SOCIAL WELFAREIntroductionSW100 The Green Party will implement policies to promote social welfare for all. SW101 The Green Party knows that we are all interdependent and that many people need support at some stage in their lives. The basic aim is that all people should be able to lead an empowered and fulfilled life. We believe that every individual in society has an equal right to food, water, warmth and housing (see Responsibilities and Rights section). SW102 Policies cover those areas currently addressed by social services departments - including children and families, older people, mental health, physical disabilities and learning disabilities. SW103 Social services will undertake separate need assessments with the client and, where appropriate, their carers. People must have access to advocacy services and appropriate professional support if they need assistance in completing the process. SW104 Social Welfare provision has often been inadequate, disempowering, discriminatory and ineffective. People in need, who receive a service, too often receive a minimal service, which may be the cheapest option available rather than the option that best promotes independence. The inadequate provision puts stress on both carers and those receiving the service. SW105 To make life easier for people who need to access several types of service, the Green Party would work towards having a single budget covering health and social services. Citizen's Income (CI)SW200 In so far as it is possible to remedy social problems purely by financial means, the Green Party's Citizen's Income (see Economy), when implemented will enable people to have a more flexible approach to work, retirement and caring for others. SW201 CI is designed to cover the basic needs of an able-bodied person. Since 1979 the level of benefits for the able-bodied has fallen well below this level; consequently the supplements necessary to bring payments for those with disabilities or health problems up to an adequate level are considerably larger that they will need to be in conjunction with CI when that is fully implemented. (See Econ esp. EC732) Children and FamiliesSW300 All children should be treated with respect and given full opportunity with whatever support may be required to live in a caring and nurturing environment. (See RR410) SW301 However, although families are often thought of as the ideal social institution to bring up children, many children do not live in nuclear families and sometimes a child's parents cannot or do not want to look after them. SW302 The Green Party recognises the many challenges and stresses that parenting can bring and will support and encourage a wide range of community and self help services for children and their carers e.g. Homestart, family centres, adopt-a- grandparent schemes. SW303 The Green party believes that services for children need to be holistic and integrated, recognising both the needs of the child and their families and carers. This may involve increased expenditure over current levels, but effectively meeting the needs of children and their families and carers will produce a healthier, more balanced and secure society, with reduced costs in criminal justice, social services and other areas of spending. SW304 Childminders will continue to be registered and monitored, with free training, including training in nutrition, given to all. We recognise that childminders often have a low income and are seen as having a low social status. We believe that bringing up children is a very important job, and would seek to improve the standing of childminders whilst making sure that they earn a living wage for what is a demanding job, while maintaining the affordability of care. SW305 Nurseries and children’s centres will be monitored for quality of care and the information made readily available. Special attention will be given to ratios of adult carers to children. Nursery staff will be given adequate training, including training in nutrition. SW306 Nannies will be registered on a national register, enabling families to check the suitability of their potential employee. The treatment of au pairs will be regulated to stop them from being exploited by their employers. SW307 Working grandparents will be given the same right to request flexi-work as parents if caring for grandchildren. SW308 We would extend the hours of nursery/children’s centre entitlement for children aged 3 and 4, this and try to give parents and carers as much flexibility as possible in terms of times and locations. The provision of occasional ‘ad hoc’ care will be encouraged and facilitated. SW309 Children’s centres will engage in active outreach work to make contact with socially excluded families to ensure that their children's development is not endangered and to encourage the parents and carers to access free local activities for children. SW310 Parents and carers in a community will be encouraged to set up networks of babysitters and playgroups. This would aid both children’s development and community cohesion. SW311 Children with special needs will have the enhanced level of care they need, with all of their carers given up-to-date disability equality training so that they can care for the child in the way that suits him/her best. SW312 Family courts and mediation should help to find the right solution for each child in the event of family breakdown with children being a given a say in their future. SW313 The Green Party would broaden the criteria for fostering and adoption to include all types of relationships- single, married, co-habiting and homosexual couples. A wide range of support services will accompany any fostering arrangement, including financial help, respite care and emergency phone-line. SW314 Much is made of 'stranger danger' but many children are at a risk of physical, verbal, emotional or sexual abuse from members of their own family. The Green Party will set up 'safe houses' where abused or otherwise stressed children can find sanctuary. SW315 In some cases, such as after abuse, children may be unable to live in the intimate and emotionally demanding environment of a family. Small homes should be