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Lib Dems listen to your concerns. And commit.
Posted Friday 28 September 2012
We asked you which mental health issues mattered most to you right now. And you told us that the biggest changes you needed were better mental health services and a fair benefits system; these were having the most impact on your life.
Armed with this information, we headed off to the Liberal Democrat conference. This was the third Lib Dem conference since they became part of the coalition in 2010, and the first since the reshuffle. We met many MPs, including former mental health Minister Paul Burstow, his successor Norman Lamb, and Work and Pensions Minister Steve Webb. We told them about the huge challenges you’re dealing with each and every day as you struggle to get the support you deserve.
On the whole, we felt that Liberal Democrat MPs and delegates were interested in mental health, and showed a reasonable understanding of the issues.
We asked MPs which mental health issues were important to their constituents. It seems your experiences are mirrored across the country: MPs reported that people want better access to services, changes to the benefits system to make it fair, help with employment issues and high quality crisis care. At least two MPs told us about constituents who desperately needed help but couldn’t find the right kind of support. Every MP knew about ATOS and the work capability assessment (WCA) challenges, and we sensed a growing level of disquiet amongst Lib Dems around this issue.
Each year, there is a formal debate at the Lib Dem conference and this can influence which issues the party fights for. We were really pleased that mental health was chosen as one of the issues to be debated, and there was a particular focus on the inequalities faced by people from black and minority ethnic communities who have mental health problems. Delegates stood up to speak about their own experiences and those of their constituents, and went on to pass a motion that called for better access to mental health to be made a priority. Norman Lamb spoke passionately about his own commitment to mental health - a good sign for the next couple of years as we fight your corner and urge change.
Two years into coalition, it seems the Lib Dems are clearer about what they can and can’t do. You could hear people singing the “sorry” song that’s been made famous everywhere following the Lib Dem’s U-turn on tuition fees; it was almost cathartic. But I get the distinct impression that they now know what they want their legacy to be - and improving mental health is a clear part of it.
Paul Farmer
CEO, Mind
10 Comments
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I am very pleased that the Lib Dems appear to show more compasion than their coalition partners. My biggest concern however, is how is the damage already done going to be repaired? As they are aware of the issues to be resolved and of the dreadful misthought ATOS assessments that have exacerbated mental ill health. How can they as the smaller party ensure the PM listens?
I became a statistic again this year as was referred back to MH services for the first time in 17 years and awaiting referrals to services took months. The minimal support I have had has been good, however it was to little and to late causing a 'blip' to again become a longer term illness. This never should have happened if MH services had not been hit by cuts and I do feel let down by a underfunded system. I have not even claimed as yet any benefits as ATOS horror stories have made me unwilling to even apply.
I will always support the work of mental health charities and MH Trusts that are incorporating 'recovery based services' but my view of the coalition in the way they have stigmatised individuals with long-term conditions will be harder to support. I have written twice to my conservative MP on cuts and poor access to services, both replies appeared to be standared letters not answering a single concern I had raised.
I think the Lib Dems are monopolised by the majority party and Mr Cameron should actually meet face to face with service users whose condition has been exacerbated by their policies. -
What they promise is irrelevant. They have proven time and again they can't be trusted.
The notion that the Lib Dems are powerless over issues such as ATOS are ridiculous. What DWP-ATOS are doing is institutionally prejudiced towards people with disabilities. If the Lib Dems won't draw a red line on this issue, they are spineless.
Only when changes are actually implemented should any politician be commended.
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They voted with the tories and labour on the cuts to welfare and services. They never spoke out against Atos and political hatred which the media have delivered to the public resulting in the biggest rise in disability hate crime.
What part of this constitutes listening and commitment - actions speak louder than words, words are easy. We don't want sorry songs nor you covering for them -
Hey Paul, when they've taken all our incomes and sold the NHS and we can't afford to live and we're all on the streets with no money, food, home or medical care - can we all come and live with you in your nice comfy warm home that you don't fear having taken from you and eat the food in your cupboard? Will you pay for our healthcare too?
If you let me kip on your sofa when Nick Clegg and his mates make me destitute, I'll write you as many songs as you like. -
We're on our own and its about time we realised that.
Policies are leading to death its like mental torture and getting help is more to do with luck than need.I'm too tired to argue anymore, politicans and mental health charities are in league for their own purposes, its like a different world and we dont belong in it
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/02/labour-cuts-welfare-liam-byrne
so labour thinks they are not hard enough..just open workhouses..I agree Linda
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Linda is right, we are all on our own. I personally do not trust anybody involved in welfare reform.
The game is to try and make us work mostly unpaid, threaten us in the process with sanctions, benefit cuts etc. Anyone who does not comply will probably end up in some sort of institution.
Mental Health service users will always be treated badly, History has always shown that. Money to be made off their backs in the good times, scapegoat in the bad. History also shows who is often behind the behaviour. trust none of them. thats how it is unfortunately.
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The way I perceive it is, just like party political organisations, mental health charities don't seem to gain their legitimacy from those they purport to represent and serve. No, they seem to have gain it from a sceptical uniformed, prejudiced public and power mongers who have little stake in the meaning and values of the charity. So perhaps the reason why we so often feel their voice in representing us is so weak is maybe they have an unconnected public to please in raising funds? And lets not forget governmental funding which I'm sure the charities take advantage of too. If they throw too many toys out of the pram there probably paranoid about losing it. So it they perhaps have to stick to the old mantra of, 'what do we want'? - 'radical change'- 'when do we want it'? - 'IN DUE COURSE'! But not at the risk of losing funding cause that probably means losing our jobs.
Just an observation. this does not necessarily represent the views of anyone but me.
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Thanks for all of your comments. I wanted to respond to the general points you’ve made about our cautious optimism, following the party conference. On welfare reform, we very much share your anger about the way the current system treating people with mental health problems. We’ve consistently spoken out about the serious failings of the Work Capability Assessment, the inappropriate focus on conditions and sanctions, and the anxiety and harm that this is causing. Clearly we are a long way off perfecting the system, and Mind will continue to fight for significant changes in this area. However, we did take heart from the fact that this year, every single backbench MP (i.e. MPs that are not Ministers) we spoke to knew exactly what we were talking about. What’s more, they had all heard from constituents who had been poorly treated by the system, and they were willing to take action on it. It’s a small victory in a massive fight, and it’s frustrating that it has taken so long for MPs to understand the damage that the welfare reform agenda is inflicting. But nevertheless it does mean that the message is getting through at last and momentum is building. My view is that we need to do all we can to harness this momentum. All three parties will now be starting to think about the next general election, and about which policies are going to win it for them. Backbench MPs have an important role to play in shaping party policy, and the more they hear from you and from us, the more likely they are to speak to their own Ministers and policy makers.
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I too agree with Linda. I am completely alone and have absolutely no one to share my terror with. These reforms have made me iller than ever. This is hell.
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