Mencap voices concern over draft bill for adult care and support in England

Wednesday 09 May 2012

The Government has outlined plans for a draft bill to modernise adult care and support in England, and which will update the current legal framework of social care. Mencap has 'serious concerns' about the Government's desire to

Mencap responds to the Queen’s Speech: announcement of draft bill to modernise adults care and support in England

Dan Scorer, senior campaigns and policy manager at learning disability charity Mencap:

 “The commitment to a draft bill and pre-legislative scrutinyis at least a start, but we had hoped for much more – specifically a renewed commitment toaddress the funding crisis in adult social care.

We now have serious concerns about the Government's desire to address the crisis in social care and move beyond the limited remit of the draft Bill. People with a learning disability and their families are increasingly unable to live full and independent lives, ministers need to tell us when and how they will address the funding issues that are only intensifying as each month passes without progress." 

Contact Pasca Lane in the Mencap media team on 020 7696 6017 or email pasca.lane@mencap.org.uk

·        About Mencap

There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK. Mencap fights on their behalf, and on behalf of their carers and families, to change laws and improve services and access to education, employment and leisure facilities, supporting thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.

We are also the largest service provider of services, information and advice for people with a learning disability across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. See www.mencap.org.uk for more information.

·        About learning disability

A learning disability is caused by the way the brain develops before, during or shortly after birth. It is always lifelong and affects someone's intellectual and social development. It used to be called mental handicap but this term is outdated and offensive. Learning disability is NOT a mental illness. The term learning difficulty is often incorrectly used interchangeably with learning disability.