Latest news
Please check this page for our latest news and recent work.
10 October 2008 - Community Care discusses forthcoming Green Paper
Community care magazine examines the policy implications of the forthcoming Green Paper on the future funding of social care, and looks at the options for creating a fairer system.
9 October 2008 - Birmingham City Council to make large scale funding cuts
Birmingham City Council has announced cuts to the amount of funding available to voluntary organisations, meaning groups such as Mencap, Age Concern and Carers Advice and Support Information stand to lose nearly £1 million in grants.
26 September 2008 - Action on Elder Abuse raise concerns over personalisation
Action on Elder Abuse chief executive Gary FitzGerald has said that the Government's personalisation agenda is being rushed through to save money.
24 September 2008 - Department of Health want your views
The Department of Health are asking what you - our supporters - think about the state of social care. They have asked us to circulate a letter asking for your views to feed into the forthcoming Green Paper on the subject.
Read the letter from Ivan Lewis
The Coalition is calling on the Department of Health to commission research to really understand demographic change and to ensure that there is enough money in the system to take account of it. You can respond to the consultation yourself here and read more about our position here.
24 September 2008 - Greater centralisation a possibility, says Alan Johnson
The Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, has suggested that the forthcoming Green Paper could include plans for the greater centralisation of social care. This contrasts with the Local Government Association's call for increasing localisation of services (below).
22 September 2008 - Councils should have more responsibility to deliver care and support, say Local Government Association
Our Lives, Our Choices, the first of a series of papers on the future of social care by the LGA, argues that care and support should be funded through a local budget which would include some NHS and social security benefit funding.
22 September 2008 - Communities critical to understanding social care
According to a paper by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, it is important for the Government to consider community and family relationships, and the extent to which duty and obligation are important to the care and support system.
08 September 2008 - Shake-up of benefits system may sideline people in greatest need of help
The Social Market Foundation has said that the Government's plans to use private contractors to tackle unemployment may not deliver for people with complex needs - such as many people with a learning disability.
04 September 2008 - Jo Williams discusses the Coalition's work
Jo Williams, the co-chair of the Coalition, discusses the crisis in social care as she prepares to retire as Chief Executive of Mencap.
Read the article in Community Care
03 September 2008 - Social care staff "earn less than road sweepers"
The Social Care Employers Consortium, which represents 41 organisations employing 65,000 workers, has hit out at the lack of Government funding for social care staff.
29 August 2008 - MPs call for better funding for carers
The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has published its recommendations to the Government on support for carers, saying that it is 'disappointed' by the Government's failure to address the issue in the recently published Carers' Strategy.
28 August 2008 - Hammersmith & Fulham under fire
A local group is campaigning against Hammersmith & Fulham Council's decision to introduce fees for home care. They are seeking a judicial review of the policy, which they say will force vulnerable people into poverty and prevent people from accessing services.
Read more in Community Care19 August 2008 - School-leavers' potential cut short
Lack of funding and the attitudes of society and employers is failing school-leavers with severe and profound learning disabilities, reports the Guardian.
Read the article here19 August 2008 - Community Care & Mencap Conference
'Choice and Opportunity for People with a Learning Disability' will take place on Wednesday 8 October 2008. It will focus on the implementation of the Government's personalisation agenda.
Read more12 August 2008 - People First looking for support workers
People First, one of our member organisations, is recruiting for three support worker posts.
8 August 2008 - Petition calls for real powers for Ombudsmen
A petition has been set up in light of Trafford Council's refusal to pay full compensation to the family of a person with a learning disability. It calls on the Government to make Local Government Ombudsmen's recommendations legally enforceable.
6 August 2008 - Funding announced for resettlement of campus residents
The Government has announced £96m of new funding to help people with learning disabilities who were formerly residents of NHS campus accommodation to move into the community.
31 July 2008 - Coalition seeks Economic Research Intern
We are looking for a graduate in economics or a related subject to undertake an internship with us for up to three months.
Read the job advert on CharityJob.co.uk
29 July 2008 - New National Director for Learning Disabilities
Anne Williams has been appointed to the post of National Director for Learning Disabilities. She will be responsible for leading the Government's implementation of the Valuing People agenda.
Read the Department of Health's press release here
25 July 2008 - Concern over Government shake-up of benefits
Community care looks at the Government's recently announced changes to the benefits system.
04 July 2008 - Campaigns and Policy Internship
We are looking for an intern to help us with our work campaigning for better funding for people with a learning disability.
View the job advert on Charity Job.co.uk
02 July 2008 - Coalition reveals scale of cuts to services
Our new report, Tell it like it is, details people's experiences of cuts to services and the impact that the underfunding of the social care system is having on the lives of people with a learning disability.
Download the report
Download the accessible (Easy Read) version of the report
Download the list of comments we received from respondents to the questionnaire (with all names changed)
Read our press release
11 June 2008 - Government launches Carers' Strategy to mixed reactions
The Government has launched new proposals to support the 6 million people who care for disabled and older people. Carers' groups have welcomed the Government's committment to provide extra funding for short break services, but expressed dissapointment that the proposals do not include direct financial help for carers, many of whom are living in poverty.
Read the Guardian's coverage of the reaction to the plans.
08 June 2008 - Vacancies at People First
People First, one of the Coalition's member organisations, are recruiting for new staff for the Disability LIB project.
They are also recruiting support workers.
09 June 2008 - Local Government Association calls for reformThe Local Government Association has echoed our call for better funding of the social care system, saying that it is 'under-funded' and 'inflexible'.
