Enable Scotland submitted this statement in response to public criticism in Dumfries and Galloway
Posted: December 18th, 2009 | Author: DGPPG | Filed under: News | Tags: Activity Resource Centres (ARCs), Dumfries and Galloway ARCs, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Enable Scotland, participationComments: 1 - Leave your feedback, post a comment here »
ENABLE Scotland made this statement today at the invitation of DGPPG about changes to day services in Dumfries and Galloway, in reply to public criticism.
- We are an independent charity, run by our voluntary members. Neither Dumfries and Galloway Council, nor any other public body has any say over our governance or our position on issues affecting people with learning disabilities.
- We categorically oppose any cuts to spending on support for people with learning disabilities. When efficiency savings are made, these should be re-invested in supporting people with learning disabilities. We do not run ARCs and have no power to close them.
People with learning disabilities should be consulted and involved
- We want the best possible support with a range of meaningful options. People with learning disabilities and their families need information on what is possible and what might work best in their community. This is particularly important in Dumfries and Galloway where our members have told us that communication with people has been poor up until now.
- To this end we will continue to inform them, local authorities and health services and encourage the sharing of experience from different parts of the UK.
End of statement. 18-Dec at 12:52
Leave your feedback, post a comment here »
I note this statement, which has been posted on the DGPPG www site and also read it when first received. Like others my comment is that what it says is fair enough, very fine sounding words, but Enable Scotland (unlike the wholly seperate local Branches who raise their own funds) is not actually supporting the service users and families, as seen by the recent and ongoing events, about which Enable Scotland did nothing but make matters worse.
We all continue to ask why Enable is unable to say unequivocally that if a service like the ARCs is what those using it want, then Enable fully supports those who wish to exercise that choice. The general belief is the leadership at Enable don’t really want ‘buildings – based services’, for whatever reasons they won’t say or explain, but are very keen to support the latest fashion from political leaders, because we presume that is what attracts the big funds and prestige. It is only the local branches who have any real concern for the welfare of the individual and family, being ‘hands on’ real volunteers, whilst the national charity is no longer interested in real people, only campaigning as part of the ‘great and the good’ seeking praise and honours as an ever larger organisation.
That may not be true but it’s the perception. As exemplified by Mr Dunning’s approach and the attitude and invisibility of Alec Russell National Chair, whilst the ARC furore raged in and around his home town of Castle Douglas and Enable Scotland poured petrol on the flames at Easterbrook Hall on 30-Nov with scaremongering and misleading literature, text which the Council say they wanted changed, but Enable would not.
Enable Scotland appears more interested on promoting itself rather than doing proper good works supporting real learning disabled people and their families, just as in 2006 about Dunmuir Park. Perhaps Enable Scotland would note and circulate these comments to all your Trustees and Scottish Council. Enable Scotland is now very unpopular with many carers, especially after Mr Russell’s ‘Lifelong Carers’ campaign that many see as wasting money that could be used on the front line. Those used in that TV campaign actually thought the Lottery funds attracted by emotional appeal were going to be used for direct help, not create more ‘non jobs’ and ‘managers’.
It’s ironic, but something Enable Scotland might not want to consider, that carers were already planning for their future, they actually know how to! They wanted to use excellent shared homes like Dunmuir Park and thought that was the future, somewhere their much loved children knew and felt safe with their friends in the locality. But what did Enable Scotland then do? Support closure, just as now with the ARCs. But a few years later you set up more bureaucracy employing people to help ‘plan’ for a future you wanted to restrict. How perverse is that. You do not listen to what people want, just assume you know best and can tell them. You are now needlessly replicating excellent work already very well done by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. As many carers say, Enable Scotland treat us as though we are ‘learning disabled’. But working at the individual level is not exciting, high profile and fashionable. We do not believe Enable Scotland is supportive in any way, being as bad at ‘listening’, as Dumfries and Galloway Council officers. You also waste donations given in ignorance of what actually goes on.
Both D&G Council and Enable Scotland wish to pursue a particular agenda and vision, not accepting there may be equally valid, let alone better, alternatives. What does your Council think of such criticism as this and the upset Enable Scotland has created around Dumfries and Galloway, which no amount of spin and adjusted feedback can erase? I would welcome feedback comments from others who may have a similar or different perspective. Thank you. A carer very dissapointed in what Enable has turned into.