I thought people would be interested in this posting by me to the Clin Division membership. Apologies to those who have already seen it. What/where is the critical response to Winterbourne? and the Concordat?
Richard
Yesterday in parliament the government released its response to the report into the Winterbourne View Scandal, seehttp://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2012/december/statement-on-final-report-into-winterbourne-view/ The BPS Press Release can be found at http://www.bps.org.uk/news/winterbourne-view-review-society-signs-joint-concordat
Below is a commentary from Alick Bush and links to helpful copy from yesterdays Guardian newspaper.
Alick and the DCP Faculty for Learning Disabilities have played an important role in shaping the governments response. As Alick says, this work has a much wider relevance beyond Learning Disability. Too many vulnerable children and adults across many care groups are still being placed far away from their own communities. In these austerity driven times we not only need to be strengthening our work at an individual level but also stepping up politically to constructively challenge commissioners, support whistle blowing and effective safeguarding procedures and help eradicate the still widespread misuse of physical and chemical restraints. We should be taking a leading role in supporting risk assessment and management structures on the ground. Commissioners regulators and politicians need our help to use scarce resources more wisely and thereby reduce the frequency of this all too familiar pattern of local failure, institutionalised care, abuse and scandalous neglect .
The DCP is currently reviewing its structures to look at how in these challenging times we can increase support for members and our professional clout. The Faculty for Learning Disabilities work around Winterbourne and their leading role in England in the establishment of the Learning Disability Professional Senate models some of the way forward.
Richard Pemberton
DCP Chair
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/dec/10/winterbourne-view-scandal-care-guidelines
On Monday 10 December the Department of Health published its review into the scandalous abuse at Winterbourne View. The abuse only came to light when the undercover investigation was broadcast by Panorama in May 2011- complaints about situation had been unheeded by the hospital managers and CQC. The report highlights the inappropriate and excessive use of physical interventions, reliance on psychotropic medication instead of Positive Behavioural Support, lack of staff training and support, and the poor governance arrangements at the hospital.
Although this abuse took place in a hospital for adults who have learning disabilities and the resultant action plan is targeted at these services, the lessons from Winterbourne View should be heeded by all psychologists who support vulnerable service users and especially those who work with older adults and young people whose behaviour is very challenging. Many of the victims at Winterbourne View started their ‘careers’ in segregated challenging behaviour services as teenagers in residential special schools as a consequence of the failure of the local Learning Disability CAMHS services to support them close to home.
The DH recommendations and action plan are underpinned by a concordat that has been signed by all the statutory, voluntary and independent sector organisations that have a role in supporting adults who have a learning disability. The DCP and Faculty for Learning Disabilities have had a significant role in the development of the action plan and the concordat and will continue to be closely involved in the leadership of its implementation and monitoring. The review and concordat are available fromhttp://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/12/final-winterbourne/ Under the Minister for Care and Support, Norman Lamb, the DH has given the Learning Disability Programme Board the task of overseeing the implementation of the actions. Until recently the LDPB did not have any representation from clinicians. However, Dr Alick Bush, Policy Lead for the DCP Faculty for Learning Disabilities has been nominated from across all the professional bodies (BPS LD Faculty, RCPsych LD Faculty, RCS<, RCN, COT, COSW, RCGP, CSP) to represent them. The Learning Disability Professional Senate has been established to provide a collective voice for the professional bodies, and to work with parent carer and self-advocacy organisations to ensure that the agreed actions happen and we are not faced with another similar scandal in a few years’ time.
Members of the DCP who work with adults who have learning disabilities will have an important part to play in making the action plan a reality. Psychologists need to be involved in ensuring that services assess all people with learning disabilities or autism who have mental health conditions or show behaviour that challenges services who are in NHS-funded care. There is a tight timetable to complete these assessments by June 2013 and to have put these plans into action by June 2014, so that they receive appropriate support in community settings. This will require the development of locally agreed joint plans for high quality care and support that accords with the model of care described by the Mansell Report and Challenging Behaviour: A Unified Approach.
We have made a commitment to provide the leadership to promote training in, and appropriate implementation of, Positive Behavioural Support across the full range of care settings.