Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services

Women and Equalities Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 9 Jun 2020 Closed: 4 Nov 2021 Parliament page
Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services Watch a British Sign Language explainer video for the Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services: full Report Watch a British Sign Language explainer video for the Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services: interim Report on temporary provisions in … Read more
23 Recommendations
12 Conclusions
2 Reports
3 Oral sessions
7 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 14 events
17 May
2021
Correspondence
14 Apr
2021
Report published
13 Apr
2021
Correspondence
13 Apr
2021
Correspondence
18 Mar
2021
Correspondence
18 Mar
2021
Correspondence
23 Feb
2021
Correspondence
25 Jan
2021
Report published
22 Dec
2020
Report published
5 Nov
2020
Correspondence
25 Sep
2020
Report published
2 Sep
2020
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
2 Sep 2020
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Antonia Williams · HM Treasury Helen Whately MP · Department of Health and Social Care Justin Tomlinson · Department for Work and Pensions Martin Woolhead · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Sarah Baker · Disability Unit Vicky Ford · Department of Education Victoria Prentis · Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
22 Jul 2020
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Ali Fidy · Independent Provider of Special Education Advice Celia Ingham-Clark MBE · NHS England Charlotte Ramsden · Association of Directors of Children’s Services Kate Terroni · Care Quality Commission Professor Gillian Leng CBE · NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) Simon Williams · Local Government Association
24 Jun 2020
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Edel Harris · Mencap Fazilet Hadi · Disability Rights UK Ms Ayla Ozmen · Action on Hearing Loss Sarah Hughes · Centre for Mental Health
Recommendations & Conclusions
14 results
Clear
1 Recommendation Not Addressed
1st Report - Unequal impact? Coron…
We were unable properly to scrutinise the effects of Care Act easements on disabled people...
We were unable properly to scrutinise the effects of Care Act easements on disabled people because there are no published data, for example on the number and categories of people, or the types of social care services, affected. The Government … Read more
Government Response
The government states that Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) published its findings, but with available data, it was not possible to reach clear conclusions on the specific impact of Care Act easements. The response doesn't commit to publishing additional specific data before future parliamentary reviews, defending the appropriate use of easements and describing existing monitoring instead.
Government Equalities Office
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4 Conclusion
1st Report - Unequal impact? Coron…
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated pre-existing systemic problems in the social care system,...
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated pre-existing systemic problems in the social care system, including urgent need for: a more sustainable funding solution; resolution of workforce issues, including low pay, poor progression and high staff turnover; and much closer … Read more
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10 Conclusion Not Addressed
1st Report - Unequal impact? Coron…
The “reasonable endeavours” duty in relation to Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans is a...
The “reasonable endeavours” duty in relation to Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans is a nebulous concept, which has been inconsistently interpreted and poorly understood by some local authorities, whose support for children and young people with special educational needs … Read more
Government Response
The government response does not address the conclusion about the 'reasonable endeavours' duty for EHC Plans, instead providing text related to Care Act easements and their review.
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1 Conclusion Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
We welcome the Government’s decision to discontinue the Coronavirus Act’s Mental Health Act provisions, which...
We welcome the Government’s decision to discontinue the Coronavirus Act’s Mental Health Act provisions, which potentially relaxed requirements for sectioning, against the grain of overdue and much-needed reforms, and which thankfully proved to be unnecessary in England. We will continue … Read more
Government Response
The government response does not address the committee's comments on Mental Health Act, Care Act, or Children and Families Act provisions; instead, it discusses ensuring fair access to food in shops.
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5 Recommendation Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
Ministers paused the national shielding programme in August and in September asserted that “we need...
Ministers paused the national shielding programme in August and in September asserted that “we need to get away from the food parcel model”, without offering any evidence of the Government’s assessment of the level of disabled people’s needs for help … Read more
Government Response
The government's response did not address the recommendation to publish an assessment of disabled people's food access needs or a plan for reviewing local support arrangements; instead, it discussed NHS health checks and mask wearing.
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6 Conclusion Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
We will continue to push for greater accountability and transparency while Care Act easements remain...
We will continue to push for greater accountability and transparency while Care Act easements remain available to local authorities and for their swift repeal should the pandemic become more clearly under control before or at the next six-monthly parliamentary review, … Read more
Government Response
The government's response did not address the committee's conclusion regarding Care Act easements, instead discussing clear face masks and funding for social care, which relates to other recommendations.
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7 Conclusion Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
Early in the pandemic, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) critical care...
