Today, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined his plans for coming out of lockdown in England.
We will have easy-read information on the latest
guidance
Guidance means being given clear instructions to be able to do something well.
on our
website
A website is a page you can go to on the internet like Google or YouTube.
shortly.
Responding to the announcement, Edel Harris, Chief Executive of the
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:
“Seeing the easing of restrictions while still not feeling protected will no doubt cause additional anxiety for people with a learning disability and their families. The Government has recognised that people with a learning disability are at increased risk of COVID-19; dying at six times the rate of the wider population. Testing will only go so far to protecting them when the
vaccine
A vaccine is medicine that helps your body to fight an infection in the future.
is really what they need.
“As with previous communication, the Prime Minister’s message today fails to provide a clear route for people with a learning disability and their families. On
care home
A care home is a place where people who need support live. There are staff there all the time.
visiting the announcements do not apply to
supported living
Supported living is when you live in your own home with support from staff. People who live in supported living have a tenancy agreement.
settings and we know of many families who need a lifeline. Their loved ones don’t understand why their family members can’t visit them and they think they’ve been abandoned.
“This pandemic has been a very testing time for many people with a learning disability, including those who have had their social care cut at a time when they have needed it most. Families are at breaking point. We urge the Government to make sure that society can step up to support people in the right way as we
transition
Transition means changing from one thing to another. Transition sometimes means things like when you change from having children's social care to adult social care.
out of lockdown. One very practical way would be to deliver additional funding for social care in the Spring
Budget
A budget is a plan where you look at how much money you have and how you will spend it.
next week.”
-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
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
.
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 020 7696 5414 (including out of hours).
Notes to editors:
- Mencap is calling for:
- a clear plan for supporting the whole care market, including services for work-aged disabled adults which currently make up around half of the total social care budget
- additional funding to meet current demand for support and stabilise the sector
- a road map towards the Government's plans for social care reform, including a long-term funding solution, fairer access to services and support and workforce reform
- Social care reform and long-term funding must cover a range of services and support that people with a learning disability need beyond personal care to enable them to lead independent and fulfilling lives in their
community
A community is the people and places in an area.
.
The social care sector needs at least £7 billion investment a year in social care in England by 2023/24, according to the Health and Social Care Committee. While the Association of Directors of Adults Social Services’ latest Budget Survey revealed that there is a growing hole in local authorities budgets for services supporting people with a learning disability – up to £200m in 2020/21 from £180m in 2019/20.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to local councils in England facing at least a £6.6bn increase in social care costs up to the end of September, according to the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adults Social Services.
About Mencap
There are approximately 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK. 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: www.mencap.org.uk
For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap’s Freephone Learning Disability Helpline on 0808 808 1111 (10am-3pm, Monday-Friday) or email helpline@mencap.org.uk.
What is a learning disability?
- A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which can cause problems with everyday tasks – for example shopping and cooking, or travelling to new places – which affects someone for their whole life;
- Learning disability is NOT a mental illness or a learning difficulty, such as
dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty. People who have dyslexia can find it hard to read, write and spell.
. Very often the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used interchangeably with ‘learning disability’; - People with a learning disability can take longer to learn new things and may need support to develop new skills, understand difficult information and engage with other people. The level of support someone needs is different with every individual. For example, someone with a severe learning disability might need much more support with daily tasks than someone with a mild learning disability.