With councils hamstrung by cuts, innovative voluntary sector organisations are finding different ways of helping people
Fri 24 May 2019 09.05 BST
Last modified on Fri 24 May 2019 09.06 BST
When you play rugby, says JP, a young man with learning disabilities, “you feel like you’re a legend … and that generations will think about you and celebrate what you’ve done”.
JP plays for St Helens and says his club “feels like we’re all one family, one tribe … together, united”. Playing the game has brought him new friendships, skills and confidence. He is supported by Community Integrated Care, a voluntary sector social care provider that introduced him to rugby league.
Community Integrated Care is launching a pioneering inclusive rugby programme – in partnership with the Super League and the Rugby Football League – for learning disabled and autistic people. It hopes will help introduce many others to the sport – and similarly transform their lives.
The Learning Disability Super League initiative creates an adapted version of rugby league that kicks off on Super League’s annual Magic Weekend at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, on Saturday and Sunday. Community Integrated Care provides specialist training to each club and a wide range of inclusive sporting events.
Mark Adams, chief executive at Community Integrated Care, says the initiative shows how the voluntary sector is aiming high to find opportunities that enable people to lead more fulfilling lives.
“The Learning Disability Super League is an example of how we can work together to give people with learning disabilities a platform to stay active, make friends, develop skills and achieve their dreams. We believe this collaboration will become one of the most significant inclusive sports programmes in the world.”
Cuts are making it difficult for providers to go beyond what they are commissioned to do and to invest in local areas
The project reflects pioneering work across the voluntary sector. Our latest Voluntary Organisations Disability Group report, Above and Beyond: How voluntary sector providers of disability support add value to communities, sets out how innovative organisations champion social change and meet gaps in support.
Some non-profits aim to reduce social isolation, promote inclusion and challenge perceptions towards disability. Options for Supported Living and Wirral Mencap are working together to deliver One Wirral, a free festival providing accessible spaces (including toilets with hoists and sign language interpreters). The festival features disabled performers such as the band the Beathovens, whose members are all autistic and live in full-time care, but have also played at Glastonbury.
And in Greater Manchester, Imagine, Act and Succeed is helping people meet their aspirations. A local dog walking service brings together people with a learning disability who love animals with older people who aren’t able to exercise their pets, and who otherwise may be unable to keep them. The volunteer dog walkers feel they are doing something worthwhile and the owners are reassured that they can keep their pets.
The stories described in our report are a snapshot. There are a huge number of voluntary sector organisations whose work extends beyond the social care services they are commissioned to provide by local authorities. But the traditional approach to commissioning services adheres to a narrow focus on contractual obligations, such as the numbers of hours of care and at what price.
Austerity is undermining services. Since 2010 cumulative adult social care cuts have amounted to £7bn. As a result, it’s increasingly difficult for providers to go beyond what they are commissioned to do and invest in local areas in the ways highlighted in our report.
There is a compelling case for voluntary sector providers to be better recognised for how – and why – they support their local communities. The Social Value Act sets out how public sector commissioning should recognise the added benefits of charities’ involvement in delivering services. But a House of Lords select committee recognised that not enough is being done and called on government to promote commissioning based on impact, rather than the lowest cost.
A stronger focus is required on how social care providers are making connections and supporting local communities. Sharing social and community impact stories can inspire others to do more work like this. In turn, those who determine policy will be better informed about the kind of activity that makes a real difference – and they might just focus on enabling such innovation to flourish.
• Rhidian Hughes is chief executive of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/24/austerity-social-care-charities
