Our ethical values
In Control's work is underpinned and informed by a set of key ideas that describe our shared values and inform how we work together to bring about social change.
Diversity
Everyone is different. We all enjoy different skills, gifts and talents and we all have a need for support of some kind. We celebrate this diversity and recognise that all of our lives and communities are richer because we are all unique.
Community
As individuals and families we benefit from taking part in and contributing to our communities. Communities thrive when they are open and welcoming to all their members, regardless of their need for support. It is often necessary to make changes in our communities so that everyone can take part.
Independent living
Disabled people have long campaigned for their right to live an ordinary life as valued members of their community. We recognise and support this right.
Dignity for all
We are all entitled to be treated with respect. Too often the fact that someone has a need for additional support can mean they are not treated with dignity and respect. This is wrong. Those responsible for providing or arranging support have a duty of care and a responsibility to ensure the dignity of people who need support.
New Relationships
The way we have traditionally organised our society often means that these key principles are not felt in the everyday lives of people who need support. To address this means whole scale social change, and to stimulate this wider change, In Control is working to reform our health, social care and education systems. In Control believes that these social systems must be based upon new roles and relationships between those people working within the system and those people who rely upon them.
These reformed roles and new relationships must be characterised by:
Independence
Ensuring flexible support is available to those who need it, in a timely way, is the key to avoiding harmful and unnecessary dependence.
Interdependence
People who need support and their families will often have long established and mutually beneficial relationships. It should be the function of our social systems to support not replace these relationships.
Trust
Individuals who need support and their families should be trusted to make good decisions. People should be presumed trustworthy until proven otherwise; the rules regulating our social systems should reflect this presumption of trust.
Self-determination
Individuals who need support and their families should enjoy the maximum level of flexibility, choice and control over their support. Resources allocated to them for their support should be under their control.
Accountability
It is reasonable to expect people who need support and their families to account for how the resources they have been allocated have been used. This does not mean they should have to forgo their right to privacy or that their right to make decisions should be restricted.
Transparency, simplicity and openness
It is often difficult for people to understand how our social system works. People who need support and their families have a right to know 'the rules' of the system. Especially in relation to: what level of support they can expect and what level of control they can enjoy. Rules determining eligibility and allocation of resources should be applied fairly and openly with a view to reaching consensus. Where this is not possible, their application should be readily subject to independent challenge and review.
Sufficiency
There should be enough resources allocated to individuals who need support and their families to ensure their wellbeing and citizenship.
These principles underpin and define key roles for three groups:
Key roles
People who need support and their families
have a leading role, being free to exercise day-to-day decisions over their own life, including complete control of their support.
Our community
(leaders and organisations within them) have a welcoming and supporting role. This involves being open and welcome to all, helping people who need support to understand and access support.
Our government
has an enabling role involving: the setting of clear and open rules that structure our systems, fair administration of financial resources and stepping back to allow people and communities to thrive.
Bringing about the change
To bring about changes of this magnitude will require action beyond any one individual, organisation or political party. In Control will continue to work to stimulate and galvanise action at a community level - people power.
