Learning Disability Coalition

Social care research centre announced – Learning Disability Coalition responds

30 May 2008

Heather Honour, Director of the Learning Disability Coalition, welcomes the Department of Health's plans for a new National School for Social Care Research, announced today. But she warns of overlooking the complex social care needs of people with a learning disability:

"Urgent research is needed into the demographic, social and economic trends that affect demand for services for people with a learning disability. Without this data it is not possible to plan the social care services that are needed for the 120,000 people with a learning disability who currently receive a service, nor for those who are currently excluded from care, but desperately need it.

“The Government must gather and assess this evidence if they are to allocate the right funding to meet the needs of people with a learning disability within the social care system - now and in the future.

“The Coalition will be seeking an early meeting with the National School for Social Care Research to make sure that it will address the important issues faced by the learning disability sector.”

"We urge other Councils who are currently only providing care for adults with 'critical needs' to reconsider their decision, and provide services for more people with a learning disability. No Council should only provide services for those with critical needs."