Creating a fairer Britain
For millions today and many millions more in the future, only effective care and support has the power to translate that right from an aspiration into an everyday reality.
Effective social care is central to the Commission's vision of delivering equality and human rights. We believe that the Government must consider modernising the basic approach to care and support to achieve three key aims:
Care and support has the potential to become a springboard, not simply a safety net, focused on helping people to maximise control over their own lives, to make social and economic contributions and to stay safe and well. The benefits of this approach will accrue to society as a whole.
The Commission published a report addressing these issues, entitled From safety net to springboard: A new approach to care and support for all based on equality and human rights. This report concerns the future of care and support and the role it can play in promoting human rights, equality and good relations. It has been published in order to influence thinking on the future of care and support in England and it sets out the actions the Commission itself will take to help make its vision for care and support a reality.
Our work following that report has included examination of key related issues for both providers and users of social care; access to Personalisation and access to Advocacy. We have carried out extensive research and survey work in these areas and produced the reports listed below along with a short 'key Messsages' paper linking their themes and drawing conclusions about Personalisation generally.
We have carried out an Inquiry into the protection and promotion of human rights of older people in England who require or receive home-based care and support. This was launched in November 2010. The final report was published in November 2011. Find out more about the Inquiry.
This paper considers the perspectives and experiences of older lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people and highlights the reasons why we should pay particular attention to their situation as users of health and social care.
> Download: Don’t look back? Improving health and social care service delivery for older LGB users (Pdf)
The Government published its proposals in a Green Paper on care and support in spring 2009. The Commission submitted it's formal response to the 'Shaping the Future of Care Together' - Adult Social Care consultation in November 2009.
> Download the Commission's full response.
> Download our response (Word 74kb) to the Care Quality Commission reviews in 2009/10 Consultation, March 2009
> Read the presentation to Guardian/ADASS National Commissioning Conference, Birmingham, 22-23 June 2009, given by Gerry Zarb, the Commission's Head of Health and Social Care.
Human rights are based on core principles like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and autonomy. They help you to flourish and fulfil your potential through:
Human rights toolkit for advocates
Action for Advocacy, the independent advocacy organisation has developed a toolkit based on an initial series of Commission-funded training days to advocates across England and Wales. The toolkit is a resource to promote further thinking and better use of resources that can support advocates to use human rights in their advocacy work. The training and supporting material was developed with thanks to and support from a range of advocacy organisations and key contacts; British Institute of Human Rights, Older People's Advocacy Alliance, British Institute of Learning Disabilities and Mind.
The equality duty section provides details of the duties and responsibilities of public authorities in Britain. It covers the specifics of statutory equality duties and the implications of the Human Rights Act 1998 for all public sector organisations.