Latest News – Page 4 – Learning Disability England

Notice to all members

Date: 19/10/2023

There is now a date set for the next members meeting.

This year it will be happening online over Zoom.

These meetings are for us to speak about the work that has been happening for the organisation over the last year and what will be happening in the future.

It will also go over Learning Disability England’s accounts which is how much money has come in and out.

There will also be an opportunity for members to make some decisions or ask questions.

When

The meeting will happen on the 6th December 2023.

What time

The meeting will start at 10am.

We think the meeting will last 1 hour.

Voting Resources Hub – 2024

Date: 11/4/2024

Accessible resources and information to help you use your vote or support others to use theirs in the upcoming elections

Local elections are set to be held in the United Kingdom in some areas in May 2024.

These elections will be a chance for you to decide who runs local services like schools, care for the elderly and disabled and libraries.

Find out if there will be elections in your area here

The General Election will be happening later in 2024 we think

Leadership training for people with learning disabilities and autistic people

Date: 23/2/2023

In 2022, Learning Disability England heard from some people that there is not a lot of leadership or speaking-up training that includes minority ethnic people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

We were also told that training about different people’s experiences and anti-racist practice is not accessible to many autistic people and people with learning disabilities.

We learnt about this by working with people and organisations as part of the Equal Treatment and Working Together to get the job done projects.

Learning Disability England wanted to find out what leadership or similar training there is aimed at or led by people with learning disabilities or autistic people.

Accessible Information Standard: Action to update the standard

Date: 9/2/2023

Healthwatch has written an open letter to NHS England to improve the Accessible Information Standard (AIS).

You can read the letter here

This has been signed by eight other members of the Your Care, Your Way campaign, including Learning Disability England.

The Your Care, Your Way campaign is trying to help make sure people are receiving healthcare in the way they understand.

All providers of NHS care or other publicly-funded adult social care must meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS).

We all want to live a good life – just the ‘gloriously ordinary’ kind

Date: 2/2/2023

We looked at the map of fees paid to support providers that the Association For Real Change (ARC England) Learning Disability Research Unit has shared.

It shows that most Councils are not paying as much as it costs to run the services.

You can see the map here.

As member reps at Learning Disability England our 1^st reaction was fear.

We are scared what the reality of his map means for people who draw on support and their families.

We hear stories of people struggling, becoming unwell and crisis.

Shared visions for ‘Human Flourishing, ‘a gloriously ordinary life’ and everyone living their ‘Good Lives’

Date: 25/1/2023

“We have all the evidence and many of the steps we need – lets work together for all our ‘Good Lives’.

We welcome the Reimagining Care Commission report and the principles of trust, empathy, inclusion and human flourishing. The inquiry report calls for a ‘fundamental and comprehensive redesign of care and support’ that includes those principles.

For many people with learning disabilities and their families there are extra barriers to them living their Good Lives but the 3 actions the inquiry suggests including rethinking attitudes would go a long way to the shared vision of flourishing, gloriously ordinary or Good Lives.”

Representative body members Scott Watkin and Kate Chate

In December 2022 we saw ‘a gloriously ordinary life’ report from the House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee.

On the 24th January 2023 the Reimaging care report was published.

Easy read version

The reports talk about some of the core changes that we want to see happen in adult social care and how we get there.

Both say that adult social care is a service that should and can enable people to live Good Lives.

Read more about what people told us is needed to live Good Lives

The right support has great value.

Making plans if there are power cuts this winter

Date: 16/12/2022

Blog from Emma Smith, Policy Lead at Learning Disability England.

It is really important to look after yourself and others this winter.

Some people are worried about energy.

Not just about how much it costs but also what to do if there is a shortage or no power at all.

Energy providers want to make people aware that is very unlikely that will be power cuts this winter.

But they are also giving the public information on what they can do, just in case.

Protecting Our Human Rights

Date: 30/11/2022

Blog from Gary Bourlet

Membership and Engagement Lead at Learning Disability England

As you may know, the government wants to replace The Human Rights Act with a Bill of Rights.

This has raised some concerns for me and our members about how our human rights will be affected if this happens.

The Human Rights Act 1998 was passed with cross-party support by parliament; it does not belong to any one particular political party.

Our Human Rights Act takes 16 of the human rights in the European Convention on Human Rights and pulls them down into our law here at home.

It’s so important that we safeguard our human rights, and nothing is left out.

We already had The Disability Discrimination Act disappear in 2010.

I am very concerned about people with learning disabilities and autistic people’s rights being watered down further with the introduction of The Bill of Rights.

Coronavirus and People with Learning Disabilities Study: Can you help?

Date: 17/11/2022

Do you have a learning disability?

Are you from a minoritised ethnic background?

If so, the Coronavirus and People with Learning Disabilities research team want to hear from you!

Watch a video about why your voice is important.

And needs to be heard.

Watch the video here

Want to find out how to take part?

And what you might be asked about?

Watch the video here

Do you have a learning disability?

Are you from a minoritised ethnic background?

If so, the Coronavirus and People with Learning Disabilities research team want to hear from you!

Watch a video about why your voice is important.

And needs to be heard.

Watch the video here

Want to find out how to take part?

And what you might be asked about?

Watch the video here

Employment and contribution

Date: 1/11/2022

People have told us that employment and contribution are one of the most important things that help them to be able to lead a good life.

Chapter 6 of Good Lives: Building Change Together brings together people’s thoughts and ideas about employment and contribution as part of what it will take for everyone with learning disabilities to be able to live their good life.

As Gary Bourlet, self advocate and 1 of the Membership and Engagement Leads said, “It is part of what makes us human.”

Gary decided to speak to some members about why it is important to them.

And to hear about some of the different ways people choose to contribute.