By Dr Alison Tarrant
When we think about social care, we often think about the support needs of older people. But social care also plays a critical role in the lives of disabled people of working age. In the UK the annual Disability Awareness Month runs from late November to late December. At CARE, it gives us the opportunity to think about where we are with social care in Wales, and what is needed to shape social care in the future.
One critical aspect, which we should never lose sight of, is what social care is for. Among all the information that we have about social care, both in Wales and in the UK more generally, there is usually an overwhelming focus on finance and logistics. We know that social care is currently grossly underfunded, with increasing strain being put on those with support needs, informal carers, local authorities and care workers. We also know that despite social care being ‘in crisis’ – a term used consistently for many years now – the big decisions needed to solve the problems are frequently postponed. But what we see less commonly in policy discussion is whether we have got the basics right, particularly when it comes to working age disabled people.
Social care, as we know it today, dates back some 80 years, originating with the National Assistance Act 1948. Of course, both the law and the way assistance is provided have changed significantly since then, but the fact remains that working age disabled people are still supported through a system rooted in its heritage. Given that the need for reform is now overwhelming, we should take the opportunity to consider whether we should continue to patch what we have or think again about the purpose of social care.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities demands that disabled people, whatever their age, are entitled to lead their lives on an equal basis with others. This means that they should choose their living, family and working arrangements along with all other aspects of their lifestyle, and have the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers. Disabled people often call this ‘independent living’. Social care is fundamental to thousands of disabled and older people if they are to exercise this right.
Discussion of social care is still, all too often, dominated by underlying narratives of reliance, need and dependence. Indeed, these ideas are often connected to the very word ‘care’ – a word that disabled activists often strongly reject. The much needed reforms to the sector provide an opportunity that we should grasp. Rather than continuing to view what we now refer to as ‘social care’ as an unwelcome necessity for certain individuals, we should focus on the principle that assistance to those who need it in their day-to-day lives is a valuable and desirable resource. It should be considered fundamental to the realisation of social justice, equality and people’s basic human rights and directed towards this purpose.
Dr Alison Tarrant is a Lecturer in the School of Law and Politics. Her research fields are social care and social care regulation in the devolved and UK contexts, disability and international disability human rights.
