Disability Society: "Lack Of Continuity Of Care Is Detrimental To The Service User"

The Disability Society has noted Unite the Union’s recent press release regarding short term and insecure employment contracts.
A statement from the Disability Society follows below:
For many years the Society has repeatedly publicly condemned short term contracts and the devastating effects it can have on continuity of care of the users of the disability services. As far back as 2014 we publicly condemned the use of 11 month contracts. In 2019 the Society wrote to the Chief Minister expressing concerns regarding the agreement the Government had reached with Unite that has changed the amount of time from 12 months to 12 weeks, in line with the UK, under which workers acting in post can achieve the same rights as those they work alongside who have permanent contracts.
The reduction from 12 to 3 months obviously caused huge issues with management moving staff almost constantly within the disability services to avoid them gaining the same rights as permanent staff. Whilst the Society understood that this agreement with the Union was made with consideration of staff employed throughout all of the Government services, it was felt that at no time was consideration given to the effect this would have on the service users and their families in the disability services.
Months and even years of work by dedicated teams of staff to address issues of challenging behaviour can be undone by such disruption in a matter of days. The result of this situation was upheaval in the disability services. This led to services users becoming unsettled and resulting in incidents. Once again the Society must point out to Government that the lack of continuity of care is detrimental to the service user. Surely it is not difficult to understand that the services will always require permanent staff. It is also a fact that there will, sadly, always be an increase in numbers of service users. As such, the issues of short term contracts, insecure employment contracts and the constant use of supply workers must cease.
The Disability Society would also take the opportunity to once again call for independent inspections of all the disability services.
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