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Response to the Department of Health final report
Joint statement from Mark Goldring, chief executive of Mencap and Vivien Cooper, founder of The Challenging Behaviour Foundation:
"The horrific abuse uncovered at Winterbourne View shone a spotlight on a care system that has failed some of the most vulnerable people with a learning disability. In today's report, the Government shows that it has listened to families and campaigners by committing to a national programme of change.
But words are not enough. To achieve this, commissioners in local government and the health service must take urgent, joint action to develop local services, provide support to children and families from early on, and ensure that no one else is sent away. The many hundreds of people with a learning disability who are still far from home, in institutions like Winterbourne View, must now be able to quickly return to their communities, to be close to their loved ones.
The report and concordat are a commitment to make this happen. The Government will be judged on whether change takes place across the country, with vulnerable people with a learning disability finally getting the support they need, close to home.”
To view the full report, click here.
Government launches NHS mandate
On the 13th November 2012, the Government launched its mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board.
This sets out the NHS’ goals for the next two years and reaffirms the Government’s commitment to an NHS that is available to all, based on clinical need rather than ability to pay, and is able to meet patients’ needs and expectations.
For the first time, two key objectives, ensuring people have a positive experience of care and preventing premature deaths, refer specifically to people with learning disabilities.
These objectives are urgent priorities. Mencap statistics show that people with a learning disability are 58 times more likely to die before the age of 50 and four times as many people with a learning disability die of preventable causes than the general population.
Following the Challenging Behaviour Foundation and Mencap’s lobbying over the abuse suffered by people at Winterbourne View, the charities welcome the inclusion of people with learning disabilities in the mandate and the commitment to provide people with learning disabilities with safe, appropriate, high quality care.
Emma Harrison, Assistant Director at Mencap, said:
“We are particularly delighted that the Department of Health has recognised that where possible services are local and that people remain in their communities. While much still remains to be done to improve health outcomes for people with learning disabilities Mencap feels this is a big step forward.”
To view the mandate, click here.
Take Action to stop another Winterbourne View
The care workers involved in the abuse scandal at Winterbourne View have now been sentenced, but that is not the end of the story.
People with a learning disability are still being sent to places like Winterbourne View, often far away from their loved ones, where they are at risk of abuse and neglect. This must stop.
The government's final report on what they will do to stop this happening again is due out soon. But we are very concerned that it won't commit to real change.
Please email Norman Lamb MP, the minister with responsibility for this, and tell him to do everything in his power to stop another Winterbourne View happening. Click here to do this e-action now:
http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=78&ea.campaign.id=17112
If you’re on twitter please tweet the Department of Health:
@DHgovuk Sentencing of #Winterbourne abusers is not enough. Gov must close all places like #Winterbourne & give ppl the right local support
Please spread the word and ask friends and family to take action too. You could share the e-action on Facebook.
Read the full news story: http://www.mencap.org.uk/news/article/winterbourne-sentencing
Read the BBC coverage: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-20084254
To find out more about why these changes are needed read Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation's Out of sight campaign report: http://www.mencap.org.uk/outofsight
If you have a learning disability and you want to take action, please click here for an easy-read version.
5th October 2012 Meeting
The Challenging Behaviour-National Strategy Group meeting, held on the 5th October, focused on the Department of Health review and how the issues raised by Winterbourne View will be addressed.
The meeting consisted of a number of talks, a question and answer session with Dame Jo Williams, Patience Wilson and Professor Tony Holland, workshops, and action planning sessions.
For full details and links to the presentations, click here.
Keep in contact with the CB-NSG
You can now become an associate member of the CB-NSG by e-mailing your request to become an associate to: nationalstrategygroup@thecbf.org.uk or Tel: 01634 838739. You will be added to a mailing list to receive information from the CB-NSG by e-mail on a regular basis. Associate members can input to the work of the group via telephone, post, e-mail and the CBF website. Associate membership is free of charge.
