On 30 October 2017, NHS Lanarkshire voted to close Douglas Ward at Udston Hospital. This decision was made without proper public or patient consultation. The ward provides crucial lifeline care to patients with complex health needs. Many of the patients have lived there for over ten years and now consider this their home, as do the relatives who visit. Its closure means that its patients will move further away from family and friends, and have less contact from loved ones and the additional support they desperately need.

The residents need peace of mind and relaxation at night so speed calming measures need to be put in place to stop our cars being damaged or written off, animals being killed and prevent the injury or death of a child as a result of people constantly excessively speeding, motorbikes doing wheelie's and mainly driving like lunatics. Our roads are used as a quick cut through, with vehicles usually driving faster than the 30 mph speed limit on a regular basis, in an attempt to beat the traffic on the busy Reading Road and then used as race tracks at night. The result of this behaviour is lots of damage to vehicles and losses of beloved animals. My daughter's car that she didn't know she had was written of by a speeding driver who fled the scene leaving no details early hours of 1st October 2017, as reported in the Henley Standard. Numerous cars have been side swiped or had wing mirrors damaged by speeding vehicles and we sit and listen to the screeching of brakes and await the bang of the collision on a regular basis in the evenings. I personally have witnessed a couple of cyclists being knocked off their bike's and motorcyclists doing wheelie's or tricks up the road, animals being hit and killed while the driver carries on their way without stopping. This needs to stop!!! It was bad enough when the road was covered in potholes but since it has been resurfaced it has become 10 times worse at least. It is only a matter of time before it becomes a pedestrian that is badly/critically injured.

As a homosexual male, most of my high school career was spent being bullied for something that I hadn't come to terms with yet. It was never explained in school the difference between acknowledging that you're gay and accepting it. I remember this was never taught in class. But why does it matter? A report for Stonewall, found that nine in ten secondary school teachers say students in their schools are bullied, harassed or called names for being – or perceived to be – lesbian, gay or bi

In a shocking 290m privatisation deal, Serco and G4S – the same two companies who were stripped of contracts for tagging prisoners because a Serious Fraud Office investigation revealed they were charging for tagging people who didn’t exist – are going to be trusted with the handcuffs by the government. Essentially, the proposals would see G4S staff given the powers of Civilian Enforcement Officers. That is, authorised officers/employees of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service becoming vested with the power to seize and sell goods to recover money owed under fines and community penalty notices, and to execute warrants of arrest, committal, detention and distraint. The sticking point here is that although much of the recovery and enforcement arms of the Court service has long been outsourced to ‘Authorised’ Enforcement Officers (employees of various other private companies), the line has until now been drawn at outsourcing the power of arrest. No more.

Their upsetting deaths go unheard and their poor working conditions, long hours of labour in the blazing heat without enough breaks, are all justified by the end result of this majestic, glorious stadium. But little do we know that the the stadium is being built on a graveyard of human bodies. The World Cup workers, who are mostly migrants from neighboring countries desperate for work, are enduring potentially life-threatening heat and humidity resulting in the deaths of hundreds of dedicated workers. The temperatures are of course inevitable, but the lack of statutory breaks imposed on the workers are not. Their passports have been confiscated and they are refused exit Visa's. So of course they are left unwillingly fixated in this tormenting and grotesque cycle of work and suffering. And this form of modern slavery has been occurring for almost 7 years now. Currently over 1000 have died from "unexpected causes" that the Qatari government neither explained nor investigated further. So once again the poor families of these workers are left in the darkness with false (and in some cases no) information regarding the death of their beloved family member. We all share one commonality... We are all humans. No life is more superior to another. Therefore EVERY life is worth saving.

Because he disabled people like myself have accidents and are unable to stand to be cleaned up or changed they cold fall or abuse injury to those who are trying to help us

