This was prompted by the Winterbourne View Concordat, aimed at ensuring better care for people with a
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.
and behaviour that challenges.
The data reveals that:
- more people are being admitted into
assessment
An assessment is a way of finding out what help a person needs. When you have an assessment, you might have to go to a meeting or fill in a form.
and treatment units than are moving out; between 31 March and 30 June, 358 people have been admitted into assessment and treatments units and only 261 have come out - 78% (2,024) of patients still do not have a transfer date
- of the 577 people who do have a transfer date, 38% have a local
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.
that is not aware they need to be transferred back into the local area - 50% (1,296) of patients have a local council that is not aware they need to be transferred back into the local area
- 6% (147) of people in assessment and treatment units are children
Jan Tregelles, chief executive at Mencap, and Vivien Cooper, chief executive at The
Challenging Behaviour
Challenging behaviour can be when someone hurts themselves, hits or pinches someone else, or breaks something. Some people might behave like this because they are upset or because people do not understand them.
Foundation, said:
Today’s announcement by NHS England shows that people with a learning disability are systematically being let down.
Despite constant promises to move people with a learning disability out of units like Winterbourne View, appallingly, more people are going in to these units than are coming out. What’s more, this frightening trend looks set to continue as 78% of people still don’t have a transfer date.
The situation isn’t much better for those people who do have a transfer date. We now know that almost 40% of local councils do not know that people with a learning disability are coming back into the local area. This is absolutely horrifying. Without tailored local care and support, people with a learning disability will end up right back in the very units they are being moved from.
Every day that progress is delayed is another day where vulnerable children and adults remain in units where they are at increased risk of abuse and are often far away from their families and friends.
We want to see the urgent progress in the development of long-term and sustainable care in local communities, to make sure people get the right support, in the right place, at the right time. Further delays in this programme are simply unacceptable.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact the media centre on media@mencap.org.uk or 020 7696 6950
* www.england.nhs.uk/tag/winterbourne-view/
Notes to editors
About The Challenging Behaviour Foundation
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation (CBF) is an independent charity providing information, support and workshops around challenging behaviour associated with severe learning disabilities to families and professionals. The CBF leads the ‘Challenging Behaviour National
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.
Group’ which seeks to influence policy and practice nationally and has developed the Challenging Behaviour
Charter
A charter is a piece of paper that says how things should be done.
.
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation was founded in 1997 by Vivien Cooper, parent of a son with severe learning disabilities who displays behaviour described as challenging. Today the Challenging Behaviour Foundation is in regular contact with over 5000 families and professionals across the UK. There are an estimated 30,000 individuals in England with severe learning disabilities and behaviour described as challenging.
About Royal Mencap Society
There are 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK. Independent charity Mencap works to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers by fighting to change laws, improve services and access to
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.
,
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.