CONSULTATION RIGHTS & PCT ROLE AT CROW RECYCLING IN COVENTRY

In addition to campaigning against the exploitation of Surrey & Borders Partnership NHS Trust's disabled garden centre workers we have been following similar eventsin Coventry where disabled workers in various work schemes therehavehad their £3 a day payments cut and are now expected to work for nothing. As the Coventry and Surrey issues are clearly related Paul, who is based in the Midlands is doing some excellent follow-up work and keeping us posted.


To The Coventry Council OSC Officer Jonathon Jardine & Andy Bennett PCT Commsioner


CONSULTATION RIGHTS & PCT ROLE AT CROW RECYCLING


Dear Jonathon

Thankyou for your attention , reference my phone call to you today .

I do think it is a good idea to raise several matters with the Chair Of The OSC as you have suggested .

I would like to know whether or not the local PCT has any input into CROW Recycling and what the nature of that is ... I can ofcourse seperately ask them and so I will for ease include Andy Bennet NHS PCT Commisioner for Learning Disabilities into this email . Perhaps it a good idea to join everyone together like this because Andy is on a Partnership Board with Social Care according to documents I have seen.

There is another point here that according to Lynda , Section 11 rights of consultation does not apply to the Learning Disability Users of Social Care at CROW recycling works. Section 11 gives the right of "evidenced" consultation where it applies . Where social care services form contracts with the NHS within an overall section 31 agreement with the NHS which seconds them under the section 31 agreement there is a duty I would argue to Sect 11. consult where there is a variance of service . Having £3 a day taken away from Users is a significant variance for those affected.

From what Lynda states though Section 11 does not apply . Apparently there is no section 31 agreement existing in Coventry between NHS and Social Care Services Perhaps we can confirm that also with your help . As you know in other parts of the country Sect 31 agreements between Councils and Local Health Care has happened ..

However consultation of a high standard on an important set of Issues affecting vulnerable Users at CROW should be seen to be done ..

According to information I have received :


The time line for consulting CROW Service Users was :

24th Oct Letter received from Senior Learning Disablities Manager (Mark Godfrey) about Council intention to "modernise" etc

Service Users at CROW got it on the 26th

A meeting for Parents & Carers of Service Users at CROW was arranged then on the 27th

By the 31st Oct the Full Cabinet met to put through their proposals for cuts to the £3 a day payments

The feeling was that it was all pretty rushed ...

In fact that was about 5 working days and a weekend .... That is not good at all ..


I want to make this very concerned observation that vulnerable Service Users need time to take in their rights and a longer time to reflect on them. They are not as articulate as Social Care Officers or high powered Councillors. Social Care Services and the Council really should be less rushed to make determinations that appear to be systemically driven which alter levels of support without looking at individual impact on Service Users like those with learning disability .


Regards


Paul Brian Tovey

Independent Monitor Mental Health Matters