We the undersigned wish to express our profound disquiet at the roll-out of digital Universal Credit (UC). The Government’s plans will continue to replace all means-tested social security benefits and tax credits for those of working age, across Greater Manchester and beyond. We believe that we should not stand for such wilful ignorance of the impacts of the new system. We urge individuals, groups, organisations, MPs, councillors, landlords and housing associations to stand in solidarity against the Universal Credit roll-out. Signed and shared by: Greater Manchester Law Centre, GM Poverty Action, Big Issue North, Salford Mayor Paul Dennett, Salford Council Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Team, Salford Star, People's Plan GM, Coffee 4 Craig, St Mungo's Unite, Kill the Housing Bill, Cllr Gary Bridges, Cllr Bev Craig, Cllr Basat Sheik, Cllr Richard Leese, Council Labour Group, Manchester Shield, Withington Lib Dems. As this catastrophe unfolds the shortcomings and blind spots of UC have increasingly become clear. The following are the six issues, faced by individuals and families, which concern us most: 1. People are experiencing waits of six to twelve weeks (sometimes longer) for their first payment of Universal Credit. Consequently, people are spiraling into debt and rent arrears which they may find it impossible to recover from. 2. Universal Credit claims can only be processed online through a system called verify which cannot be completed without requisite ID or computer access. Some of the most vulnerable people, such as those who are disabled, precariously housed, homeless or non-UK citizens, find it extremely difficult to claim. This both lengthens the waiting period for first payments and makes it difficult for individuals to maintain their claims, putting them at risk of sanctions. 3. Sanctions are being applied erratically and arbitrarily in relation to UC. There is mounting evidence highlighting unfair use of sanctions, for example individuals have received them for being at work and missing their work focused interview. Full service roll-out will also bring housing benefit into the realm of sanctions, directly increasing the risk of evictions and homelessness. 4. Under UC many will see a reduction in their financial entitlement and will be living off substantially less money. In some cases individuals will be around £100-£300 less well off per month than on previous legacy benefits like Employment and Support Allowance and Severe Disability Premium . Disabled people and those with debilitating heath conditions will be pushed further into poverty as a result. 5. Young People aged 18-25 will be disproportionately affected by UC, . For example, those aged between 18-21 will not be entitled to housing benefit under UC unless in an exempt category. The exemptions will not cover thousands of at risk young people, resulting in mounting debt and homelessness. 6. Evidence suggests that UC is pushing more children and families into poverty. Unjust elements of UC like the two child limit do not support working or non-working families. Direct links to welfare reform, specifically UC are causing professionals to highlight the risk of more children going into care and families becoming homeless. We call on the Government to halt the roll-out while all of the problems are reviewed, to avoid creating unnecessary suffering. Universal Credit, if rolled out in its current form, is a Universal Catastrophe that will place an unsustainable burden on the finances of local authorities, charitable organisations and support services who will ultimately be left to pick up the pieces.

Sefton council are proposing to take children centres away and merging them with family centres and other services. This will mean that we will no longer have our play sessions or the support for families and children it will all be targeted

There are thousands suffering due to bad or incorrect assessments this needs to be addressed and changed to provide proper medical evidence by properly qualified doctors & specialists( psychiatric &medical) not just someone with low medical training eg physiotherapists and the like.

Aldershot has never seen as many rough sleepers as it has in the last few years. For some years now a Winter shelter was provided by the council and this year apparently they cannot afford it! Street homeless people die in extreme weather . Doing nothing means the council believe it’s the problem of those who find themselves homeless, whereas truth be known it’s society’s problem. These individuals often have very complex issues- mental health and addictions etc, they are very vulnerable and need a lot of input. We cannot just cast people aside like rubbish because they don’t ‘fit’ in our community in our opinion.

Richard had a riding accident which left him in a wheelchair with spinal injuries 4 and a half years ago. He has to leave his BCC tenancy farm where he has lived for 46 years as his father has died and he was not allowed to take over the tenancy. He has unpredictable weakness in all limbs and needs 3 people to do any physio safely. He was only given 1 hour of physio every 4 weeks by the NHS and needed amulance transport to get to SMH for it so it was cancelled after a few weeks as he was too tired by the time he got there for it to be worthwile. So his friends and family who all live in North Marston or within 5 miles have set up a rota and each evening we get him out of his chair and walk a few steps and do physio on his hands which are like claws if physio is missed for a few days. Richard has suffered from sever depression since the accident and this bit of respite and regular visits has given him a new lease of life. He is in an electric wheelchair so cannot use public transport. His two small sons also live within North Marston and he loves to go in is wheelchair to school and see them... all this will be denied if he gets moved out o the vilage. He has a live in carer due to his dependency and cannot move himself or take care of any basic needs without her help. There is a VAHT property in North Marston tht has been empty for 9 months. It needs some adaptions but as I understand it grants are available It doesn't currently have a wet room but nor does his current property as he was refused a grant to adapt it by BCC.

kids in care are mounded by the system with rules regulations and professional boundaries. at the age of 18 they become adults yet are so venerable