Who we are
We are a coalition of disabled people's organisations, grassroots groups and individuals, including PA employers, social care users, unpaid carers and professionals.We have decided to work collectively to come up with a practical plan to achieve our shared aim of justice in social care and fully realised Indpendent Living.We believe that the work we have all done separately can be combined to create an actionable roadmap for change.
Our mission
Our coalition aims to create a strategic roadmap - with short, medium, and long-term goals. We want to radically transform the provision of social care, support, and assistance. This will deinstitutionalise and bring equity through independent living in the community for everyone, in line with the UNCRDP.
Our strategic goals
Short term - Redesigning the system
In the short term, we'll focus on changing the way social care operates to better understand and meet the true needs of those who rely on it. This involves empowering individuals who draw on social care, support and assistance including unpaid carers, to define their own needs and priorities. This will mean reallocating current budgets more effectively, and ending wasteful spending.This new way of operating will also identify the extra investment needed to remove barriers to independent living, by revealing unmet needs, and co-producing solutions with those with lived experience. The goal is to move away from crisis-led decisions and create a system that genuinely supports people in living their best lives in the ways they choose.A review of care charging will happen in this phase to reduce hardship in the short term.
Medium term - Changing the public and political narrative
As we move into the medium term, we'll begin implementing these changes gradually, with a focus on shifting power from budget holders to the individuals who draw on social care, support and assistance, including unpaid carers. The new system will be guided by the real needs of people, improving transitions between services, ending the postcode lottery, and fostering collaboration between public services.With unmet need fully acknowledged and public perception of social care improving, greater pressure will be placed on the government to invest more and make social care more accessible. This will amount to 'progressive realision' of the resources for Independent Living according to the United Nations.Progress will be carefully monitored and independently assessed to ensure we stay on track.
Long Term - Fully Realising Independent Living
We will have a system funded sufficiently to support people to achieve Independent Living. This means living in the place they call home, with the people and things they love, in communities where people look out for one another, doing the things that matter to them.Social care, support and assistance will be free at the point of need. Integration with other public services will be seamless.A review of any remaining legislative barriers will be undertaken.The vision is to create a system where Independent Living is the norm, with the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (UNCRDP) fully enshrined and upheld.
Accessibility
We are a volunteer led initiative with a majority of disabled people. We have no funding and limited shared resources.
Meetings
Our working meetings all use Zoom auto captioning. BSL interpretation we can provided upon request with a minimum of two weeks notice to book interpreters.
Easy Read
We want to be able to provide Easy Read versions of all our agreed documents, but this will take time. You can download what is currently available in Easy Read by clicking the buttons below.
Get involved
We meet regularly via Zoom to work together. Having agreed our mission and shared strategic goals, we are now in the process of populating the roadmap in more detail. You are welcome to join.If you want to be sent meeting invitations and kept informed on our progress, please fill out the sign up form below.We will never sell your data and we promise to keep your details and information safe and secure. You can change your mind and unsubscribe at any time by emailing [email protected]
