Social model v bio-psychosocial model
the roots of welfare reform
Debbie Jolly
Social Model 1980s
Those with
impairments
disabled by society’s
attitudes and barriers
roots: disabled activists and
academics
Problem: social and
attitudinal barriers,
capitalism/corporatism
Solution: activism, policy
change, independent userled organisations active in
leading challenges
Medical model 1900s
Bodies and minds to be
fixed/cured
Roots: professionalism
Problem: individual and lack of
function/ways we are not
viewed as ‘normal’
Solution: rehabilitation, drugs,
therapy by professionals who
‘know what’s best’
Bio-psychosocial model 1990s
Developing a ‘can do’
attitude, ‘work can
set you free’
Roots: private insurance,
corporatism, welfare
reform/cuts
Problem: individual, welfare
‘dependency’, adopting a
‘sick role’
Solution: remove
social/financial support,
promote ‘work as therapy’
and bizarre ‘think yourself
well’ mantras
The rise of the Bio-psychosocial model
• Key players: Unum insurance, Atos, Department for Work and
Pensions (DWP)-shifting of key staff from one to the other
• 1992 Unum’s vice chair Lo Casio brought in to ‘manage claims’ set
descriptors and bring in a team of non medical assessors for the
DWP’s ‘all work test’
• Gaining ‘Academic credibility’ through Centre for Psychosocial &
Disability Research Cardiff University funded by Unum Insurance
2004-2009
• Unum and Atos developed personal capability assessment (PCA)
and the work capability assessment (WCA) used by Atos
• Set of conferences hosted by Unum from ‘Health and Well- Being’ to
recent ‘Forum for Disability Management’
Social Model
v
The social model has been used
very successfully by
campaigners, protesters,
advocates, activists and active
user-led organisations to move
disabled people in the UK to a
position that developed
disabled peoples’ rights and
support.
__________________________
Process: gathering all
resources to fight injustice
Bio-psychosocial
The bio-psychosocial model is
being used very successfully
by politicians, DWP, insurance
and multinational corporate
companies to strip disabled
people of rights and support, to
develop a denial of disability, to
move disabled people back to
a position of no rights and no
support.
_________________________
Process: the Work capability
assessment by Atos
“The core of the psychosocial
argument is that illness is too
important to be left to traditional,
disease based bio-medical
explanations alone, as these are
not sufficient to explain all or
many illnesses…We need to take
into account beliefs, expectations
and attitudes which affect illness
behaviours and disability. The biopsychosocial model needs
reviewing to reflect people’s ability
to moderate illness behaviour to
aid their recovery”
Professor Halligan Cardiff university
In 2004 Atos conference special
‘Rapport’
Summary
Bio-psychosocial: causing estimated 32 deaths/suicides per week,
people being left to depend on family/friends ‘handouts’, losing their
homes
Medical: in many ways this moves up in the league. Process of the
work capability assessment condemned by British Medical
Association thanks to a campaign by Black Triangle. BMA said it
should ‘stop with immediate effect’
Social Model: activism, mutual support , protest, fighting through legal
options, demonstrations - need to add to that: strong, independent,
active user-led groups and organisations working from the social
model and for human rights- they need to stay away from the
corporate .
Do we need to add a corporate model?
5th conference on independent living is being run by corporate giant
Capita, as part of the conference there is a half day on ‘self
management of long term conditions’. The corporates are gaining
influence on some of our ‘user-led’ organisations
Fight back/solutions?
• Add to protests and campaigns through your time and through social
media.
• Increase local grass root DPAC groups
• Increase wider outreach- get the messages out
• Develop more alliances with other anti-cuts/human rights groups
• Push through more legal challenges, get information out to human
rights organisations at international level and to the media.
• Urge more MP’s to join in the fight back/raising our issues
• Urge more user-led groups and organisations to act! Challenge
those that don’t
• Develop a new coalition of active disabled people and active user
led groups
Challenge Everything!!!
Email: mail@dpac.uk.net
Web: www.dpac.uk,net
Twitter: @Dis_Ppl_Protest
Facebook: DPAC group