The Gibraltar Disability Society
has taken time to digest the recent announcement by Government regarding further
developing a special needs strategy in Gibraltar. It is hoped that is a
continuation of the Learning Disability Review which was started in 2019 by
Minister Costa after representations by the Society on various longstanding
issues in all Government services.
With regard to the announcement
of the development of a Special Needs Coordination and Liaison Office the
Disability Society supports this idea in principle. Further support would
obviously depend on more information being provided on how this Office would
function. That being said any advances in improving Government led services has
to be congratulated. With regard to the possibility of a potential NGO Charity
being set up to be a “one-stop shop” for all aspects of life for persons with
disabilities and their families, this would be welcome particularly by those
long standing charities and their volunteers who have so far been carrying that
responsibility. Once again thought it must be said that support is based on the
receipt of more information regarding the running of such an NGO and the
support it would need to provide for all disabilities within Gibraltar not just
limited to those with special needs.
The Disability Society has spent
many years fighting for disability legislation. This was achieved with the
enactment of the Disability Act 2017 which mirrors parts of the UN Convention.
It is unofficially known as Agnes’ Law out of respect for the late Chairperson
of the Society who made it her mission to bring into Gibraltar such
legislation. The fight did not stop there however and as stated in a press
release at the time: “This proposal was
not only welcomed by Agnes’ family but by all those who worked with or knew
Agnes and it is a fitting tribute to her legacy. Now that Gibraltar has taken
the initial step in introducing such necessary legislation the Disability
Society will turn its sights to the introduction in full of the UN Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to Gibraltar.”
Therefore the Disability Society call
upon Government to ensure that one of the first matters tackled by the Minister
for Justice and the Special Needs Coordination and Liaison Office is to request
that the United Kingdom extend the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities in full to Gibraltar.
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The Disability Society is outraged
that the Government of Gibraltar has dragged its name into what is ultimately a
political spat. To insinuate that the Society was consulted in the decision to
replace workers with fixed term contracts is nothing but misleading propaganda.
The Society was informed by parents who were affected by the decision to
replace said workers not by the Government themselves. Despite meeting with the
Care Agency and several long discussions with Unite the Union we were
ultimately informed by both parties that nothing could be done to alter the
decision to proceed with the non-renewal of the contracts. The issue of
continuity of care and the wellbeing of our members was foremost in all our
discussions.
The Society has for over 50 years
worked closely with any Government regardless of which party. Our priority has
always been our members and their families. We would never agree to any
decision that would be detrimental to our members. Our mantra will always
remain continuity of care. As a committee we have always given our time freely
to defend the rights of the most vulnerable in our community. For Government to
make a statement that others in our community believe as fact is an insult to
the hard work that all those on the committee, present and past, have made.
For over 20 years the Disability Society has been calling for a statutory body to be introduced to monitor and audit all areas of the disability and care services. It is imperative that this should be independent of Government and preferably from outside Gibraltar. The Disability Society notes with interest, and fully supports, the recent call by Together Gibraltar for the introduction of an independent regulator along the lines of the UK’s Care Quality Commission.
The introduction of such a body must be fully independent of the Care Agency and Government and would ensure care standards are being met, which would include continuity of care which is paramount to the wellbeing of service users.
Unfortunately Gibraltar is still in the midst of the Covid pandemic and enduring another lockdown. Once again the Disability Society would like to take the opportunity to publicly thank the staff of the disability services. The long hours that they are working, their dedication and understanding of the service users are second to none. This once again brings to the forefront the issue of continuity of care and the importance of knowledge and trust between carers and service users. The Society therefore, yet again, calls upon the Government to provide permanent contracts to all carers throughout the disability services. The recognition of their dedication, understanding and loyalty deserves nothing less.
Yesterday in Parliament, in my statement on COVID restrictions, I said this about special needs:”On St Martin’s, Mr Speaker, we are working for an even earlier date of reopening if possible.We are conscious of the difficulties being experienced by the parents of children with special needs in particular.We will ensure our teachers are going be in the very first round of those to be vaccinated beyond the ‘at risk’ groups and the teachers at St Martin’s will be the first of the first.Until then the relevant Ministers are working to provide additional facilities for children and persons with special needs at parks, and the RGP are aware of the specific provisions in our regulations for persons with learning difficulties, an innovation we did not have during the first lockdown but which Minister Sacramento specifically carved out this time.”I want to highlight this so that everyone who needs to be aware is fully informed.
Excellent multiagency team-work with our GHA partner, and fantastic progress with our vaccination programme at the Care Agency!
Carlos
Banderas, CEO, commented, “We have achieved an excellent result during
what can be described as a very difficult time for both our
service-users and staff. I’m exceedingly pleased that almost all
service-users of the Disability Service have now received the vaccine.
Special thanks to our nursing team and Covid-19 coordinator, Sharon
Radcliff, for her efforts with this. We continue the fight against the
coronavirus”.
