MORE CONSULTATION ANOMALIES

There are reports that the recent "Consultation" event for "stakeholders" on 27th Sept 2006 at the Sapphire Suite in Birmingham UK lacked Mental Health Service Users .

Userwatch has heard from 3 Service Users in Birmingham with concerns about this event. 2 were told that the event was fully booked and a 3rd reports they knew of Service Users who also were told the event was fully booked .

Userwatch hears this story is going to develop because some kind of joint protest is likely to be made outside of the sticky professionalism that usually acompanies protests that Service Users were not involved . Userwatch can reveal that a report is being prepared which has some details in it of those who attended , and how many spaces and places were empty at the event.

There are some apparent deeper anomalies surrounding this event and the lack of joined up application of Section 11 of the Health & Social Care Act 2001 . There a number of Service Users and others now who are not convinced that there is a solid will to create consultations directly inside "stakeholder" spaces such as Mental Health Day Care Facilities themselves . The obvious choice anyone might think.

One Service User claims : "There is a very slippery approach by services in enfranchising our rights and giving us clear knowledge of time scales in which we could study proposals for change at our own Mental Health Day Centres "

Userswatch is aware that often proposals to vary Mental Health Day Care services are embedded in a fait accompli approach by staff who traditionally have been in charge of the process of institutional change . In the case of vulnerable adults sometimes , carers are not fully involved in learning about service variance or the right of "evidenced" consultation which their areas Overview Scrutiny Committee for Health has a legal duty to uphold ...

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