Govt rejects Equal Lives plea for investigation into Norfolk Council Care Act breaches

Care minister Alistair Burt dismisses user-group’s request for a CQC probe into Norfolk Council’s adult social care department.

Disability group Equal Lives wrote to health secretary Jeremy Hunt in March urging him to order the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to inspect Norfolk Council.

Equal Lives reported Norfolk Council to the Care Quality Commission in February this year because:

eligibility thresholds had been raised and care package reviews were being used to reduce, or completely withdraw, support for people regardless of need.
a decision to remove ‘wellbeing’ payments for personal budget holders in 2014 had had a “devastating impact” on service users’ lives.

Equal Lives are a member of Disability Rights UK.