Today
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.
announced its plans to reform and fund
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
. Mencap responds to the Government's 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:
“The social care crisis has been a contentious issue for decades, and we welcome the Government’s brave move to try to tackle it. While there are some welcome changes in today’s announcement, it doesn’t address the short-term funding crisis and we can’t see how the proposed cap on care costs will benefit people with a learning disability.
“Today’s announcement won't be enough to fix the crisis that is happening right now. People who need care are missing out, others are having their support cut and some are being asked to pay towards their care which they simply can't afford.
“Every day, carers are leaving the profession because they don't get paid enough for the skilled work they do. We’ve seen nothing to reassure us that hard-working care workers will get a much-deserved pay rise, even though providers like ourselves are losing staff to become delivery drivers and supermarket workers. The risks to people and their families in need of care is real if carers continue to leave the sector at the current rate.
“Reforming social care is the key to rebuilding after COVID-19. We want a social care system that meets the needs of the people who need care and those who provide it – a system fit for the 21st century.”
Read or watch the
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the leader of the government.
's speech in
Parliament
Parliament is a group of people who make laws and check what the government is doing.
announcing about the Government's social care reform and funding online here.
-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.
, 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
A budget is a plan where you look at how much money you have and how you will spend it.
- 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.
.
Nearly one in five people who receive long-term social care have a learning disability and half of the total social care budget is spent on services for working-aged disabled adults.
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
A survey is when someone asks you to answer some questions.
revealed that there is a growing hole in local authorities budgets for services supporting people with a learning disability – £240m in 2021/22 up 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.