Stronger, Louder, Together!
Skills for Care has published its annual Pay in the Adult Social Care Sector in England report.
This report looks at how much people working in adult social care are paid. It includes information about:
The LeDeR report has now been published after being delayed and withdrawn in December.
LeDeR could lead to real change. That is why representatives from Learning Disability England wrote to NHS England and the Minister, Dr Ahmed MP when the report was withdrawn.
As reps said at the time, “The reports are not just numbers or statistics. They are about real people who have died, often in ways that didn’t have to happen and every delay has felt like another barrier to change.”
LeDeR exists to help stop avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people. It is meant to show where systems are failing, where care is unsafe or unequal, and what needs to change to save lives.
Latest statement from the representative body:
“Getting the report published matters, but it is not enough on its own.
What matters most is that the learning from the report is used to stop the same failings from happening again. We need to be confident that fewer people will die in the future because of action being taken now.
The report shows serious unfairness and problems that are still happening. It shows that people with a learning disability and autistic people are still not getting the same healthcare as others. It shows that people are not always listened to, believed, or valued. None of this is new.
We already know many of the mistakes that are being made. We already know a lot about what needs to change – and in many cases, we have known this for a long time. What has been missing is clear action, taken quickly.
Too often, too much time is spent on writing reports instead of fixing the problems they describe. This can take attention away from what really matters: making sure people are treated fairly, get safe and good healthcare, and are valued as people whose lives matter.
Now the focus must be on doing things differently and acting on what the report tells us.”
NHS England has announced that the 2023 LeDeR report is being withdrawn and will be republished in January 2026.
LeDeR stands for Learning from Lives and Deaths of People with a Learning Disability and Autistic People.
It looks at why people with a learning disability or autistic people die earlier than others and what can be learned to stop this happening.
The report was already extremely late. It reviewed deaths in 2023, but it wasn’t published until September 2025, almost two years later.
Now it will be republished in 2026 because some of the data used was incomplete.
As a Rep Body we start by recognising how upsetting this news will be for families and carers who have already lost loved ones.
These reports are not just statistics, they represent real lives lost, often avoidably and every delay feels like another barrier to change.
If you are grieving and waiting for answers, this situation adds frustration and pain.
Incompetence, carelessness and disrespect cause lasting harm – even after someone has died.
Recent studies on parents’ trauma show us the terrible impact systems can have on people’s lives.
An update for members from Sam Clark – Chief Executive at Learning Disability England.
In the last week, I went to two of the Casey Commission’s evidence sessions to speak up for members.
This was unusual for Learning Disability England. Normally, members would take part themselves, but the Commission said only one person could attend.
The Rep Body Co-chairs and I agreed that I would go and represent all three voice groups.
The Down Syndrome Act 2022 is a law that means the government has to write clear guidance for public services like health, social care, and education on how to meet the specific needs of people with Down syndrome in England.
The Down Syndrome Association estimates there are 40,000 people with Down syndrome in the UK.
The government has now launched a draft of this statutory guidance and a public consultation to get feedback.
You can read the draft guidance here.
Learning Disability England is looking to appoint an Administration Lead to join the staff team.
This role is an important part of the organisation’s daily work. It includes leading the administration of memberships and finances, and supporting other team members with projects and events.
This notice is to announce the Learning Disability England Annual Members General Meeting for 2025.
Where
The meeting will be online over Zoom.
Responding to new report on the state of the adult social care workforce in England…
The State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England annual report from Skills for Care shares information about the people who work in adult social care – how many there are, what jobs they do, and the challenges employers are facing.
The report for 2025 has just been published, read here.
It shows that the number of jobs in social care is growing and that the number of vacant posts has fallen to 7%.
That is still high though compared to other kinds of jobs like working in a shop.
The report also showed what many people already know, which is that lots of people are leaving their jobs – this can range from 42% turnover in some organisations to 14.5% in others.
Kate Green, Member of Learning Disability England, was recently invited to be part of the Transplant Games and shares her experience in this new blog…
Going to the Transplant Games was an amazing experience. It’s a bit like the Olympics, with sports like archery, track events, volleyball, and squash.
People from different transplant centres across the UK come together to take part.
The LeDeR report for 2023, published just yesterday, shows that people with learning disabilities and autistic people are still dying far too young – on average 20 years earlier than other people.
Other key findings from the report:
Learning Disability England representative body members have responded to findings of the report: