An interesting article by Patrick Diamond of the newish Equality and Human Rights Commission, the new generic body that has taken on overseeing action on race, gender, disability and other equalities (in a pamphlet about equality, diversity and localism). The argument is that equality is promoted by developing a strong sense of belonging in a local community. Other articles about the role of local authorities in promoting equality, for example in child care services and other services that aim at social wellbeing, argue that equality stems from commitment to a diverse local environment.

Solace: the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives http://www.solace.org.uk/index.htm

Equality and Human Rights Commission: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/Pages/default.aspx)

Diamond, P. (2008) How ‘place’ shapes equality and equality shapes ‘place’. in de Groot, L and Mason, A. (eds) How Equality Shapes Place: Divesity and Localism. London: Solace Foundation.

Because I’ve been away on holiday and this blog is not published outside the Hospice yet, I have not been posting daily, but now I’m posting the backlog.

Pics of the St Christopher’s building works, in solidarity with colleagues who are working in difficult conditions, so that things can be better in the future.

Crossed off the map (another area of the hospice inaccessible):

Seeing a boss’s biography at a conference organised by Counsel and Care for… (it used to be for elderly people, but now it’s got an inclusive logo (in four colours, pretty but expensive to keep reprinting if you run short of money) and a longer strap line of people that it’s for, but to you and me it’s still older people. But I see that Stephan Burke, who I’ve not come across before, its chief executive, is proud of his 25-year career in ‘public relations, journalism and fundraising’. Just the guy with expertise to run an organisation concerned about older people. But he’s probably been good for the logo.

No disrespect to Stephen, who also has political and management roots, but it’s a sad commentary on services for all sorts of people excluded from our society in poverty, as many older people are, that the best person an organisation can find to lead them is a public relations consultant. Of course, it might just mean that people who really have the expertise to help older people are getting on with doing the job, but I suspect its another commentary on our media-obsessed age that any organisation thinks it needs a public relations man rather than someone who can do the job. And I suspect also that it will in the end lead to disillusion with voluntary and social care organisations in the same way that Blair and Cameron discredit politics, people will see it as all smoothies feathering the duvet for their next job, instead of really being committed to people and their needs. I exclude Gordon Brown from that comment. For obvious reasons.

Still it won’t put me off Counsel and Care’s very good public information leaflets: http://www.counselandcare.org.uk/ Their care homes guide is specially good: http://www.counselandcare.org.uk/helping-you/careguides/

Because I’ve been away on holiday and this blog is not published outside the Hospice yet, I have not been posting daily, but now I’m posting the backlog.

Pics of the St Christopher’s building works, in solidarity with colleagues who are working in difficult conditions, so that things can be better in the future.

The way through the woods (another pacth to the gardens cut off):

A resource document that tells you about community care, continuing care and their interaction with palliative care. It says the present systems are unsustainable and the system is not working well. there are also links to further information.

Community care, continuing care and palliative care

Pics of the St Christopher’s building works, in solidarity with colleagues who are working in difficult conditions, so that things can be better in the future.

The bowels of St C (the main corridor is closed and we have to pass through a basement corridor from one side of the building to the other, but as the previous photo showed only staff can go that way – everyone else has to go out onto the road):

The 2007 palliative care statistics for children and young people identify a high level of social care need:

1.5 Need for social care
Each of the conditions in the list of causes of death likely to have required palliative care was assigned to one of two categories: those requiring access to health services only and those requiring access to social services. Using the mortality data for 2005, 63% of deaths in the 0-19 age group from causes likely to have required palliative care had a need for access to social care. This means that of the estimated 18,000 children and young people with palliative care needs, 11,000 are estimated to have a need for social care.

I wonder what the requirements are for adult social care need? If they are as high (why wouldn’t they be?) perhaps we need a whole lot more social care provision targeted at dying people, and social care issues need to be more strongly represented in palliative care services.

Cochrane, H., Liyanage, S. and Nantambi, R. (2007) Palliative Care Statistics for Children and Young Adults: Health and Care Partnerships Analysis. London: Department of Health.

Because I’ve been away on holiday and this blog is not published outside the Hospice yet, I have not been posting daily, but now I’m posting the backlog.

Pics of the St Christopher’s building works, in solidarity with colleagues who are working in difficult conditions, so that things can be better in the future. Privilege (only staff may go there, but is it really a privildege – see the next post with a photo).

Povertynet is a useful website, with loads of information, and a good section on health inequalities.