RNIB Cymru

Consultation - Proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (No.4) Order 2008 (Domiciliary Care)

RNIB Cymru is pleased to have the opportunity to comment on this LCO for the committee.  We support the Assembly in seeking further powers in this field.

Introduction

RNIB Cymru is a member of the Coalition on Charging Cymru (COCC), a consortium of voluntary organisations representing the interests of older people, disabled people and carers. Overall response to WAG seeking a legislative competence order (LCO)

Overall response to WAG seeking a legislative competence order

Charging is a significant issue to thousands of people across Wales who receive services through a community care assessment to enable them to live independently at home.  Unfortunately, very few people with sight problems receive domiciliary care, despite being twice as likely to fall as patients with normal vision, more than doubling the risk of fractures and almost doubling the need for medical assistance. A loss of independence contributes to the development of clinical depression, for instance, on average; patients with wet AMD are almost twice as likely to experience depression as sighted people.

More than half of older blind and partially sighted people live alone. 72 per cent state that their main source of help and care is a spouse, relative or friend. Without access to adequate community care or the provision of equipment, many cannot continue to live independently and need to depend on family or friends to get by. If that help is not available, then they may need to move into residential care.

Financial help with adaptations such as ramped access is readily available for physically disabled people, as are expensive items of equipment such as motorised wheelchairs. In contrast, financial assistance for redecoration to improve colour contrast or equipment like CCTVs for magnification, which can help people with sight problems, is rarely available.

There are further actions that can improve matters under the powers that the Welsh Assembly Government currently holds and we urge them to do so while this legislative process is underway. These include not charging against Occupational Pensions or taking spouses’ income into account, not charging Direct Payments at source and raising the savings threshold.  The appeals process should be clear and accessible.

Despite the compensation awarded by Welsh Assembly Government to local authorities for the loss of income incurred through introduction of the new measures, we understand from members of the Coalition on Charging that some social services are raising their hourly rate and their maximum weekly charge. There is a wide variation in charging across Wales.  This should be addressed as part of this process as increasing charges reduces the amount of money people can spend on necessities and has a huge impact people's quality of life.

LCO Remit

RNIB Cymru calls for the remit of the LCO to be as wide as possible so that it is inclusive of the range of needs among those assessed as requiring community care.  Although people with a sight problems and no other disability may not qualify for community care, people who are eligible with physical, mental or communication disability might also have a sight problem.  If adaptations to assist the sight problem are made you can reduce risks, for example, if a person has a mobility disability and sight problem, redecoration to improve colour contrast can reduce the risks of falls.

LCO Definitions

RNIB Cymru urges that terminology used should be capable of broad definition. Attempting to define 'disabled person’ and 'home care’ can lead to exclusions, rather than clarity.

We support the COCC in raising concerns about the following:

The LCO the term used is 'social care’.  This should be synonymous with 'community care’ and the proposed LCO should apply to all services provided by a Community Care Assessment.  This should be clarified.

The use of 'particular’, in the sentence "in respect of individuals with particular needs relating to their well being" should be clarified.

Conclusion

We would urge the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that the LCO is framed widely enough to result in nil charges.  From the Ministers' comments we understand that this is the case and we applaud the fact that this option will be available to the Assembly.

We would urge the Welsh Assembly Government to continue to seek further powers in the area of social help overcome some of the barriers people with sight problems face in accessing social care.