At a time when Gibraltar is celebrating Workers Memorial Day and International Workers Day the Disability Society feels it pertinent to raise the issue, once again, of those with disabilities who are unable to find employment in Gibraltar. Supported employment is an issue which has been raised over many years by the Disability Society. When this Government came to power we wrote to invite the Minister of Employment Mr Bossano to meet with the Society so that we could share our knowledge, expertise and contacts, financial and otherwise, not only from the UK but also from Europe. Unfortunately despite repeated attempts to arrange a meeting we received no reply. One was finally organised by the Chief Minister Mr Picardo but by that time the Supported Employment Company had already been set up and our offer of help was declined. Several years down the line SEC is no more, having closed its doors without, in our opinion, accomplishing any significant progress towards meaningful employment for those with disabilities.
The issue of Supported Employment still seems to be misunderstood by many people. It is not a case of putting those with disabilities in “just any old job”. It is an innovative process that enables employment as an achievable goal for people with disabilities just as it is for non-disabled people in our society. The model uses a partnership strategy to enable people with disabilities to achieve sustainable long-term employment and businesses to employ valuable workers. With the involvement of vocational profiling and a job coach the disabled person and the employers receives the support needed to enable that person to be taken on as a fully entitled employee. Real jobs mean that the terms and conditions for people with disabilities should be the same as for everyone else including pay at the contracted going rate, equal employee benefits, safe working conditions and opportunities for career advancement.
The Disability Society is aware that the Government will state that there are some people with disabilities that have been put in positions of employment unfortunately most with no support. Regrettably they are a minority of those at present, and those in the future, who are desperate to fulfil their full potential, have a valued social role and to be treated as an equal member of our society.
For the second year running Debbie and Nicole manned the Disability Society stand at Gibraltar Youth Day 2019. They even found time to have their photo taken at the Youth Day photo booth! Well done to the organisers and all those that attended.
The Disability Society supported the workers from the disability services at their demonstration outside the Dr Giraldi Home. Concerns about major staff reshuffles resulting in a serious lack of continuity of care was expressed by the Society and Unite the Union. Disappointingly Panorama did not attend to report on the situation and GBC News failed to mention the attendance or press release from the Society. Here is the Society’s statement in full:
“Today having met with Unite the Disability Society is concerned that the Care Agency persists in its failure to comprehend the vital importance of continuity of care. Despite meeting regularly with the Care Agency to discuss issues within the disability services no mention has ever been made of the attempt to move staff in such a catastrophic manner. The Society is sure that disability experts, management and staff on the ground have expressed their concerns over the detrimental effect on the wellbeing of service users such a disruption will have. In 2014 the Society took up the issue of rolling contracts of several staff members in the disability service. We worked closely with Fabian Picardo on this issue and an outcome that was beneficial to the most important people, the service user, was achieved. It appears that financial motives and the use of a majority of agency staff on zero hour contracts is how the Care Agency now wishes to run the disability services. This as we all know and have seen before will lead to a regular turnover of staff and could be seen as completely unethical. The Disability Society and its members will not accept the Care Agency’s apparent attempt to railroad staff and service users into a situation that could, and has been proven, to be dangerous and not in the best interests of the most important people – the service users themselves.”
The Society wishes to give a huge thank you to the Integral Yoga Centre who have given us the generous donation of £2,172.50! The money was raised at the premier of a wonderful documentary “Energy for Life: Talia’s Story” – A mother’s love for her special needs child and her search for answers. Pictured is our Chairperson Debbie Borastero accepting the cheque from Nalanie and Michele from the Integral Yoga Centre. We have also attached links to the GBC news report on the documentary and the documentary itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50c1vZdLsgE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJlQrBP0ZJ8
The Society was very proud to be presented with the Mayor’s Community Group Award. Although the award was accepted by members of the present committee it was done so on behalf of all who served as part of the committee over the past 52 years
