Sense response to the publication of the Care Bill
10 May 2013
National deafblind charity Sense today (10 May) responded to the publication of the Care Bill. Sense Head of Public Policy and Vice Chair of the Care and Support Alliance, Sue Brown, said:
"The publication of today’s Bill is a welcome step forward in starting to address some of the huge challenges the social care system faces. In particular, we welcome the Bill’s greater emphasis on promoting an individual’s wellbeing. We hope this expanded definition of wellbeing since the Draft Bill – including physical and mental health as well as being able to make a contribution to society - will help deafblind people to live fulfilling lives as active members of society.
"Sense is also hopeful that the Bill will mean the current provisions of the Deafblind Guidance will be kept. This means that local authorities will have to carry out assessments by someone who has expertise in the needs of deafblind people. Our report last year showed that nearly half of people (49 per cent) were still trying to get a specialist assessment or had not found it easy to receive one. We hope that the Bill will remove these unacceptable barriers and enable deafblind people to receive the assessment and support they may be legally entitled to.
"It is clear that to solve the social care crisis, there also needs to be much greater funding of social care. Without increased funding, we would question how far the reforms in this Bill will be realised."
For a personal account of the difficulties faced by a deafblind person in accessing care and support, please read a blog by Katie Vecina here.
You can view the Care Bill documents on Parliament website.
Media enquiries
For media enquiries please contact the Sense press office on 0845 127 0060.
Notes to editors
Sense is a national charity that has supported and campaigned for children and adults who are deafblind for over 50 years. There are currently around 250,000 deafblind people in the UK.
Sense provides specialist information, advice and services to deafblind people, their families, carers and the professionals who work with them. We run services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and employ 2,000 people most of whom work in services directly with deafblind people. Our patron is HRH The Princess Royal.
Deafblindness is a combination of both sight and hearing difficulties. Some of these people are completely deaf and blind, but others have some remaining use of one or both senses.
Causes of deafblindness include premature birth and exposure to rubella during pregnancy, which can cause babies to be born deafblind. Sense therefore supports MMR which has proven to be the most effective vaccination programme against rubella. Some genetic conditions such as Usher syndrome can also result in deafblindness. People can also become deafblind at any time through illness, accident or in older age.