I enclose information which are my own views formulated during my role as an advocate for people with learning disabilities. I believe these views represent the majority of those people I support. I work with approximately 30 people.

EXPERIENCES OF

Health

  Health facilitation as recommended in Valuing People has ensured GPs and hospitals have a good knowledge of learning disability issues. Their practices have changed to accommodate a mores person-centred and individual approach. Many PCTs are struggling at present financially. Learning Disability specialisms; speech therapy, physio, communication aids, are not being funded locally. Learning Disability Partnership Boards are finding it hard to link with health partners. There are some inequalities in healthcare, mainly health screening and preventative care.

Housing

  Direct council housing has many barriers in the system for people with learning disabilities, especially if they need 24 hour support. Supporting People funding allowed many people to get their housing choices and tenancies. Owning your own home seems like a dream! It happens very rarely. Many people still live in small groups but they have individual tenancies. This isn't really as it is for people who don't have a disability. Housing Associations seem more flexible than District Councils in their approach.

Welfare benefits

  Generally people want to work and be paid for doing so. There are many more people in voluntary work and college courses "preparing for a real job". This can go on endlessly. The benefit trap is one of the reasons and family carers anxieties.

Education

  Children's education opportunities are good, but adult education is poor. LSC have cut funding and this has affected adult education opportunities. Education locations have changed to mainstream colleges, which is positive, but people are still "separate" socially. More support is needed in colleges. Hate crime and bullying prevent some people taking up education opportunities.

Relationships

  Support lacks for people to have and maintain relationships. There is still a climate of "permission" and anxiety around sexual issues. Many people have boyfriends/girlfriends but in a platonic sense. It is the single most important issue. Local communicty involvement has increased dramatically; pubs, clubs, voluntary work and general presence in the community. Voting is still largely not taken up. Involvement in Disability Equality Schemes has gone some way to possibly changing this.

Making complaints

  The number of complaints made by people with a learning disability is very low indeed. If support is given to make the complaint from an independent source, this can increase. I enclose a form our organisation uses to encourage understanding and the right to an equal and fair service.[1]

Having a say in decisions which affect them

  This has increased largely due to advocacy organisations and self advocacy groups. Government legislation on Valuing People has helped. Mental Capacity Act has made provision for more vulnerable people lacking capacity. The JCHR should observe how this works over the coming months.

What would help people get their human rights

—    Reducing anxiety about challenging decisions for access to services or to challenge poor service quality.

—    Hearing "good news stories" in the press about successes.

—    Increased advocacy.

—    An increase in easy read information about human rights disseminated through Speak Up groups or Partnership Boards.

  The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities could most definitely help and support the Learning Disability agenda. It may be able to take an influential and strategic view recommending the linking of disjointed services and campaigning for the issues to be higher on the agenda. This is especially true of health, housing opportunities and relationship issues.