UNISON RETIRED MEMBER’S CONFERENCE
3rd5thOCTOBER 2016
Conference gotoff to a good start on3rdof Octoberwith opening remarks from the Chair. The Chair said that as aresult of the many changes nationally, retired members are very concerned about the impact and deep cuts in public services and itis the poor and elderly who will be bearing the bruntof these cuts. Delegates felt that Conference must rally behind theLabourLeadership who should come up with creative ideas as an alternative to the Government and must address the unequal distribution of resources for pensioners, especially for women.
Conference calls on theNational Executive to highlight the impact on older people of continued austerity and cuts on essential public services.
CARE IN THE COMMUNITYwas discussed by the National Pensions Convention (NPC) who reminded Conference that Community Care Services are intended to help people who need care and support to live with dignity and independence in the community and to avoid isolation. The National Health and Community Care Act 1990 devolved the prime responsibility for means tested funding from the Government to Local Authorities. Since then major changes to the Act has taken place with the introduction of the Health and Social Care Act 2012,the Care Act 2014, the introduction of Health and Wellbeing Boards Clinical Commissioning Groups and Joint Strategic needs assessment.
WHAT WENT WRONG
The consequences of moving from needs based delivery of services in the care sector to one driven by market forces and privatisation are far reaching for those who need help just to deal with everyday life.
Sustained cuts to Local Authority funding mean year-on-year reductions in the kind of care services provided.80% of care is now delivered by the private sector, some of whom are dubious to say the least. Local Authorities are not looking creatively at how they can provide such services without the intervention of the private sector.
When a contract becomes unviable for a private company eg no profit, they walk away 3 out of 4 of the 15,000 care homes in England are run for profit.
Self-funders are making up the deficit by paying around 13% more for Council funded places. Those with mental illness have been neglected for decades and it is costing the NHS £6 billion a year to deal with mental health service delivery. 70% of NHS contracts have gone to the private providers. When a provider walks away, the NHS (and the taxpayerhave to pick up the pieces)
Section 117 of theMentalHealth Actplaces a Statutory duty ofaftercareon (Health Authority delegated to PrimaryCare Trusts) and to Local Authorities Social Services to provide aftercare services free of charge for all clients who have been detained in hospital under aqualifyingsection of theMentalHealth Act1983, as amended by the mental Health Act 1983 as amended bythe MentalHealth Act2007.
Conference felt that Authorities are failing to fully inform elderly and retired people of their rights and with ever-increasing numbersof people suffering from dementia related illnesses,entering hospital following an accident and thenhaving to become sectioned under theMentalHealth Act.
1)Conference felt that there are many elderly and retired people entitled to aftercare servicesthatare currently not receiving it and called on the retired members committee to highlight to all branches the need for all Health and Local Authorities throughout the country to operate and provide relatives with clear information.
2)Raise the profileofaftercarein branches to ensure thatretired members who are entitled toaftercareunder Section 117 of theMentalHealth Actare aware of their entitlement.
CONCLUSION.
In conclusion Conference felt that Care in the Community must be delivered at a personal level with personal choices and properly funded we must campaign and.
Re-assert the idea that profit and looking after people are simply and absolutely incompatible.
MOTIONS
Day 2 of Conference was taken up with motions. There were 42 motions and three emergency ones. Two were accepted and one ruled out of order. Unfortunately, the one from Waltham Forest was not amongst the 3 received.There was passionate discussion on the motion put forward by York City Branch that State Pension is not a benefit and must not be seen as such.
This was followed by discussion on Motion put by South West Region challenging the mass media portrayal of older people. Older people are characterized as being behind the times, unableand unwilling to communicate through modern technologies and hence as being in large measure responsible for their own isolation. They are disproportionately depicted as victims and objects of pity. Their cultural and social contribution to society, past and present is largely ignored. Older women and Black people are particularly vulnerable both to negative imagery and invisibility.
Retired Members - A Valuable Resource
This motion submitted by the Eastern Region that national rule c.2.6.3 retired members are excluded from holding office within a branch, other than within the retiredmembers’ organization. Many retired members have a wealth of information and experience, and in this age when people are livinglonger branches should be utilizing retired members’ expertise in order to service their membership fully.
A very fruitful debate took place on this motion and Conference called on the national retired members committee to work with the National Council to bring forward to 2017 National Delegates Conference an amendment to this rule (to allow retired members to hold office within a branch) in order that Unison may remain an efficient union with its members’ interest at the front. This motion was carried and lots of delegates wish that this motion be prioritized for national delegates conference.
Of the 42 motions 40 were discussed and carried and2 could not be discussed due to time factor. In general it was a very good Conference.
BevinBetton