Turning Point's chief executive, Lord Adebowale, has warned that the disability sector is facing a "difficult time" because of government cuts.
Adebowale, a crossbench peer who is also chair of Social Enterprise UK, was speaking at a fringe event at the Labour Party Conference yesterday, when he said that beneficiaries of learning disability charities such as his were at “serious risk” because of the pressures facing disability charities.
He said: “Organisations like mine are facing a difficult time at the moment. The issues facing us are going to be about the costs of providing our service safely while facing massive cuts.
“We need to work in partnership with local government but I’m very worried about the viability of many of our services frankly.”
Social Vaule Act needs teeth
He also called on a potential Labour government to “put teeth back into” the Social Value Act.
Adebowale said the legislation, which came into force in 2013, was a “potential game changer” but had been watered down in its passage through Parliament.
He said: “It was one of the fastest acts to pass through the Palace of Westminster, which is usually a cause for concern. If something goes through Westminster that quickly, you know on the way out it has had a lot of its teeth taken out.”
The Co-operative and Labour Party councillor Emma Hoddinott said: “I know as a local councillor that two thirds of councils are not using the act.”
Adebowale said he would like to see a commissioning model that “is not about procurement or contracting” but is based around the needs of individuals and communities using the service.
He outlined four tests for which he said all public commissioning processes should pass:
- Power transferred
- People being listened to
- Design of service has to be explained in a sentence
- Outcomes have to be at worst co-designed, at best designed by the service user
A government review of the Act is due to take place this year. Charities minister Tracey Crouch said in response to a Parliament question in July that an announcement would be made “in due course”.
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