Surprise post

There is a great noise at the door. The post has come. It's not the usual Christmas cards. No this is a large official-looking envelope. The bathroom designs at last, I think. But no, the envelope is stamped "Lancaashire County Council".

I am somewhat bemused to discover it is about the proposed cuts in adult social service provision. It's a consultation document, a questionnaire. I haven't done this sort for work for years.

I used to do quite a lot of such work when we lived in Arnside. I did it on behalf of a local charity representing disabled people. I was even consulted on the green paper for the Disability Discrimination Act. In the process, such consultation gave me stimulation as I challenged some of the suggestions, amusement as I read disabled people had no need of accessible prison vans as they clearly didn't commit crimes, an awareness of what was available to assist disabled people as often I was dealing with questions of benefits & medical provision in the area, a sense of purpose & value as I adjusted to my own disability, a sense of achievement when some battles were won. 

I'm just somewhat surprised to find myself being consulted now, ten years later. I assume it's just because we've made more use of social services this year with the Fox doing his carers' course.

However, having consulted me, the council is in for a shock. They seem to expect you to do a simple tick job on a questionnaire &, looking at the questions it is obvious that will be impossible to me. They lump too many things together. 

I appreciate the council is going to be strapped for cash & need to make savings. But I feel it's one thing to increase the price for the hourly rate of £11 for care services to do essential things such as getting people up, washed, fed & watered, & which incidentally the user is paying almost the full sum already. It's quite another to increase day care services at a centre where apparently you are charged £5 a day which presumably includes a cooked meal, transport there, constant supervision, stimulation to some form of activity, & which is heavily subsidised. The former I wouldn't like to see increase as, over a course a day, it quickly mounts up to a considerable sum, as well as being essential for your well-being. The latter strikes me as a cheap day out if you can afford it & which isn't so essential, though clearly desirable for the sake of morale of the user, & to give hard-pressed unpaid carers some respite. In both cases means testing is essential in that often those with the greatest needs are also those with the least money to pay for the services.

Lancashire County Council had best look out.