New Public Accounts Committee on local support for people with a learning disability

Tue,25 April 2017
News Equality & Rights

Public Accounts Committee - 58th Report - Local support for people with a learning disability.

View report

The report summary criticises the lack of financial support for those with learning disabilities moving into the community - too many people are not having care and treatment reviews and face uncertainty caused by the proposed changes to local housing allowance. Fewer than 6% of people with a learning disability are in employment and only 23% of people with a learning disability are registered as such with their GPs.

We welcome this report showing as it does that progress in reducing the number of learning disabled people detained in hospitals is too slow and much more needs to be done.  This issue was included in our shadow report to the UN committee considering the UK’s implementation of the convention on the rights of People with Disabilities.  Amongst its list of issues that has been put to the government the UN committee on the CRPD has asked what measures are being taken to protect disabled people from involuntary detention in psychiatric hospitals, institutions and/or care homes?