I have just printed off the easy read version of the government consulation on 'Changing Disability Living Allowance'.
The government site is below.. and sorry I can't do a direct link. I have been shown how to, several times, but always forget :<(
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2010/dla-reform.shtml
I do intend to respond and am grateful that the cut off date is February because I am in no fit state to respond right now.
Am going to attempt to play at normal human (best as) because it is my daughter's birthday tomorrow and our quality time to 'celebrate' is later today. Fekk, it is so hard to keep up with the jollies.
Wish I was more 'Grace under pressure' than her ugly sister 'Ava panic stricken'.
Anyway, before I take another benzo and hope I settle...I can't help wondering if it is all just a faitez complis. That could have wider meaning than specifically talking about this consultation.
Because I have believed that it is worth people having their say and being given opportunities to have their say, I have been involved in consultations before.
Biggest one..in regards to personal involvement was the Herts and Beds 'Investing in Your Mental Health' consultation that took place a few years back. As a service user rep (and I look back on that time as a total waste of my time) I was involved in meeting with other MH service users and gauging their views on the consultation paper, what it meant to them and what they actually wanted.
In the May, the SU group was given the deadline end of September to get views back. So all through the summer myself, and 2 other reps, organised meetings across the county. It wasn't the easiest of things to be involved in (my travel phobia meant I had to be escorted) but by early September all the meetings had been carried out. Due to some management issues and my desire to do things fairly, I ended up typing the response, getting coppies back to the people we met and other SU reps..to ensure I hadn't missed anything and was staying true to what people had said.
The response did get back to the Strategic Health Authority in time. I later presented the responses at a mini conference type thing. Not only do I hate public speaking but loathe it with a passion but, as ever, no one else wanted to or was available.
What were the actual outcomes of the consultation? 'Investing in Your Mental Health' ...as a project..was scrapped...the project lead (head of MH in Strategic Health Authority) moved sideways and it was never heard of again. Apart from me saying what a criminal waste of time it was..particularly for those of us who took it seriously.
I can't help thinking "Here we go again". There is no such thing as democracy and what point actually raising concerns when the decisions have already been made?
Gonna put the paperwork to one side and rethink this. My expectations have been raised in the past, I have believed in democracy and, ultimately, been lied to and totally disillusioned. :<(
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I recently asked Paul Farmer , Director of Mind why service users , who he claims to represent, weren't kept aware of his organisation's underhand dealings with Government and the likes of ATOS . He rambled on about economic realities, the difficulty of communicating with service users and commercial confidentiality .
ReplyDeleteThere's something deeply morally repugnant about mental health charity Directors like Paul Farmer and Andrew McCulloch leading lives of affluent businessmen dring a recession for betraying the very people they claim to represent.
Mental health service users should start boycotting service providers like Mind and insist on services being provided by unconflicted and professionally accountable orgs and individuals .