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Patients with learning disabilities face discrimination - Chloe Robinson

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Patients with learning disabilities face discrimination - Chloe Robinson

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Patients with learning difficulties face discrimination as they are missing out on regular health checks. This is as doctors are dismissing their basic needs as patients do not know how to access the support and how to register appointments.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39528383

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People with learning disabilities face 'NHS discrimination' - Laura Walton

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People with learning disabilities face 'NHS discrimination' - Laura Walton

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Doctors and nurses are discriminating against people with learning disabilities, a charity said today. A survey for Mencap found health professionals had witnessed discrimination by their colleagues, with patients suffering a lack of respect and dignity. Recent surveys have found 46% of doctors and 37% of nurses said they believed people with learning disabilities received poorer NHS care than other groups; and that 39% of doctors and 34% of nurses, from the poll of 1,084, said they thought patients suffered discrimination. Many people with learning difficulties have been denied their chance of treatment by doctors due to discrimination, meaning their quality of life can be severely affected.

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Doctors and nurses are discriminating against people with learning disabilities, a charity said today.

A survey for Mencap found health professionals had witnessed discrimination by their colleagues, with patients suffering a lack of respect and dignity.

Overall 46% of doctors and 37% of nurses said they believed people with learning disabilities received poorer NHS care than other groups.

Almost half of doctors (45%) and a third of nurses (33%) personally witnessed a patient being neglected or suffering a lack of dignity on the NHS, or receiving poor quality care.

Some 39% of doctors and 34% of nurses, from the poll of 1,084, said they thought patients suffered discrimination.

Mencap's 2007 report, Death by Indifference, highlighted six cases of people with a learning disability who died unnecessarily in NHS hospitals.

Since then, the charity has received more "tragic accounts", it said.

All people with learning disabilities should receive equal treatment by law, with the NHS making "reasonable adjustments" where necessary.

But today's poll found 35% of doctors and nurses received no training in how to make reasonable adjustments, which Mencap said can "mean the difference between life and death" for patients.

Many health professionals said they needed specific guidelines on how care and treatment should be adjusted.

Mark Goldring, Mencap's chief executive, said: "Healthcare professionals have recognised they need more support to get it right when treating people with a learning disability.

"Mencap's Getting it right campaign sets out to ensure that ignorance and discrimination need never be the cause of death of someone with a learning disability."

In one case, Emma Kemp, 26, had a learning disability and was diagnosed with cancer.

Her mother Jane was told Emma had a 50% chance of survival with treatment, but the hospital staff were worried it would be difficult to treat her because of her learning disability.

Emma's doctors decided not to treat her, saying that she would not co-operate with treatment.

Her mother eventually agreed that palliative care would be appropriate.

She told Mencap: "Emma was a fun-loving young woman who loved her life and all of the people in it.

"She was denied her chance of life by doctors who discriminated against her. One doctor actually said: 'If she was a normal young woman we would not hesitate to treat her'.

"When I agreed that Emma should only receive palliative care treatment, I did so because I was then told that Emma only had a 10% chance of survival and that it would be cruel to treat her.

"I now know that this was not true, that I was misled into agreeing with the decision that cost my daughter her life."

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the General Medical Council, said: "We strongly support this campaign.

"Every patient is entitled to the care and treatment they need and the vast majority of doctors do everything they can to achieve this, making the care of each of their patients their first concern.

"But we also know from the evidence that professionals can struggle with the complexities involved in treating patients with learning disabilities, and under pressure they can make assumptions about the needs and wishes of these patients.

"Sometimes they see the disability, rather than the patient or their underlying condition."

Dr Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: "People with learning disabilities often experience poorer health and are twice as likely to be admitted to hospital.

"Their health needs can go unrecognised, which has an impact on both quality of life and life expectancy.

"Like all patients, people with learning disabilities should be fully supported and treated with dignity and respect."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "The NHS is for everyone and removing inequalities is a priority.

"Improvements have been made in delivering healthcare for people with learning disabilities but there is still much to do. Health remains one of the three priorities for the Government's learning disability strategy."

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People with learning disabilities face 'NHS discrimination'

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Doctors and nurses are discriminating against people with learning disabilities, a charity said today. A survey for Mencap found health professionals had witnessed discrimination by their colleagues, with patients suffering a lack of respect and dignity. Overall 46% of doctors and 37% of nurses said they believed people with learning disabilities received poorer NHS care than other groups.

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Learning disability employment rate 'unacceptable' - (Anisa)

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Learning disability employment rate 'unacceptable' - (Anisa)

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This article is about learning disabilities in employment and how a disabled person doesn’t earn a minimum wage just because of their disability. This article contains an individual who is working for free in a café and has never been paid.

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Just over a year ago, government minister Lord Freud came under fire for suggesting some disabled people could be paid less than the minimum wage to get them into work. The issue prodded the national conscience. Despite this, the employment rate of those with learning disabilities continues to drop and currently stands at just 6% in England. Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson says this is "unacceptable". Disability news correspondent Nikki Fox examines how people are affected by the issue.
As Julian Mason watches his son, Ben, working hard in a café in Chesterfield, his face glows with pride.

