Learning Disability Coalition

Here you can find out more about the Coalition's 15 member organisations and why the Coalition is so important.

	Association for Real Change (ARC) - www.arcuk.org.uk "As the government's spending cuts begin to bite, it is more important than ever that organisations which are involved in supporting people with a learning disability and promoting their rights are able to stand together in order to ensure that their voices are heard." Jane Livingstone, Chief Executive , Association for Real Change (ARC)
	BILD (British Institute of Learning Disabilities) - www.bild.org.uk "BILD can see that, due to cost savings, the quality of support available to people with learning disabilities is getting worse." Keith Smith, Chief Executive, British Institute of Learning Disabilities
	Downs Syndrome Association - www.downs-syndrome.org.uk "The government's Valuing People agenda promised so much - the coalition will make sure that those promises are fulfilled." Carol Boys, Chief Executive, Down's syndrome Association
	Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities - www.learningdisabilities.org.uk "We could be facing a generation of people with higher support needs who will rely on tracheotomies, tube feeding and ventilators to survive. Funding for this level of support must be built into the system." Barbara McIntosh, Co-Director, Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities.
	The Hesley Group - www.hesleygroup.co.uk/ "It is so important that people with very complex needs are not compromised by inadequate resources, that people's additional needs are recognised and that they and their carers get a better deal. We want to be give our support as part of the Coalition to help campaign for services that develop skills and pathways to real achievement ." Chris McSharry, Chief Executive, The Hesley Group
	Mencap - www.mencap.org.uk "The lack of funding for social care means that people's human rights are in jeopardy. The system is moving towards crisis and investment is urgently needed. As a founding member of the Coalition, Mencap believes that people with a learning disability should have the same choices and chances as everyone else. In the current tough financial situation we all need to continue the fight to ensure that there is sufficient funding to make this a reality. " Mark Goldring Chief Executive, Mencap & Co-Chair of the Coalition
	National Autistic Society - www.NAS.org.uk "People with autism - many of whom also have learning disabilities - are increasingly being denied the services they need, due to a lack of funding. The Government's policies on choice, inclusion and human rights are laudable; but without sufficient investment they will never become a reality." Mark Lever Chief Executive, National Autistic Society
	People First - www.peoplefirstltd.com "There are too few people actually getting the things that the white paper talked about like person centred plans and free health checks. Human rights abuses are going on every day in our communities suffered by people with learning difficulties and it is time something was done about it." Andrew Lee, Director, People First & Co-Chair of the Coalition
	Real Life Options - http://www.reallifeoptions.org/ "It's important we continue the drive towards truly personal support services, minimising the role of paid staff and maximising people's community presence. We must never forget that people have a right to the support they need to participate in the community and to the resources to achieve this." Brian Hutchinson, Chief Executive, Real Life Options
	Sense - www.sense.org.uk "People born deafblind with additional learning disabilities need highly specialist support to protect their rights and enable them to have a high quality of life. Any system of funding social care must address the needs of people with high support needs, ensuring they have equal rights to live as active citizens." Gill Morbey, Chief Executive, Sense
	The National Forum for People with Learning Difficulties - www.nationalforum.co.uk Barbara Draper Co-Chair, The National Forum for People with Learning Difficulties
	National Family Carer Network - http://www.familycarers.org.uk/ "Cuts to services are placing ever greater pressure on family carers; increasingly, we seem to be expected to prop up a failing social care system. The Government must stop looking on family carers as an unpaid workforce and start providing the funding for good quality services and respite care." Caroline Farnes, Director, National Family Carer Network
	Turning Point - www.turning-point.co.uk "One of our key concerns is the number of people that are still in institutional settings, for example, those living in large NHS campuses, or the rising numbers of people with learning disabilities being sent out of area to live in independent hospitals. We would call on the government to speed up their proposed review of NHS support for people with a learning disability." Lord Victor Adebowale, Chief Executive, Turning Point
	United Response - www.unitedresponse.org.uk "We hope that the coalition will provide a unified voice to raise awareness of the needs of people with learning disabilities and the key issues facing them." Su Sayer, Chief Executive, United Response
	Voyage - www.voyagecare.com "Despite the current challenging funding climate we remain totally committed to improving quality of life for the people we support, their families and our staff. Each person we support is an individual and should have a package which is properly funded and tailored to meet their needs and wishes, whether this is delivered in a residential setting, in their own home or elsewhere." Bruce McKendrick, Chief Executive, Voyage

The Learning Disability Coalition has an advisory group made up of leading academics, MPs and Peers and others with expertise in social care and finance:

Prof Eric Emerson: Professor of Disability and Health Research at the University of Lancaster and Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Health at the University of Sydney.

David Brindle: Public services editor, Guardian. Visiting fellow at the centre for citizen participation at Brunel University.

Prof. Luke Clements: Professor at Cardiff Law School and a consultant solicitor specialising in public and human rights proceedings on behalf of socially excluded groups, in particular disabled people and Roma.

Prof. Jim Mansell: Professor of Learning Disability at the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent and a commissioner for the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). Also a trustee of United Response.

Prof. Martin Knapp: Director of the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the London School of Economics, Professor of Social Policy and co-director of LSE Health and Social Care.

Lord Adebowale: Chief Executive, Turning Point and Co-Chair of the Black and Minority Ethnic Mental Health National Steering Group.

Lord Brian Rix CBE DL: President of Mencap.

Nick Brookes: Former Chairman, British American Racing.

Dame Jo Williams DBE: Former Chief Executive, Mencap, Co-Chair of the Learning Disability Coalition.

Dr. Ian Hall: Chair of Faculty of Psychiatry of Learning Disability, Royal College of Psychiatrists; Consultant Psychiatrist and Lead Clinician for People with Learning Disability, East London NHS Foundation Trust; Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, Queen Mary, University of London.

Esther Foreman: Disability rights activist and 2011 Fellow of the Clore Social Leadership Programme.

Finance Advisor: Roger Lomax - formerly of the Bank of England.

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Learning Disability Coalition

Here you can find out more about the Coalition's 15 member organisations and why the Coalition is so important.

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