BTRS Evaluation Final Reports published - Delayed Release

Following pressure from the CBF, campaigning organisations and families, the findings from the evaluation of the Building the Right Support Programme (BtRS) were published on the 22nd of November. The independent evaluation was completed in 2019 and publication has been delayed by two years.   

The evaluation was commissioned by NHS England and has been published on The Strategy Unit website here: Evaluation of Building the Right Support: Final Reports | The Strategy Unit (strategyunitwm.nhs.uk). Building the Right Support was a national plan to provide better support to people with a learning disability or autism. For more information go to: NHS England » National plan – Building the right support  

It is disappointing that it has taken NHSE over 2 years to release the reports, with no justification for the delay. The learning could have been shared and utilised 2 years ago and the delay in publication creates concerns as to how the findings have been fed into the development of the new Building the Right Support action plan expected shortly. We want to see clearly how the issues identified in the evaluation published this week are addressed and reflected in the upcoming action plan.  

Over 10 years after the abuse was exposed at Winterbourne View, care has yet to be transformed – and the new action plan must set out what has been learned, what will be new and different going forward, and how that transformation will be delivered and resourced. 

For information about the history and future of the Transforming Care programme see the CBF website here: What is Transforming Care – Challenging Behaviour Foundation 

What’s Next? 

The CBF plan to review the evaluation and are in the process of collating feedback from family carers and Challenging Behaviour National Strategy Group members on the draft BtRS Action Plan. 

Support from the CBF

Family Support Service 

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this statement, you can call the Family Support Service on 0300 666 0126 

Or email us at support@thecbf.org.uk 

We are open at the following times: 

Monday – Thursday: 9am – 5pm 

Friday: 9am – 3pm 

We offer information about challenging behaviour to anyone who provides support to a child, young person or adult with a severe learning disability. We can also signpost you to other specialist organisations and sources of information. 

Please note we are a small support service so you may not be able to get support straight away. We will support families with urgent concerns as a priority.