Dan Scorer, senior campaigns and policy
manager
A manager is a boss at work. They tell you what you need to do and give you support if you need it.
at
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
Mencap:
Families up and down the country will be deeply disappointed by today’s Children and Families Bill.
The Government
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much tax
Tax is the money that pays for things like schools, hospitals and the police. There are different types of taxes like income tax
Income tax is the money that is taken out of the money you earn every month. It helps to pay for things we all need like hospitals and schools. , VAT
VAT is also called Value Added Tax. VAT is the extra money you pay when you buy things. The money goes to the government to pay for things like schools and hospitals. and council tax
Council
A council is also called a local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools, social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it. (support for people), parks and dustbin collection. . They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection. Tax is the money that people pay to the council
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support. ( NHS
The NHS is the National Health Service. The NHS gives free healthcare to everyone in the UK and includes things like your GP (doctors) surgery and hospitals. ) should work. had promised the biggest reform of Special Educational Needs for 30 years, finally bringing together health, education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university. and care support.
This Bill is a missed opportunity, which will change very little for parents, who currently face a long, hard fight to get the right education and health support for their child with a learning disability.
Mencap is disappointed that the Government ignored the recommendations of charities and the Education Select Committee, and failed to prevent a postcode lottery by not introducing national standards for special educational needs.
Without this, Mencap is concerned that the quality of a young person's education will continue to be determined by where they live, and not what needs they have.
Mencap is also deeply concerned that the Government hasn't place a duty on the NHS to deliver the support that children need to meet their health needs.
Many children with a learning disability, particularly those with profound disabilities, have serious health issues, which have a huge impact on their educational development.
Mencap believes that young people will never reach their potential if these health needs are not also addressed.
-ENDS-
For further information or to
interview
An interview is a meeting where you talk to someone or a group of people about something. When you have an interview for a job, you have to answer questions and say why you would be good at the job. The person who gives the best answers is offered the job.
a Mencap
spokesperson
A spokesperson is someone who speaks up about something. They usually speak up on behalf of a group or
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
.
, please contact the Mencap press office on media@mencap.org.uk or 020 7696 6017.
About Mencap
There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK. Mencap works to support people with a learning disability and their families and carers by fighting to change laws and improve services and access to education,
employment
Employment means having a job.
and
leisure
Leisure is when you have time to do things you enjoy like playing sports or going to the pub.
facilities. Mencap supports thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.
Visit www.mencap.org.uk.
What is a learning disability?
A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities – for example household tasks, socialising or managing money – which affects someone for their whole life.
People with a learning disability tend to take longer to learn and may need support to develop new skills, understand complex information and interact with other people.
The level of support someone needs depends on individual factors, including the severity of their learning disability.