The Disability Society calls upon the Government to reverse its decision not to renew the 11 month contracts of carers in the disability services. The Society will go further and ask Government to make those who have been on these rolling contracts for several years to be have their contracts made permanent. This is an exceedingly worrying situation not only for the Society but also the families of the service users. The Society has always voiced the view that continuity of care, and this importantly includes staff, is key to the care of its members and their safety and wellbeing. We also understand that experts brought in by the Government also advise continuity of care which includes staff members. Service users, particularly those who are non verbal or have trouble expressing themselves clearly, require staff who have come to understand, over long periods of time, their needs. Working with disabled people, particularly those with learning disabilities, is a vocation and not just a job. The decision to make such a huge change in staff, particularly non renewal of contracts of those who have been there for a number of years, without consultation from those involved be it service users, family members or the Disability Society is not acceptable. The Dr Giraldi Home and St Bernadettes Resource Centre are at the core of the services for the disabled. These services are for those who are truly the most vulnerable people in our society yet all management are still only acting in their positions. This begs the question of why Government, who have had at least two years, have not made any of these positions permanent. The Society does not only care about the service users but also the staff of these services. Without many of these good staff members there will be no “good” service. At present the Society detects a sense of concern amongst those who work in the services. If contracts are not permanent, despite many years of proving oneself to be a good carer, positions remain acting over a long period of time, the concern and unease that the staff begin to feel will be manifested onto the service users.
The Society therefore calls upon the Government to refrain from ultimately dismissing carers by refusing to renew their contracts as many of those carers affected are held in high esteem by not only the service users themselves but by their families.
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