We work to inform and influence
debate, policy and legislation to improve rights and better support
services for the people that we work with.
We work across Westminster, Whitehall, the National Assembly for
Wales and local government to effect the necessary changes. Our
parliamentary activity is an important element in our wider
campaigning work.
Current
activity
Welfare Reform Bill
Turning Point is working together with organisations such as
Shelter, Citizen's Advice and the National Housing Federation to
lobby the Government on the Welfare Reform Bill. We are opposed to
the plans for the Bill to include powers to withdraw housing
benefit from people who have been evicted for anti-social
behaviour. Their benefits would be reduced if they failed to
co-operate with local rehabilitation services. These sanctions
would affect Turning Point clients with particularly complex needs
and make their situation worse.
The Bill will allow this scheme to be piloted.
Following our campaigning, however, the Government has now removed
powers from the Bill to extend the pilot
nationally.
Mental Health Bill
Turning Point continues to be an active member of the
Mental Health
Alliance. This is a coalition of
over 70 organisations, which brings together people using
mental health services, carers, voluntary sector
organisations, NHS managers, and professionals who share
common concerns about the Government's proposals to reform
the Mental Health Act 1983.
The
Government is currently taking a Bill through Parliament to amend
the Mental Health Act. Turning Point has argued strongly that the
new law should have clear principles in it, to make sure that
people who have compulsory treatment are treated appropriately and
with respect. The principles would include racial equality, respect
for diversity and we have been campaigning about the unequal
treatment of people from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds
under the current Mental Health Act. We are also seeking to make it
clear on the face of the Bill that; on the one hand, people with a
learning disability or a substance misuse problem should not be
forced to have mental health treatment unless they have a
co-existing mental health problem. On the other hand, the fact
that they have a 'dual diagnosis' should not prevent them getting
treatment if they do have a mental health
problem.
Mental Capacity Act
The Mental Health Bill is also amending the
Mental Capacity Act 2005. This is to address the so-called
'Bournewood Gap', which covers people who lack the capacity to give
informed consent to the arrangements made for their care, and who
are given care in circumstances which amount to a deprivation of
liberty under Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights
(ECHR).
The "gap" is a gap in the law - people in this
category are deprived of their liberty without due process or
adequate legal remedy. Following a ruling by the European Court of
Human Rights (ECtHR) in 2004 in the case of H.L. v The United
Kingdom (called "the Bournewood judgement", because it concerned an
autistic man who was deprived of his liberty in Bournewood
hospital), the government has committed to change the law and close
this loophole.
Turning Point is part of the Making
Decisions Alliance, a consortium of 40 charities set up to
campaign for new legislation on mental capacity and to support the
implementation of the Mental Capacity Act. The Alliance brings
together a wide range of organisations and groups, working with
people who may, for range of different reasons, have difficulty in
making or communicating decisions. The Alliance celebrated the
introduction of the Mental Capacity Act and is involved in the
implementation of the Act in 2007, including developing public
information and training for health and social care
staff.
The Making Decisions Alliance is campaigning to
ensure that people covered by the new amendments to the Mental
Capacity Act get the best possible safeguards. We have worked
closely with Government and Parliamentarians and have secured a
number of amendments to the Mental Health Bill.
The Mental Capacity
Act |
Turning Point's response to consultation on
IMCA |
Advocacy Project
Lord Adebowale
Lord Victor Adebowale is Chief Executive of
Turning Point and a Crossbench Peer. Although he obviously has
strong links with Turning Point's campaigning work he is also a
parliamentarian in his own right. The House of Lords considers
legislation, debates important issues and is also the highest court
in the United Kingdom. The Crossbench Peers are a group of
independent Lords who do not take a party political stance. Many
have specialist knowledge and experience in particular fields.
Please visit the Crossbench Peers website
for more information about their work.
To contact Lord Adebowale about wider
parliamentary issues please write to him at the House of Lords,
London, SW1A 0PW. To email him or to find out more about Turning
Point's work in Parliament please send your message to parliament@turning-point.co.uk.