Yet Again

This twitter thread by NAS was posted 19 hours ago. I agree with Richard Mills' reply: 

@Autism
1/4 This must lead to real change for autistic people. No-one should have to face being stuck in inappropriate care, with traumatic and unnecessary seclusion, restraint and over-medication

2/4 But this won't happen unless without changing funding arrangements
[The Health Secretary has ordered the CQC to launch an in-depth review of ATUs,
reports the Mail:
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6…]

3/4 This means finding a new way to put the millions spent on the wrong type of care into the right community services so people can live close to their family and friends

4/4 We wrote to the Health Secretary two weeks ago to encourage him to visit one of these units unannounced. He needs to see first-hand the reality of the care being offered to some of the most vulnerable people in society

@RichardMills18                                                                                                                      
1/1 Sorry but this needs to go much much further. Must now be an aggressive, sustained campaign by the #NAS and other #autism and #LearningDisability organisations to stop these practices. Fudged after #WinterbourneView - no more 'reviews' and 'concordats'

Yes.  Sadly, as with so many issues, we hear that same litany - time after time - that drastic change is needed.  And the more things change, the more they seem to stay the same.  There's a kind of 'out of sight, out of mind' mentality behind it.

The care sector in general needs so much attention, so much change.  In my 14 years, I've seen some appalling standards in some places.  Better in charities, not so good in private companies.  It's appallingly paid work, with disproportionate amounts of responsibility, and hugely stressful.  The reason I'm currently off is because of the stress.  I'm going back on Thursday, but am already filled with dread.  And though I hate to say it, it has to be said.  All the while the pay is so bad, it's going to attract people who aren't always best suited to the work.  Standards need to be much more rigorous - such as they are in countries like Canada. 

But we don't produce a profit, do we.  It makes me wonder just how committed we are as a society to humanitarian aims.  How much we really 'care'.  How civilised we really are.

So true Tom. Years ago I was involved in social care policy meetings. I said there was a simple way to improve standards of care. People looked interested until I said staff pay needed to be increased to recruit and retain the right workers.

I know from experience care work is incredibly complex and demanding. You have to use your self as well as doing physical tasks. That's why it can become so exhausting.

Terms and conditions of employment need to be improved across the care sector. It attracts some people who really do care, and provide excellent support, but they are often not appropriately valued or rewarded, and their wellbeing is put at risk. 

So true Tom. Years ago I was involved in social care policy meetings. I said there was a simple way to improve standards of care. People looked interested until I said staff pay needed to be increased to recruit and retain the right workers.

I know from experience care work is incredibly complex and demanding. You have to use your self as well as doing physical tasks. That's why it can become so exhausting.

Terms and conditions of employment need to be improved across the care sector. It attracts some people who really do care, and provide excellent support, but they are often not appropriately valued or rewarded, and their wellbeing is put at risk. 

This job suits me in so many ways.  The right number of hours, enough pay, no changing shift patterns.  And they're clearly going to offer support to me.  It's as good as I can expect.  But I just find the work so exhausting and I don't know how much longer I can carry on with it.  I don't want to take more time off work sick because the longer you take, the worse it looks.  And the harder it is to return.  All I can do, though, is go back and see how it goes.  I don't have much choice.  I don't want to end up on sickness benefits again - even though I can manage on them.  It's just the whole system of it. 

As I say... how much, as a society, do we really care?