His 33-year-old son is dedicated to his job - he's been serving coffees, teas and bacon sandwiches for over a decade.

The problem is, he's never been paid.

If there are only 6% of people with learning disabilities in employment, then something is going very wrong
Julian Mason

Ben, who has a learning disability called fragile X syndrome, is a volunteer, and like many others with learning disabilities he has worked for free for many years.

Julian is concerned for his son's future and he desperately wants to find him a paid job.

"Finding Ben a job is proving very, very difficult," he says.

"He loves what he does here at Ability Cafe and he works hard. The problem is, it's time he got a job where he earned money."
Disabled pay row minister apologises (Oct 2014)
Contrary to the outcry around Lord Freud's comments last year, Julian says he would be happy for his son to be paid less than the minimum wage of £6.70 an hour.

"I know the minimum wage has been fought for for many years and is regarded as sacrosanct by many organisations," Julian says, "but if there are only 6% of people with learning disabilities in employment, then something is going very wrong.

"If Ben is only going to be paid, let's say £2.50 an hour, that's fine.

"He's a very cheerful person who works very well but at a reduced pace to someone who isn't disabled."
Supported employment
Julian's opinions are controversial, but there are questions over the current attempts to get people into work.

According to the Health and Social Care Information Centre, the percentage of people with learning disabilities in paid employment has decreased over the past four years in England.

It's dropped from 7.1% to 6% - fewer than 10,000 people in real, fully paid jobs.

If you reduce the minimum wage for people with learning disabilities, then you immediately begin to devalue the job that people do
Rob Greig

Organisations that have carried out extensive research into this problem say that bespoke tailored support is the answer.

Rob Greig, who runs the national development team for inclusion, insists the only model that has any evidence of success is the supported employment model.

This is where a support worker offers help to both the employee and the employer so they can get the best out of each other.

He is adamant that people with learning disabilities, with the right support, can earn at least the minimum wage and flourish in a career of their choice.

"If you reduce the minimum wage for people with learning disabilities, then you immediately begin to devalue the job that people do," he says.

"The right support for people is paramount, and that's why supported employment works so well."

'Independence'

Sam Haslam, who has Down's syndrome, is a prime example of that.

The 27-year-old works at Eton College and serves more than 600 students a day in the prestigious school's cafeteria.

He's been working there for the past two years.

"It's so busy here, we serve the boys and they love to eat," he says.

"I love this work, many others haven't got work who are like me. I have done lots of work experience and now I work here. It gives me independence."

Due to the support from a local organisation, Ways in Work, Sam is able to work alongside his peers.

The manager of the cafeteria, Andrew Ridout, says the benefits of having someone like Sam working for him far outweigh the extra bit of time and effort at the beginning.

"Sam is a fabulous employee, he does lift the team, his laugh is infectious and he brings a whole new dimension to the team," Andrew says.

"I've gone through a huge learning curve with employing Sam.

"I was briefed to treat Sam as exactly the same as any other employee, so the expectations are exactly the same. His work is of an exceptional standard."
'Huge amount to offer'
Sam is just one example of how supported employment can bring about real change in the job market, but this is not a picture reflected across the country.

Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson says it is "unacceptable" that so many people with learning difficulties continue to be overlooked for work.

"Employers need to understand that jobseekers with disabilities have a huge amount to offer and we continue to raise awareness of this through our Disability Confident campaign," he says.

"Our access to work scheme also has a specialist team to support those with hidden impairments and last year a record number of people with learning disabilities were supported into employment."

He is endorsing a partnership between the hotel chain, the Hilton Worldwide, and the specialist training college, Foxes Academy in Somerset.

The college regularly finds jobs for its catering students by training them at its hotel on site.

The numbers are small, but the minister says this is an excellent way of getting people with learning disabilities into the job market.

Around half of those who graduated last year found paid employment.

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Just over a year ago, government minister Lord Freud came under fire for suggesting some disabled people could be paid less than the minimum wage to get them into work. The issue prodded the national conscience. Despite this, the employment rate of those with learning disabilities continues to drop and currently stands at just 6% in England.

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People with learning disabilities face 'NHS discrimination' Laura Walton 

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People with learning disabilities face 'NHS discrimination' Laura Walton 

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Doctors and nurses are discriminating against people with learning disabilities, a charity said today. A survey for Mencap found health professionals had witnessed discrimination by their colleagues, with patients suffering a lack of respect and dignity. Recent surveys have found 46% of doctors and 37% of nurses said they believed people with learning disabilities received poorer NHS care than other groups; and that 39% of doctors and 34% of nurses, from the poll of 1,084, said they thought patients suffered discrimination. Many people with learning difficulties have been deniedtheir chance of treatment by doctors due to discrimination.

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A Starbucks employee named Meseret Kumulchew has faced a difficult times as she was accused of falsifying the documents after mistakenly entering wrong information.

