Councils regularly assess people with sight loss without proper consideration of their needs. Access to care is becoming ever more restricted.
Over the last few years pressure has been building for the Government to take action and reform a social care system in crisis.
Government publishes a White Paper and backs registers
11 July 2012
On 11 July, the Government responded to demands to reform the social care system by publishing a white paper setting out their intentions for the future of Social Care in England and a draft bill. Whilst this means further delays to the changes that urgently need to happen, it marks an important step forward.
Alongside the bill, the Government also agreed that "local authorities should be required to establish and maintain a register of blind and partially sighted people". This a great success and one we campaigned for as the removal of registers would have been a backward step in making sure people have accesss to the services they are entitled to and need.
The Care in Crisis lobby
6 March 2012
On 6 March RNIB joined with 50 other charities as hundreds of disabled and older people lobbied their MPs in Parliament to urge changes in the way social care is delivered.
We wanted Care Services Minister, Paul Burstow MP, to commit to publishing a comprehensive White Paper and Social Care Bill at the earliest opportunity.