
Getting the best support package
Ten top tips for getting the best support package. Quick read guide with a complete information sheet available to download.
Our factsheets, FAQS and templates give valuable information about you and your family members’ legal rights.
Children, young people and adults will be supported to exercise their human rights (which are the same as everyone else’s) to be healthy, full and valued members of their community with respect for their culture, ethnic origin, religion, age, gender, sexuality and disability.
Our resources listed below give information about your, and your family member’s, legal rights.
If you are worried that you are not being involved in best interests decisions, read our webpage about making decisions:
If you have a family member with severe learning disabilities they may not be able to make all their own decisions e.g. choosing where to live. You may want to gain legal authority to make decisions about money, housing or welfare on their behalf. Read our quick read guide on getting legal deputyship for property or welfare decisions, with a complete information sheet available to download.
Read our information page about how to get legal advice and/or a solicitor:
The legal resources directory is a practical resource designed to help you get the information you need about the law and rights, covering a range of topics, including SEN, social care, carers’ rights, finance, healthcare, mental health, mental capacity, Equality Act and human rights.
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation and organisations from the North West and North East regions have co-developed a practical resource for family carers. This resource provides information on:
Family Carer Advocacy Resource
Information for family carers, schools, colleges, and adult support services. It explains how to make decisions about safe activities and events for children and adults with severe learning disabilities who may display challenging behaviours. It outlines what to think about and who should be involved to help manage any risks.
It is a human right to have a family life and correspondence. The Keeping in Touch with Home report explains the importance of keeping in contact with family members for children and young people with a severe learning disability, and gives guidance on how this can be achieved in residential settings.
Read or download the report: Keeping in Touch with Home
Get a hard copy of Keeping in Touch with Home
If you’re concerned that you are not being involved in decisions affecting your family member, view our template letters which are designed to help you challenge this.
Mental Capacity Act Template Letters
One of the ‘Meeting the Challenge’ guides produced by the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, alongside Mencap and Respond. This factsheet will provide you with information about your family member’s legal rights in relation to social care and health provision and how to exercise these rights.
Meeting the Challenge Legal FAQ
One of the ‘Meeting the Challenge’ guides produced by the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, alongside Mencap and Respond. This factsheet will provide you with information about some of the main changes that will occur when your son/daughter moves from childhood to adulthood.
A very practical tool from the CBF for both professional advocates and family carers advocating on behalf of their family member. This resource aims to provide a practical tool for advocates in supporting a person with behaviour described as challenging, to enable them to exercise their rights to the same life opportunities as everyone else.
Find out more and order a copy in our shop
Organisations that offer support to family carers to advocate for their relatives with learning disabilities living in the community or in inpatient units.
This information sheet contains a list of organisations which offer support to family carers to advocate for their relatives. The information was compiled by the CBF and funded by NHSE as part of the NHSE review of advocacy provision for people with learning disabilities and/or who are autistic or have been inpatients in mental health services.
Ten top tips for getting the best support package. Quick read guide with a complete information sheet available to download.
The legal resources directory is a practical resource designed to help you get the information you need about the law and rights, covering a range of topics.
Getting legal Deputyship for property or welfare decisions. Quick read guide with a complete information sheet available to download.