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A Starbucks employee named Meseret Kumulchew has faced a difficult times as she was accused of falsifying the documents after mistakenly entering wrong information.

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Lidya Dundar  Link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35521061

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Learning disability employment rate 'unacceptable'. (Jade Robertson)

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Learning disability employment rate 'unacceptable'. (Jade Robertson)

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This article from the BBC arises the issue that people with learning disabilities are getting paid less than minimal wage.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Just over a year ago, government minister Lord Freud came under fire for suggesting some disabled people could be paid less than the minimum wage to get them into work. The issue prodded the national conscience. Despite this, the employment rate of those with learning disabilities continues to drop and currently stands at just 6% in England. Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson says this is "unacceptable". Disability news correspondent Nikki Fox examines how people are affected by the issue.
As Julian Mason watches his son, Ben, working hard in a café in Chesterfield, his face glows with pride.

His 33-year-old son is dedicated to his job - he's been serving coffees, teas and bacon sandwiches for over a decade.

The problem is, he's never been paid.

If there are only 6% of people with learning disabilities in employment, then something is going very wrong
Julian Mason

Ben, who has a learning disability called fragile X syndrome, is a volunteer, and like many others with learning disabilities he has worked for free for many years.

Julian is concerned for his son's future and he desperately wants to find him a paid job.

"Finding Ben a job is proving very, very difficult," he says.

"He loves what he does here at Ability Cafe and he works hard. The problem is, it's time he got a job where he earned money."
Disabled pay row minister apologises (Oct 2014)
Contrary to the outcry around Lord Freud's comments last year, Julian says he would be happy for his son to be paid less than the minimum wage of £6.70 an hour.

"I know the minimum wage has been fought for for many years and is regarded as sacrosanct by many organisations," Julian says, "but if there are only 6% of people with learning disabilities in employment, then something is going very wrong.

"If Ben is only going to be paid, let's say £2.50 an hour, that's fine.

"He's a very cheerful person who works very well but at a reduced pace to someone who isn't disabled."
Supported employment
Julian's opinions are controversial, but there are questions over the current attempts to get people into work.

According to the Health and Social Care Information Centre, the percentage of people with learning disabilities in paid employment has decreased over the past four years in England.

It's dropped from 7.1% to 6% - fewer than 10,000 people in real, fully paid jobs.

If you reduce the minimum wage for people with learning disabilities, then you immediately begin to devalue the job that people do
Rob Greig

Organisations that have carried out extensive research into this problem say that bespoke tailored support is the answer.

Rob Greig, who runs the national development team for inclusion, insists the only model that has any evidence of success is the supported employment model.

This is where a support worker offers help to both the employee and the employer so they can get the best out of each other.

He is adamant that people with learning disabilities, with the right support, can earn at least the minimum wage and flourish in a career of their choice.

"If you reduce the minimum wage for people with learning disabilities, then you immediately begin to devalue the job that people do," he says.

"The right support for people is paramount, and that's why supported employment works so well."

'Independence'

Sam Haslam, who has Down's syndrome, is a prime example of that.

The 27-year-old works at Eton College and serves more than 600 students a day in the prestigious school's cafeteria.

He's been working there for the past two years.

"It's so busy here, we serve the boys and they love to eat," he says.

"I love this work, many others haven't got work who are like me. I have done lots of work experience and now I work here. It gives me independence."

Due to the support from a local organisation, Ways in Work, Sam is able to work alongside his peers.

The manager of the cafeteria, Andrew Ridout, says the benefits of having someone like Sam working for him far outweigh the extra bit of time and effort at the beginning.

"Sam is a fabulous employee, he does lift the team, his laugh is infectious and he brings a whole new dimension to the team," Andrew says.

"I've gone through a huge learning curve with employing Sam.

"I was briefed to treat Sam as exactly the same as any other employee, so the expectations are exactly the same. His work is of an exceptional standard."
'Huge amount to offer'
Sam is just one example of how supported employment can bring about real change in the job market, but this is not a picture reflected across the country.

Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson says it is "unacceptable" that so many people with learning difficulties continue to be overlooked for work.

"Employers need to understand that jobseekers with disabilities have a huge amount to offer and we continue to raise awareness of this through our Disability Confident campaign," he says.

"Our access to work scheme also has a specialist team to support those with hidden impairments and last year a record number of people with learning disabilities were supported into employment."

He is endorsing a partnership between the hotel chain, the Hilton Worldwide, and the specialist training college, Foxes Academy in Somerset.

The college regularly finds jobs for its catering students by training them at its hotel on site.

The numbers are small, but the minister says this is an excellent way of getting people with learning disabilities into the job market.

Around half of those who graduated last year found paid employment.

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Just over a year ago, government minister Lord Freud came under fire for suggesting some disabled people could be paid less than the minimum wage to get them into work. The issue prodded the national conscience. Despite this, the employment rate of those with learning disabilities continues to drop and currently stands at just 6% in England.

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Starbucks employee wins dyslexia discrimination case

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Starbucks employee wins dyslexia discrimination case

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Alexa http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35521061