Here are just a few of the achievements and highlights the policy team are proud to have played an active role in this year. 

  • Working with Baroness Hollins to secure an amendment to the Health and Care Act to legislate for the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism for all health and social care staff.

    A man, Oliver McGowan, wears a check waistcoat and blue shirt, smiling at the camera. Below is a white logo on a red background of Oliver's Campaign
     
  • Pushing the government to table regulations to protect the cost-of-living payments from being able to be taken by Local Authorities as payment towards someone’s social care contributions.

    A man holds a blue sign reading "Fix Social Care for Good"

     

  • As part of Disabled Children's Partnership, we supported parents to take part in the consultation on the government’s SEND Green Paper – with more than 1,800 using DCP’s six simple questions to send their views to government.

    A group of people hold a sign reading "Disabled Children's Partnership #SENDABETTERMESSAGE"

  • Successfully campaigned with others in the sector for the Government to uprate benefits in line with inflation. 
     
  • Successfully secured additional funding from Government to support people with a learning disability in apprenticeships as well as a commitment to open up apprenticeships to more people with a learning disability by extending the flexibilities that enable people to access apprenticeships without the usual requirements in English and Maths.
     

  • Launched Policy Shapers, a way for people with a learning disability and their families to get involved in Mencap’s policy work by sharing their experiences and views to help tell the Government what life is like for them. 

    Graphic with an image of a woman with a megaphone. On a purple background white text reads "Join Policy Shapers and tell the government what life is like for people with a learning disability and their families.

  • Over 200,000 people signed our joint petitions to ensure the government provide cost of living support and an energy price cap alongside 38 Degrees, RNIB, Save the Children, Leonard Cheshire, and others.
     
  • Successfully lobbied for the new integration bodies – ICBs – to have a lead representative for Learning Disability and Autism to ensure that their needs are always taken into account when decisions about health and social care are made.