An article presented the views of people with learning disabilities on the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and its provisions in relation to the use of services. Awareness of rights was generally low. Although they were usually offered reasonable service in shops, pubs, and other facilities, people were sometimes treated unfairly.
Source: Kirsten Stalker and Jennifer Lerpiniere, '"It's against our law, never mind anyone else": the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and adults with learning disabilities', Disability & Society, Volume 24 Number 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Dec
An independent inquiry (by Brian Lamb) found that too many parents in England of children with special educational needs struggled to obtain appropriate support, and that the system needed a 'radical overhaul'. It recommended introducing improved independent appeals panels for children with SEN who were excluded from school. It also suggested that codes of practice be reviewed so that local authorities and schools needed to consider a child's needs first, rather than the cost of services.
Source: Lamb Inquiry: Special Educational Needs and Parental Confidence, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report | Hansard | DCSF press release | NDCS press release | ISC press release | Contact a Family press release | NASUWT press release | Children & Young People Now report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2009-Dec
A report said that an 'unwieldy and opaque' justice system was unlawfully undermining the ability of thousands of adults and children with learning disabilities to understand what was happening to them at court.
Source: Jessica Jacobson with Jenny Talbot, Vulnerable Defendants in the Criminal Courts: A review of provision for adults and children, Prison Reform Trust
Links: Report | PRT press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2009-Dec
The inspectorate for healthcare and social care published a five-year plan outlining how it would drive up standards on behalf of people with learning disabilities.
Source: Strategic Plan 2010-2015: Position statement and action plan for learning disability, Care Quality Commission
Links: Plan | CQC press release
Date: 2009-Dec
The government published a national delivery plan for health and criminal justice, building on the 2009 Bradley review of mental health and learning disability in the criminal justice system. The delivery plan was designed to contribute to key initiatives around protecting the public, reducing health inequalities, reducing reoffending, and health improvement and protection.
Source: Improving Health, Supporting Justice: The National Delivery Plan of the Health and Criminal Justice Programme Board, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Plan | Hansard | DH press release | SCMH press release | PRT press release | Turning Point press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Nov
The National Assembly for Wales approved a measure giving children and young people with special education needs new rights of appeal with regard to their education.
Source: Education (Wales) Measure, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Measure | Explanatory notes
Date: 2009-Nov
A new annual statistical publication provided a wide range of information about children in England with special educational needs.
Source: Children with Special Educational Needs 2009: An analysis, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Oct
The government announced that it had accepted interim recommendations (from an independent inquiry) designed to provide better support for pupils in England with special educational needs (SEN) and for disabled children. The measures included: testing easier ways of assessing children with special educational needs; reviewing the existing and future supply of teachers trained to meet the needs of pupils with severe learning difficulties; and new guidance for schools to tackle the high rates of exclusion for children with SEN.
Source: Press release 28 September 2009, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0870 000 2288)
Links: DCSF press release | Letter from Lamb Inquiry | NASEN press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Local Government Chronicle report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Sep
An independent review of special educational needs (SEN) provision recommended that there should be a right of appeal for parents if a local authority decided not to amend a statement after a review; and to place a specific duty on the schools inspectorate to report on the quality of the education provided for disabled children and children with SEN. The government said that it accepted the recommendations, and committed itself to finding a legislative opportunity to make the changes needed.
Source: Brian Lamb, Quality and Clarity of Statements, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260) | Brian Lamb, Inspection, Accountability and School Improvement, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Letter | DCSF press release | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Aug
A new book examined the concept of 'access' for people with learning difficulties in a wide range of situations, including access to public spaces, citizenship education, community participation, and employment.
Source: Jane Seale and Melanie Nind (eds.), Understanding and Promoting Access for People with Learning Difficulties: Seeing the opportunities and challenges of risk, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Jul
A survey examined the experiences of fathers who had children with learning disabilities. Support systems for their roles as carers were usually lacking, since they tended to be geared more towards mothers than fathers.
