Each care organisation hates it if any if their own service users even think.of turning to other companies for activities. I found this through experience. It shouldn’t be a huge deal, if, for example, an autistic person seeks out an activity centre, if the person feels like the service they use isn’t enough for their own wellbeing. Also, so what if someone living in supported living accommodation chooses to make friends at other places than their accommodation? I’ve never understood why care charities take such insult at these basic things. What’s the problem exactly? And we don’t always need a care worker or a support worker constantly following us wherever we go
That’s a privacy invasion and a breach on our human rights. I say this as an autistic person who lives in a supported-living flat. And why take offence if we want to make friends at other places anyway? It’s so flipping annoying. I think health and social care need to separate from each other again, now. It’s all becoming very confusing. It’s not for the greater good. And people with learning disabilities such as myself, shouldn’t be feeling harassed. We don’t need keeping an eye on. Some do, but are allowed to get away with murder, for some strange reason.

They issue these edicts but they have no clue, or do not wish to have a clue.

The Care Act 2014 was a start, but only a start and as we see Local Authorities are just ignoring it as they know, they will hardly ever be brought to account.

Yes, you can complain and maybe the complaint will be upheld, but will there be any alterations to improve, I fear not. There are Judicial Reviews but try to get a Solicitor to take one on is virtually impossible, especially on a no win, no fee basis, as to get Legal Aid is an impossibility, again down to the Government making it harder.

Local Authorities also have problems, especially with finance again down to this Government and previous Tory Governments with their austerity cuts, so much of the problems emanate from the Government, yes, the same Government who are making all the noises about non-compliance with the Care Act. Surely they should be complaining to themselves, especially to the Department of Health and Social Care, which is only connected to social care in the title for they do little else for Social Care.

They do provide some funding for the NHS, but perhaps not enough, but funding for Social Care is virtually non-existent, it is so little to have no real value.

This Government as no ‘Duty of Care’ for Social Care, which is also borne out by this disgrace of a welfare system, where benefits such as PIP. ESA and UC are so difficult to obtain, especially from the assessment process which is so much against claimants.

This Government needs to change for if it does not there will be no credible Social Care to speak of.

The complaints system has been utterly discredited by the ombudsman’s statistics in the adult social care world as to how many complaints ultimately require to be upheld.

Of course the DHSC doesn’t want an appeal system or a tribunal. But when Middle England, needing to start progressing towards the cap on care costs, is told ‘No you’re not eligible’ or ‘This titchy notional budget will have to do – that’s your lot’ – Middle England will be off to High Street solicitors who will have to learn about community care law for the first time ever. That is when the sticky stuff will really fly.

Without the bureaucratic protection of the European Commission on the use of Public Procure Procedures and the short sightedness of personalisation most councils will fail to satisfy their own Standing Orders let alone the so called spirit of the Care Act.

All contracts let by way of a restricted procure procedure do not and will not work. Procure procedures for Category B services are not designed for this. Category A procedure is off limits. As has been the case for too long defining what a relevant market actually is hasn’t happened or rather the OFT have to but no one gives a…

Competition and competitive process in Social Work and Social Care will bury the services. The experiment is over, surely?