UK: Abuse by paid and unpaid carers covered in new domestic abuse bill

Simbindi

Simbindi

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Baroness [Jane] Campbell secured cross-party backing for her amendments to the government’s domestic abuse bill when they were debated during its report stage on Monday.

The amendments mean that measures in the bill cover abuse not just by family members and partners but also paid care workers and personal assistants, and friends and neighbours who carry out unpaid caring duties.

The bill includes measures to create a statutory definition of domestic abuse, to establish a domestic abuse commissioner, and to place a duty on local authorities in England to provide support to survivors of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation.
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https://www.disabilitynewsservice.c...ctory-over-government-on-domestic-abuse-bill/
 
Sarah94 said:
The problem with this is that, when somebody with Very Severe ME (or even just Severe) is bring abused, they can't just be taken to a refuge. Sadly I have seen a lot of this in severe ME groups. People stay with partners/relatives who are abusing them, because moving out would be worse for their health, and/or because they have nobody else who would look after them.
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I can imagine some of them are not well enough to even be able to reach out and seek help. If not well enough without assistance and when the only assistant you have is the person abusing you.....
 
I made the post to highlight the amendments to the bill will include paid carers, unpaid carers and neighbours. This will mean that abuse from a paid carer would become a well defined criminal offence, which may deter 'casual abuse' from those who think their behaviour is acceptable.
 
Sarah94 said:
The problem with this is that, when somebody with Very Severe ME (or even just Severe) is bring abused, they can't just be taken to a refuge. Sadly I have seen a lot of this in severe ME groups. People stay with partners/relatives who are abusing them, because moving out would be worse for their health, and/or because they have nobody else who would look after them.
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Of course, this is an issue that requires much more than a single parliamentary bill to solve. It requires wholescale social change, suitable housing and a functional social care system. Beyond that there are the personal and emotional issues too.
 
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Sarah94 said:
The problem with this is that, when somebody with Very Severe ME (or even just Severe) is bring abused, they can't just be taken to a refuge. Sadly I have seen a lot of this in severe ME groups. People stay with partners/relatives who are abusing them, because moving out would be worse for their health, and/or because they have nobody else who would look after them.
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I understand this, I was in that situation as a parent with two young children for many years.
 
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