Stronger, Louder, Together!
Today, members of Learning Disability England have taken an open letter to 10 Downing Street.
The letter asks the new Prime Minister to make the health of people with learning disabilities a priority.
The letter was organised by members of Learning Disability England.
In this blog, Simba Ngwarati, Percussianist with the CityLits Orchestra, shares how music helps him tell stories, express his feelings and connect with others. He also reflects on this year’s Learning Disability Week theme, Do You See Me?, and explains why it is important for people with learning disabilities to be able to explore their talents and have their voices heard.
My name is Simba, I grew up in Zimbabwe and I moved to the UK in 2007.
For me, I grew up listening to reggae music early in life as my mum used to play it a lot, and that’s how my love for music started.
This Carers Week, Family Member Representatives of Learning Disability England – Kate Chate, Liz Wilson, Paula Strike and James O’Rourke – reflect on this years theme ‘Building Carer Friendly Communities’.
The theme of this years Carers Week ‘Building Carer Friendly Communities’ is a reminder to recognise, value and support carers in every part of society, including the workplace.
As Family Member Representatives, we know members share a commitment to people with learning disabilities, and to the families and carers who support them.
We also know that one cannot live a good life without the other.
Statement from the Co-Chairs of the Members Representative Body
We want to let members know about a change to the Members Representative Body (Rep Body).
As many of you know, Marianne Selby Boothroyd has stepped down from the Rep Body because she has joined the Learning Disability England staff team.
We are very happy for Marianne and pleased that we will continue working with her in her new role.
We would also like to thank her for everything she gave to the Rep Body in her time as a member rep.
Read more “Changes to the Members Representative Body “
The UK Supreme Court has changed the way the law on whether a disabled person is being deprived of their liberty if they cannot make the decision themselves.
This means that the rules on Deprivation Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) has changed.
The Court has ruled that the long-standing “acid test” should no longer be used on its own.
The acid test asked two questions:
If the answer to the first question was yes and the second was no, then the person could be deprived of their liberty.
Instead some new things must now be looked at when deciding if someone is deprived of their liberty.
It is 15 years since the TV programme that showed the abuse and bad treatment of people with learning disabilities at Winterbourne View.
Since then, there has been a government plan but still not enough has changed.
Many people with learning disabilities, families and staff have worked to try to change things.
Learning disability England supports there good work and will carry on speaking up with them for change so people live good lives.
As we approach the 15th anniversary of the BBC Panorama investigation that exposed abuse at Winterbourne View, self-advocate Steven Chapman reflects on his work challenging institutionalisation and the role peer advocacy plays in supporting people to leave long-stay hospitals.
His work is just one example of the determination and leadership shown by people with learning disabilities, families and allies over the past 15 years to fight for people’s rights to live safe, good lives in their communities.
Learning Disability England is recruiting a Project Co-Ordinator.
The Project Co-Ordinator will join the team on a 2-year basis to manage a grant funded project. This is an important project, and the role will lead Learning Disability England’s contribution to tackling unfairness in cancer care for people with a learning disability from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
The postholder will work closely with people with learning disabilities, families and health and social care partners to deliver this project.
The job is part-time, working 22.5 hours per week. It is a home-based role with some travel expected. The salary for the job is £32,000 – £35,000 full time (£19,200 – £21,000 for this role).
We particularly welcome applications from people from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented in our organisation.
Read more “Project Co-ordinator Position: Tackling Cancer Care Inequalities for People with a Learning Disability”
In this blog, Lorna Rouse, researcher from The Open University, speaks about migraine in people with learning disabilities. She shares what she has learned and invites people to take part in a survey to help plan future research.
I am a researcher interested in healthcare for people with learning disabilities and I have lived with migraine since the age of 5.
So I was intrigued to find this presentation about migraine in people with learning disabilities:
Gary Bourlet, Membership and Engagement Lead at Learning Disability England, shares why he believes hope is important if we want good lives for all people with learning disabilities.
People with learning disabilities, and their families, have spent a long time fighting for their basic rights.
Lots of people are still fighting. There are still difficult and unfair things happening to people with learning disabilities.