Early in the pandemic, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) critical care guidelines and doctors’ inappropriate or blanket use of “Do not attempt resuscitation” (DNAR) notices were potentially discriminatory. While we welcome actions taken swiftly to address … Read more
Government Response
The government's response did not address the committee's conclusion regarding discriminatory practices in DNARs and critical care guidelines, instead discussing social care funding.
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8 Recommendation Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
The Equality Act 2010’s Public Sector Equality Duty is intended to ensure public authorities have...
The Equality Act 2010’s Public Sector Equality Duty is intended to ensure public authorities have due regard, including in their decision making, policies and service delivery, to achieving the Act’s objectives, which include the elimination of discrimination against groups of … Read more
Government Response
The government's response did not address the recommendation for it to consent to a statutory Code of Practice on the Public Sector Equality Duty, instead focusing on social care funding.
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9 Recommendation Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
Prior to the pandemic, people with learning disabilities experienced health inequalities and faced difficulties accessing...
Prior to the pandemic, people with learning disabilities experienced health inequalities and faced difficulties accessing healthcare and receiving accurate diagnoses and effective treatments. They had increased risks of dying from a range of illnesses, including respiratory infections. These problems have … Read more
Government Response
The government response does not address the recommendation about setting targets for the reintroduction of annual health checks for people with learning disabilities, instead discussing a new plan for education for children with special educational needs.
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10 Recommendation Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
The widespread adoption of continuous facemask wearing in health and social care settings has made...
The widespread adoption of continuous facemask wearing in health and social care settings has made effective communication impossible for patients and healthcare professionals who lip-read, and much more difficult for Deaf people who use British Sign Language and people with … Read more
Government Response
The government's response discusses funding for special educational needs and disability (SEND) education, not addressing the recommendation regarding clear facemasks or the request for updates on their distribution and assessment of need.
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12 Recommendation Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
The Government must bring forward a social care reform package, which includes the whole sector,...
The Government must bring forward a social care reform package, which includes the whole sector, in this financial year. There has been a tendency by successive governments to focus on the problem of rising costs of caring for elderly people, … Read more
Government Response
The government's response discusses optional training for Ministers on communicating with disabled people, completely failing to address the recommendation for a comprehensive social care reform package addressing funding, workforce issues, and integration of services.
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13 Conclusion Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
Our interim Report made several recommendations about how the Secretary of State should use his...
Our interim Report made several recommendations about how the Secretary of State should use his powers in relation to duties towards children and young people’s educational, health and care needs, if they are required again during the pandemic. We also … Read more
Government Response
The government's response highlights its efforts to provide accessible information about Coronavirus and collaborate with disability organizations, but it does not address the committee's points on the Secretary of State's powers or guidance regarding children and young people's SEND needs.
Government Equalities Office
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14 Recommendation Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
Delivering effective support for children and young people with SEND during a public health crisis...
Delivering effective support for children and young people with SEND during a public health crisis was inevitably a massive challenge, to which some local authorities were unable to rise. The pandemic demonstrated and exacerbated a widely acknowledged pre-existing crisis in … Read more
Government Response
The government's response discusses British Sign Language provision in the House of Commons, completely failing to address the recommendation on prioritizing and publishing the SEND review.
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16 Recommendation Not Addressed
Fourth report: Unequal impact? Cor…
We agree that catch up funding should be weighted towards children who have been “hardest...
We agree that catch up funding should be weighted towards children who have been “hardest hit” by disruption to their education. We know that many children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be in the hardest hit group; … Read more
Government Response
The government's response discusses the Equality Hub's work on making coronavirus information accessible, completely failing to address the recommendation for increased and ring-fenced catch-up funding for pupils with SEND or an additional strand of specialist provision.
Government Equalities Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 34 of 23 classified
Accepted 2
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 9
Deferred 4
Not Addressed 13
Rejected 5
Total 23 recs + 12 conclusions
Correspondence 7 letters
17 May 2021 Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families to the Chair relating to the Committee’s report ‘Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services: full Report’
Parliament page
13 Apr 2021 Correspondence from the Minister for Care to the Chair relating to the Temporary Coronavirus Act provisions affecting disabled people
Parliament page
13 Apr 2021 Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Chair for Children and Families relating to the Temporary Coronavirus Act provisions affecting disabled people
Parliament page
18 Mar 2021 Correspondence to the Minister for Care relating to the Temporary Coronavirus Act provisions affecting disabled people
Parliament page
18 Mar 2021 Correspondence to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families relating to the Temporary Coronavirus Act provisions affecting disabled people
Parliament page
23 Feb 2021 Correspondence to the Chair from the Equality and Human Rights Commission relating to the Committee’s recommendations in Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services
Parliament page
5 Nov 2020 Correspondence from the Minister for Disabled People to the Chair regarding their appearance before the Committee
Parliament page