Source: Christine Towers, Recognising Fathers: A national survey of fathers who have children with learning disabilities, Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (020 7802 0300)
Links: Report | Summary | FPLD press release | Cardiff University press release
Date: 2009-Jul
Researchers examined the experiences of parents (including foster and corporate parents) in relation to the special educational needs system of assessment, statementing, and appeal, in order to gain insights into perceived problems with the system.
Source: Clarissa Penfold, Nicky Cleghorn, Rosalind Tennant, Ian Palmer and Janet Read, Parental Confidence in the Special Educational Needs Assessment, Statementing and Tribunal System: Qualitative study, Research Report RR117, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2009-Jun
A report examined the impact of the specialist schools programme, including the programme for special educational needs. It concluded that good progress was being made in implementing the programme, and that it was having a positive impact on school performance.
Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers, High Performing Specialist Schools: Final Evaluation Report, Research Report RR109, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Jun
The government published a cross-departmental strategy designed to close the gap between the employment rates of learning-disabled people and others.
Source: Valuing Employment Now: Real jobs for people with learning disabilities, Department of Health (08701 555455) and other departments
Links: Strategy | Delivery plan | Literature review | Hansard | DH press release | United Response press release | Mencap press release | EFD press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jun
The government began consultation on proposals to give children and young people in England a right to appeal against decisions regarding exclusions from school, and against statements and assessments on special educational needs.
Source: Consultation on Giving Children and Young People a Right to Appeal, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2009-Apr
The Court of Appeal ruled that a couple with learning disabilities who had been terrorized by a gang were not entitled to an award for damages against the local council, on the grounds that the council had no duty of care towards them.
Source: X and Y v London Borough of Hounslow, Court of Appeal 2 April 2009
Links: Text of judgement | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Apr
An independent review made recommendations designed to improve the provision of information to parents of children with special educational needs.
Source: Letter from Brian Lamb, 29 April 2009
Links: Letter | DCSF response | Hansard | DCSF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Apr
A joint report by the health service and local government Ombudsmen called for an urgent review of health and social care for people with learning disabilities It said that 'significant and distressing failures in service' had been found. People with learning disabilities experienced prolonged suffering and poor care, and some of these failures were for disability-related reasons. One person had died as a consequence of service failure.
Source: Six Lives: The provision of public services to people with learning disabilities, HC 301, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, TSO (0870 600 5522) and Local Government Ombudsman
Links: Report | PHSO press release | CQC press release | Mencap press release | RADAR press release | Community Care report (1) | Community Care report (2) | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Mar
A joint inspectorate report said that local councils and primary care trusts needed to plan better for the needs of people with a learning disability and complex needs, in order to ensure that care was accessible, personalized, and allowed service-users to lead lives that were as full and independent as possible.
Source: Commissioning Services and Support for People with Learning Disabilities and Complex Needs, Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (020 7448 9200), Commission for Social Care Inspection, and Mental Health Act Commission
Links: Report | Mencap press release | FPLD press release
Date: 2009-Mar
The government published an updated response to a report by a committee of MPs on the human rights of adults with learning disabilities, taking account of feedback from consultation on its draft services strategy.
Source: Further Government Response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights Report: A Life Like Any Other? Human Rights of Adults with Learning Disabilities, Cm 7536, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Updated response | Initial response | MPs report
Date: 2009-Jan
The government published (following consultation) a three-year strategy designed to improve services for people with learning disabilities across health, housing, employment, and community care services. It said that there would be an independent inquiry into the premature deaths of a number of people with learning disabilities while in National Health Service care.
Source: Valuing People Now: From progress to transformation, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Strategy | Hansard | DH press release | Consultation responses | ADASS press release | FPLD press release | Mencap press release | United Response press release | EDCM press release | LDC press release | RCN press release | ICG press release | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jan