Sandwell Council has announced £20m cuts to the Adult Social Care budget over the next 3 yrs. It is trying to achieve these cuts by tendering social care services delivered by the voluntary sector, in order to achieve these cuts services will be delivered at a reduced cost. Ideal for All Trustees believe that Sandwell Council is doing this without consultation or an Equality Impact assessment. We, the undersigned, are concerned residents who urge Sandwell Council to stop the tendering process, engage with disabled people and Ideal for All, the current provider in meaningful consultation under the ‘Duty to Consult’ and explore all options. Thank you in advance for supporting our campaign your support shows people believe in the user-led ethos and the equality it can bring. We would like as many people as possible to sign this petition, but the more Sandwell residents that support this campaign the greater the chance of bringing this blatant disregard for peoples choice to the attention of Council officers. Ideal for All in Sandwell, West Midlands, is one of the country’s finest examples of what can be achieved when disabled people are supported to lead their organisations and empowered to decide how they want to live their lives. As one of our valued members, Disability Rights UK supports this petition and asks all its members to support Ideal for All - Sue Bott, Disability Rights UK Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Article 19 - Living independently and being included in the community   States Parties to the present Convention recognize the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others, and shall take effective and appropriate measures to facilitate full enjoyment by persons with disabilities of this right and their full inclusion and participation in the community, including by ensuring that: a) Persons with disabilities have the opportunity to choose their place of residence and where and with whom they live on an equal basis with others and are not obliged to live in a particular living arrangement; b) Persons with disabilities have access to a range of in-home, residential and other community support services, including personal assistance necessary to support living and inclusion in the community, and to prevent isolation or segregation from the community; c) Community services and facilities for the general population are available on an equal basis to persons with disabilities and are responsive to their needs. Department of Health Choice, control and freedom for all disabled people Independent Living is defined by the Disability Rights Commission as referring to: “all disabled people having the same choice, control and freedom as any other citizen – at home, at work, and as members of the community. This does not necessarily mean disabled people ‘doing everything for themselves’, but it does mean that any practical assistance people need should be based on their own choices and aspirations”. The importance of Independent Living spans the full range of life experiences faced by disabled people, from early years and transition to adulthood, through to adult life and employment, extending into old age. User-led organisations User-led organisations are local organisations, run and controlled by disabled people with the aim of promoting independent living through their activities.
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Read more about Ideal For All, Sandwell Council, UN Disability Rights Convention