provided by the public sector, run by highly qualified, supported and well paid staff. These should provide therapeutic and 'normalising' care required to enable children to reach their potential and become fully participating members of society. Older PeopleSW400 Ageism is rife in our society. To those over 50 our society seems to be designed and organised for the needs and benefit of youth. SW401 Many industries and companies are not interested in employing people despite their knowledge, stability and reliability. SW402 Retirement means that people no longer get paid for the work they do but that does not mean they stop working. The Green Party's Citizen Income scheme would enable retirement age to be completely flexible recognising that some want to retire as soon as possible and others want to continue working. (see EC732) SW403 Many voluntary organisations depend on the work and commitment of people who have retired from paid work. Traditional economics ignores such contributions but Citizen's Income will enable people to work part-time, flexible hours and home working. SW404 People of all ages will be encouraged to study and take up new activities and hobbies. SW405 Treatment for illnesses will be based on the condition not the age of the person or the region where they live. SW406 If residential care is needed then it will be provided free and house owners would not be required to sell their home to pay for such care. Mental illness and emotional vulnerabilitySW500 The Green Party is strongly committed to valuing and supporting people with illness and disabilities. Green Party polices address promoting mental health, preventing mental illness, reducing suffering and disability, promoting recovery and rehabilitation, reducing suicide and reducing other premature death related to mental illness. A comprehensive approach to these goals requires close liaison between the health, social services, education, employment, environment and criminal justice systems at national, local and individual levels. SW501 The majority of people are likely to suffer emotional vulnerability or mental illness at some point in their lives. The causes may not be obvious but can be environmental such as chronic social adversity or lack of social support or physical such as genetic or related to physical illness. SW502 At government and local level, there is a need to work closely with the other key sectors to ensure adequate choice of employment opportunities, leisure opportunities, creative projects, day care, supported housing and provision of psychological and social therapies. At individual level, there is a need to ensure detailed needs assessment and provision of a carefully tailored package to meet individual needs of people and their carers. SW503 Mental illness can be mild or severe; of short duration or lifelong; chronic, acute or a mixture of the two. The needs of different people must be assumed to be different, but some elements need to be held in common. SW504 The Green Party recognises that a majority of those people who have or have had experience of mental illness live independently in the community. However, due to ongoing closures of in-patient accommodation, increasing numbers are at the more acutely affected end of the spectrum. SW505 People who have mental illness or emotional issues to deal with need supportive environments and safe places to go. Day centres, gardening and creative projects, groups in which to think about what is going on, and trained people to talk to are a minimum requirement. The Green Party would always seek to ensure the emphasis is placed on enabling people to make choices about their lives. SW506 For most people who have been mentally ill and have recovered or stabilized all that is needed is the assurance of trustworthy support should the need arise again. For those for whom stability has been achieved but recovery has not been possible, some support may always be needed. 'Support' may mean groups, day and drop-in facilities, counselling, supported working and /or living environments. For those for whom no recovery has yet been achieved, and stability is precarious, and who are unable to live alone or with their families, the Green Party would seek to achieve staffed housing in communities with trained permanent staff. SW507 The Green Party will ensure that staff working with people who have severe and enduring mental illness are adequately trained and remunerated. This will ensure the retention of staff and should reduce the damaging need to employ a changing procession of temporary 'agency' staff SW508 Outreach workers need to be available to visit people where they are rather than making appointments which he or she may be unable to keep. SW509 There is a need to ensuring that mental health community teams are adequately staffed so that they do not have to rely on routine involvement of police officers to track down people who have missed appointments. SW510 Support for families and carers needs to be in person rather than remotely and provided both by those providing professional care and independently of those operating the service to the user. SW511 People should be informed fully about what the drugs they are given will do, including their limitations and unwanted effects. Before drugs are administered other therapies should be tried, basic health checks should be carried out even if it is known that only drug treatment will help. Disabled PeopleSW600 The Green Party has endorsed the social model of disability (DY200) where there is a recognition that society has put up barriers which prevents disabled people with different impairments from becoming and being full and active citizens. The Green Party is strongly committed to valuing, empowering and supporting people with illness and disabilities. SW601 Equal opportunities must start from day one and to this end the green party supports the purpose of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) which is to ensure disabled people have the same opportunities as non disabled people to participate in civic life. SW602 The Green Party will seek to strengthen the disability rights commission (DRC) and laws that help to enforce the DDA. SW603 The Green Party recognises all disabled people, including people with sensory, learning, physical and mental health impairments, should be able to live in the community with appropriate support if desired. SW604 Social services tends to be institutionalised and inflexible and based on non-disabled peoples' perception of what disabled people need. This has prevented disabled people from determining their own lives. SW605 It is important for people with disabilities to be part of the socialisation process that their able-bodied peers experience. Children with disabilities should be given support to do activities independently of their parents. They need support and opportunities for personal development. SW606 Every individual should participate in a comprehensive assessment and a support package be developed to meet the agreed needs. Peoples' needs change and care packages must reflect this. SW607 Assessments covering all aspects of disabled people lives will be undertaken on a self-assessment basis by disabled people and facilitated by the social workers using a person-centred process. The disabled person can be supported by other persons if they desire. Where support is needed, advocates will have the right to represent the disabled person throughout the assessment and review process. SW608 Care packages need to provide one-to-one support for any activity or task needed to facilitate the disabled person's functioning. This allows the disabled person to access the same political, social, leisure and work opportunities available to non disabled people. To facilitate the process, local authorities will have single budgets where individualised care packages will be paid for. SW609 Personal care and support for disabled people should be provided free, so that they can operate from a financial foundation equal to their peers. This includes any expenses incurred from having a disability, such as communication aids, interpretation and accommodation adaptations, mental health support, personal mobility aids, learning support, counselling, psychotherapy, art and music therapy or other therapies as appropriate. SW610 These services should be available both on professional and self-referral basis. The person should be able to choose the service providers as the success of such support will depend on the personal relationship between the service provider and recipient. 'Support' may mean groups, day and drop-in facilities, counselling, supported working and /or living environments. SW611 The Green Party would always seek to ensure the emphasis is placed on enabling and empowering people to make choices about their lives. Skills training for job or independent living will be provided. SW612 Some disabled people need support to manage their own care packages. Each local authority will fund independent living services (Centres for Inclusive Living) to provide advice, advocacy, and support to help people manage their care packages. SW613 Funding of individual care packages should be provided through a number of mechanisms such as via direct payments, trusts, or third party schemes, all permitted under the NHS and Community Care Act and Community Care (Direct Payments) Act. SW614 Where there is a dispute between the local authority and the disabled person on the care plan, then a free, independent appeals process will be available and their decisions would be legally binding. When a disabled person moves to another local authority, the individual care package will be guaranteed by that local authority. SW615 The Green Party recognises there are occasions where a disabled person will be supported by their relatives. Where this is the case, the local authority will ensure that the disabled person has access to independent advocacy. Regular reviews will be undertaken to ensure living with family member(s) will not inhibit the disabled person's autonomy SW616 Respite care should be provided in a person's home. They should not be forced to vacate their home and go to day centres. Other carers can be brought in the home to enable the usual carer to have time-off. SW617 For those who are unable to live alone or with their families, the Green Party would seek to achieve staffed housing in communities with trained permanent staff. SW618 The Green Party will ensure that staff working with people who have severe and multiple needs are adequately trained and remunerated. This will ensure the retention of staff and should reduce the damaging need to employ a changing procession of temporary 'agency' staff. SW619 Outreach workers need to be available to visit people where they are rather than making appointments which he or she may be unable to keep. CarersSW900 The Green Party recognizes that much social welfare work is done by volunteers, charities, helplines and family members, including children. Such individuals would be helped by Citizen's Income (EC732) and proper stable funding of voluntary organisations. SW901 The Green Party supports the current position of benefits however it would work towards streamlining it in the short and medium term and replacing it with Citizen's income in the long term. SW902 The Green Party recognises that where social welfare support is provided year-round by family members or friends exclusively, there may arise a need for respite from the duties this involves. Such breaks are vital in that they ensure carers get the time we all need to rest from work. The Green Party also recognises that breaks from caring work enable carers to go on caring. Many respite and day care centres have been closed in recent years, and the buildings sold to the private sector, in order that financial savings be realized by health and social services departments. The Green Party will support existing respite centres and will fund the replacement of respite care centres where they are needed. The short-term capital investment will be off-set in the long term by fewer family breakdowns and fewer admissions to permanent institutions.
Social Welfare chapter updates
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Policies for a Sustainable Society
