.

Hi

A Group of ex-Spartaci areconcerned that the mentally ill/ head injured/ etc are not being properlyrepresented by the Charities that claim to represent us.

As a first stage we arecanvassing major charities to establish their charitable response to usershaving their finding cut off. How would you deal with that situation and wouldyou withdraw services in any circumstance?

I am still awaitinginformation as to whether it is possible to oppose Stephen Fry's position asPresident.

Thank you

Ian Jones

by MindCharity at 12/04/201212:30

(Source: http://twitter.com/MindCharity/status/190401389439102976)

Sent from my iPhone

Disabled Scum: Disability Rights UK - Who Are They?

Do you remember my post "Just who are Disability Rights UK" a couple of weeks ago. Well it seems their Chief Exec Liz Sayce is Maria Miller's apologist in Chief as she has been justifying the decision to close ReEmploy. I have linked to a Blog criticising this shameless betrayal of disabled and I suggest that we all contact this organisation and tell them they do not speak for us! Their phone number is 020 7250 3222.


Disabled Scum: Disability Rights UK - Who Are They?

Thank you, and can you let me know if I need to rename this Blog?

Big day today.

Played Golf with my Father in Law this morning. Unusually, he beat me. However I have an excuse. It was foggy.

So what I hear you say, it's the same for both players?

But it's not for me because without visible reassuring walls to my reality (trees, bunkers, bunny rabbits hopping through the grass, Deer running through the trees! (yes, I do live in a nice place, don't I?)) I begin to lose my reference points which means I begin to lose my ability to balance. I think this is because my balance is "screwed" but I manage to keep myself upright by adjusting my body on feedback from my eyes alone. If you take my eyes out of the equation.......timber! I wonder how that variable condition would be assessed for PIP?


After this morning of benefit scrounging (although I don't get any benefits!!) I went to see a new DEA at Maidenhead Job Centre. I actually felt sorry for the lady because I sat myself down, introduced myself to her, explained that Iain Duncan Fascist and Cripple Killer had said there were lots of jobs for disabled people out there, gave her my cv and told her to find me a job. I agree that maybe I was a touch forceful, but I decided that in the context of this interview I was going to believe all of the lies the Government had been telling.

We then went through everything I had done since coming back from Abu Dhabi in 2008 to find a job and we agreed that I had done everything I had been asked to do, everything suggested to me and more.

We then discussed why I had been unable to find a job despite thousands of applications and nearly a hundred interviews. As regular readers of my blog will know I believe it is because I do not interview well because my disabilities impact upon my ability to present a knowledgeable, sharp, friendly, personable candidate at interview. (and YES, I am all of those things and more (honestly)).

She said 2 things. She wasn't going to find me a job. No shit Sherlock. But, she then said that she was going to talk to somebody and see if there was anything he could suggest to help me relax and make a better impression at interviews.

Four years of signing on (first JSA, then ESA (because being unemployed depresses me)) and this was like a revelation from God. I resisted the temptation to ask why it had taken 4 years to get too this place because this was the first time I had met this particular advisor. SUCCESS. She arranged to call me next week with next steps. Yippee.

AND THEN, I went and spoiled the bloody lot.

I got offered a job! and it's a good job!!

...and I accepted. Start next Monday.

I'll tell you more another time, but what are your views on what I should now call my Blog (or what I should call it after Monday!!).

However, it's 21 years after my car accident and up until the end of last year I thought I was the only person like me and nobody else shared my hopes and fears. The campaign against the WRB has changed that perception and I've made some virtual friends! The point is that although I won't be Tweeting and Blogging whilst at work I will still be actively involved because the WRB IS NOT FAIR.

Now it gets interesting.......

The Home Secretary's response to re IDS's Daily Mail Article