30 May 2008 - Government announces new research school
The Government has announced that it is to open a new School for Social Care Research.
Click here to read the Coalition's response.
29 May 2008 - Report exposes lack of data on learning disability
A new report, published by the Learning Disability Coalition, Mencap and the Centre for Disability Research, has revealed the lack of data available to decision makers on the current and future numbers for people with learning disabilities.
Commenting on the report, David Brindle, the Guardian's public services editor, has said that that the Government's lack of information in this area is starting to look "grossly irresponsible".
27 May 2008 - Surrey changes 'not cuts'
Surrey County Council has announced that it is considering closing 'some buildings' but says that this is part of a 'programme of improvement', reports the BBC.
23 May 2008 - Contact your MP
You can now contact your MP about the issues that affect people with learning disabilities quickly and easily through our website.
23 May 2008 - Northamptonshire PCT announces sweeping changes - but local campaigners remain unconvinced
Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust is to take steps to address the gap between the healthcare offered to people with learning disabilities and the rest of the population. Local parents are cautious to welcome the plans, however. As one parent put it: "The problem is that we are a bit sceptical. So much has been promised to us that just doesn’t come off.”
22 May 2008 - "Just setting a policy is not enough" - Rob Greig
Rob Greig, the former National Director for Learning Disabilities has said that the Government should do more to ensure its policies are followed through, reports Community Care magazine.
12 May 2008 - Government launches national debate on Social Care
The Government has announced that it is to consult with the public and stakeholders over the next six months regarding the future of social care.
To read the Department of Health's press release, click here
09 May 2008 - Harrow Council backs down on cut to services
After months of wrangling, Harrow council has said that it will continue to provide services to people whose needs are assessed as 'substantial' as well as those with 'critical' needs. This comes after a public outcry at their previous decision to restrict services and a judicial review which found that local users were not properly consulted over the move.
To read the Coalition's response, click here
09 May 2008 - Coalition respond to CSCI review of eligibility criteria
The Coalition has submitted a response to the Commission For Social Care Inspection's consultation on the future of the system that determines who receives care and who is left out.
To read the response, click here
08 May 2008 - People First seek project manager with a learning disability
People First, one of the Coalition's member organisations, are recruiting for a project manager with a learning disability to work with Disability LIB, a partnership of 7 national disabled people's organisations.
Click here to view the job advert
2 May 2008 - Rob Greig discusses achievements and failures
Rob Greig, who is shortly to step down as the National Director for Learning Disabilities, highlights that there is still much more to be done to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities.
Click here to read the interview in Community Care magazine.
02 May 2008 - Campaigners furious about Warwickshire cuts
The parents of a disabled woman are fighting the closure of six day centres in Warwickshire, saying that they were not consulted on the changes.
This news comes after the Council announced in February that it was considering tightening its eligibility criteria, so that only those assessed as having 'critical needs' would receive support.
29 April 2008 - Surrey to consult on modernisation
Surrey Council has announced that it intends to consult service users on the modernisation of its learning disability services.
Click here to read the statement.
22 April 2008 - How effective is Supporting People for people with learning disabilities?
Community Care reports on new research by The University of Nottingham and the Norah Fry Research Centre on the impact of the Supporting People programme on housing and support for people with learning disabilities.
22 April 2008 - Social Services Directors raise concern over continuing care
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has said that the Department of Health is to ensure its national framework on continuing care is consistently implemented, reports Community Care magazine.
18 April 2008 - Baroness Campbell criticises Government over UN disability convention
Disability Commissioner Baroness Jane Campbell has said Britain must ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the end of 2008 or risk damaging its reputation for disability rights.
18 April 2008 - New Position at Mencap
Mencap, one of the Coalition's member organisations, are looking for someone to join their Chief Executive's team as a spokesperson and research assistant.
For more information, click here
15 April 2008 - Direct payment support schemes overstretched, says London School of Economics
A report by the Personal Social Services Support Unit at the LSE highlights the challenges facing direct payment support schemes.
15 April 2008 - Cornwall Council to improve Learning Disability Services 'within the year'.
Nigel Walker, Cornwall Council's lead adult services councillor has said that he wants to see 'substantial change' in learning disability services within the year.
In a reference to the Council's widely criticised failings in providing services for people with learning disabilities, he added that "People who have accepted a very low or abusive level of service for some years are not going to believe change until they see it."
9 April 2008 - Protests over Worcestershire care home closure
Carers and parents are fighting the closure of a day centre for people with learning disabilities in Pershore, report the BBC.
7 April 2008 - Employment Reforms Announced
James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, has said that the introduction of the new Employment Support Allowance will provide better financial support for 'the poorest, most disabled people in society.'
7 April 2008 - Experts to guide Coalition's work
The Coalition has recruited an advisory committee to help us to explore new opportunities in our campaign. It is made up of politicians from both main parties, academics and leaders in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Click here to read the Coalition's press release.
04 April 2008 - Party politics make little difference to eligibility criteria
The Coalition has released statistics showing that both Convervative and Labour councils are restricting services for people with learning disabilities to the same extent.
Click here to read the Coalition's press release.
01 April 2008 - CSCI launch eligibility criteria survey
The Commission for Social Care Inspection has launched an online survey as part of its review of eligibility criteria - one of the mechanisms used by councils to make cuts to services.To read more and to take part in the survey, click here.
2008
News archive: February - March 2008
2007/8
News archive: November 2007 - January 2008
2007
News archive: August - October 2007