Pictured: John Wearing
Working in partnership with The Voluntary Organisations
Disability Group (VODG), leading law firm, Anthony Collins
Solicitors, has sponsored a report entitled 'Another Way'
highlighting good practice in adult social care, showing how
peoples' lives can be transformed when a person centred approach to
care is taken.
Commissioned by The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group
(VODG), the leading umbrella group of voluntary sector providers of
social care services to adults with disabilities, the report has
been produced following the revelation of appalling standards of
care and institutional abuse in a BBC undercover documentary filmed
at Winterbourne View residential care unit in Bristol earlier this
year. The report's aim is to demonstrate that there is
'another way' to deliver social care in which good practice results
in peoples' lives being transformed.
Anthony Collins Solicitors' work spans the whole health and
social care sector from supporting individuals in need in the
fields of community care, special education needs and mental
health, to working with GPs and other providers of primary health
care, through to public and private companies and many of the
leading voluntary sector groups such as The Voluntary Organisations
Disability Group (VODG).
John Wearing, Partner responsible for Health & Social Care
at Anthony Collins said: "Like everyone who watched the BBC
Panorama programme in May, I was both shocked and appalled by what
had happened. When the opportunity arose to sponsor the report, we
were delighted to show our continued support in this sector. It
demonstrates our passion for, and belief in, the need to treat
everyone with dignity and respect and, above all, as individuals -
we share these values with VODG and they underpin our whole
business ethos."
The report focuses on redesigning care and support services in
collaboration with individuals and their families to give them
choice and control. Using case studies from MacIntyre, Affinity
Trust, Deafblind UK, Positive Behaviour Support and the National
Autistic Society the report demonstrates how such strategies can
lead to real improvements in the lives of disabled people.
John Adams, General Secretary, VODG adds: "We are grateful for
Anthony Collins' continued support and particularly in helping us
to produce this report. They are a valued partner, delivering first
class legal services to our members, complementing our own
commitment to person centred services."
Concludes John Wearing: "Following the shock and anger of
Winterbourne View, the focus is now turning toward the need for
more effective governance. This, combined with the person
centred approach, will ensure the key ingredients are there to
deliver the standards of social care that everyone deserves."
For access to the report:
http://www.vodg.org.uk/uploads/pdfs/Another_way_FINAL(1).pdf