Jackie O’Sullivan, Executive Director of
Strategy
A strategy is a plan to show what an
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
, or a person, wants to do and how they are going to do it.
and Influence 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.
charity Mencap, said:
“This
survey
A survey is when someone asks you to answer some questions.
is yet another worrying picture of the strain councils are under to provide social care to some of the most
vulnerable
Being vulnerable means being at risk of harm, or that you need special care because of your age or disability.
people in our communities.
“It comes less than a week after the Chancellor’s
Budget
A budget is a plan where you look at how much money you have and how you will spend it.
which has done little to alleviate the situation. Whilst the sector welcomed a cash injection of £600 million, both the increase to the National Living
Wage
A wage is the money you get for doing a paid job.
and
National Insurance
National Insurance is a type of
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
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much tax people should pay and how things like the National Health Service (NHS) should work.
to pay for things like schools and hospitals.
and
council tax
Council Tax is the money that people pay to the council. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
.
. It is money that is taken out of the money you earn each month. You pay National Insurance so that you can get a
pension
A pension is money you get when you are older to pay for the things you need. You can pay money into your pension when you are working so there is more money for when you are older.
when you are older.
employer contributions will eat up all this funding and more. In fact, based on OBR estimates, we should need double that amount just for adult social care.
“Social care is a public service that should be funded from the public purse. This report makes it clear that Local Authorities don’t have the money and care providers and charities don't either. Social care is about people and more care workers, in desperate need of higher pay already, will end up on the minimum wage as a result.
“It is simply unsustainable and ultimately it will be people with a learning disability who rely on social care who will feel the impact most. This cannot be right, and we urge the Government to work with the social care sector on funding a solution.”
-ENDS-
For further information or to arrange an
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.
with a Mencap
spokesperson
A spokesperson is someone who speaks up about something. They usually speak up on behalf of a group or organisation.
or
case study
A case study is a piece of writing that tells people more information about someone's
experience
Experience is when you have learned or tried something before.
.
, please contact Mencap’s media team on: media@mencap.org.uk or 02076965414 (including out of hours).
Notes to editors:
About Mencap:
Mencap exists to ensure the UK is the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. We support people directly and
campaign
A campaign is when people work together to try to change something.
with people with a learning disability, their families and carers. We work to change laws, increase representation and campaign for better health, social care and
employment
Employment means having a job.
opportunities for the 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK.
What is a learning disability?
A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which affects someone for their whole life. Typically, people with a learning disability need more time to learn and process information. They may need extra support to develop skills, complete tasks and interact with others, or they may have more complex needs requiring round-the clock care. The level of support needed is different for everyone and may change during a person’s lifetime.
Learning disability is NOT a mental illness or a learning difficulty. Often, the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used in place of ‘learning disability’. Having a learning difficulty (such as ADHD or
dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty. People who have dyslexia can find it hard to read, write and spell.
) may mean a person learns at a different pace or in a different way BUT – unlike a learning disability - it does not affect a person’s intellect.
With the right support, most people with a learning disability can lead happy, healthy, independent lives. At Mencap, it’s our mission to remove societal barriers and shatter misconceptions to make this more possible for more people.
Mencap’s guide to reporting on Learning Disability
When it comes to creating content with people with a learning disability, we know many people feel nervous about saying and doing the wrong thing. Our guide for journalists, covers everything from up to date facts and figures to the right language to use. It also includes tips on how to work with people with a learning disability to gather the best content.