Our meeting in the Palace of Westminster on 18 November 2024, faciliated by John McDonell, was attended by 30 activists with ten contributions, both live and on video, across the whole spectrum of social care.
There was significant interest from MPs and Peers but not as many attended as we hoped. However it was great to have Lord Prem Sikka, Baroness Ruth Lister and MP Rupa Huq there for much of the meeting and appearances from Adrian Ramsey, co-leader of the Greens, Seamus Logan, SNP lead on Social Care and others.
Contributors
Gordon Peters presented ESCaD’s platform and suggested some intermediate demands.
Brian Fisher argued that a radical transformation of Social Care is both affordable and necessary.
Lord Prem Sikka made a powerful case against private provision, highlighting large care home providers making 40% profits and many being forcibly closed by the CQC.
Rachael Tomlinson, East Yorkshiredisability activist and advocate living with MS, talked about the day to day struggle of disabled people – almost a third of whom are also carers – just to get vital support and suggested that it is now about SURVIVE or DIE!
Helen Rowlands, North WestDisability activist and researcher,highlighted the impact of rising care charges and the huge numbers of disabled people subject to Local Authority debt recovery action.
Jo Walton, full time family carer from West Yorkshire, talked about the fight not only to get support for oneself and the person you are caring for but to be heard and recognised as a partner in planning. She argued for caring to be recognised as a protected characteristic under the Human Rights Act and warned carers won’t be silent any longer!
Anna Rose talked movingly about how her adult disabled son, Marcus, died in a residential home through what the Coroner described as “a gross failure of care and neglect” and her efforts to get responsibility assigned in order to protect others. INQUEST staff said they knew of 18 similar cases and many more deaths in “care” from other causes.
Steve North, President of Unison, Secretary of Salford Branch and ex care worker talked about tackling the poor pay and conditions of care workers, particularly in the private sector and called for the delivery of a democratic, not for profit, non-hierarchical, national care and support service where people who work in in the service and those in receipt of support have a real voice and the exploitation of staff is ended.
Sybil Nandi Msezane, senior care worker from the Pan African Workers Association, noted that care workers from abroad are being conned into paying vast sums for a certificate of sponsorship before coming to the UK, promised work or accommodation that doesn’t exist and no longer allowed to bring their children. They daren’t speak up about mal-practice at work for fear of losing their job as if they can’t find alternative employment within 60 days they risk being deported.
John McDonnell called for maximising cross party, cross campaigns and grassroots pressure for change.
Shared themes included
- Take profit out of care; it distorts priorities
- Co –production is vital in planning services and building inclusive communities
- End drift. The need for a National Care, Support Independent Living service is URGENT.
- Immediate action is needed to address current injustices regarding care charging, benefits, access to – not pressure into – paid work, an end to unnecessary, demeaning re-assessments etc.
You can see the three video contributions here:
Rachael Tomlinson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtFAcgWliIc
Jo Walton: https://youtu.be/K8fKhFx37Jk
SteveNorth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE7oYIe6YHk
Outcomes from the Meeting
- We are now in touch with more interested MPs and Peers.As the short videos had a big impact we are planning to produce a series of 2 minute videos marrying personal stories with political punch and circulate these to a wide range of politicians and others, accompanied by short briefings.
- At the next Trade Union Group meeting we are hoping to talk with care workers from the Pan African Workers Association about action needed to end the exploitation of care workers from abroad. You are very welcome to join us. (See below)
- We have also submitted a response to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s call for evidence regarding the cost of inaction on social care reform, as well as a response to the Change NHS consultation.
