Plans to force disabled people into residential care when support costs become too dear breach human rights, it has been claimed
The claim came as members of Glasgow's social care board refused to back the city's social work department over the controversial policy.
Anne Marie Monaghan, an NHS representative on Glasgow's Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “I am concerned that there is a ceiling and if your social care needs are greater than the cost of residential care, you may have to go into residential care.
"It is driven by finance and it undermines a lot of people’s human rights.”
Concerns were raised as the council's chief Social Work Officer Susanne Millar sought backing for the current policy for allocating resources to those needing social care.
But representatives on Glasgow’s health and social care partnership refused to approve the policy. Under self-directed support, people are supposed to be able to choose their own care and live independently if they wish to.
Glasgow's policy, like those of many other councils across Scotland, allows services only to those deemed in critical or substantial need. It also warns such care cannot continue to be provided if it would cost too much.
Ms Monaghan added: "I am worried the people most disadvantaged by this policy will be people with learning disabilities and I fear we will see hordes of young people ending up back in residential care because it is unaffordable to support them in the community.”
She also said the HSCP should have been given an equality impact assessment carried out by the council but it has not been published.
Another board member Dr Simon Carr said he was “really alarmed” that progress on independent living appeared to be being rolled back, with people compelled to go into institutional living for financial reasons while NHS representative Jacqueline Forbes said there was an implicit message in the policy: “If your care package becomes too expensive, you will be forced into residential care.”
Suzanne Millar, the council’s chief social work officer was taken aback by the reaction and said she had not anticipated the level of concern about the measures.
She admitted the failure to provide the equality impact assessment was “not good enough”, but insisted there was no cap on the price of care packages.
Meanwhile she said that if it was too expensive for people to be supported to live independently, they could be supported in group settings.
“Young people will absolutely not be in residential or nursing care,” Ms Millar said. “We do have to look at group-living situations for these young people.”
When the chair, Mhairi Hunter, attempted to pass the policy a series of board members said they were not willing to back it. Dr Carr said “Board members have the right to reject the policy where it is incomplete”
The board eventually agreed that the policy should continue at present but demanded more information and sight of the Equality Impact Assessment. The council will now consult with service users. However the council's use of Self-directed support is also under scrutiny from Audit Scotland, who are expected to publish a report in August.
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