Learning Disability news

People with a learning disability are seven times as likely as their non-disabled peers to be lonely, according to research from Mencap. This Christmas, the charity is calling for urgent action to be taken to tackle the loneliness epidemic faced by people with a learning disability.

Today Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) condemns the “horrific reality” of conditions and treatment under which many young people with learning disabilities and autism are detained in mental health hospitals, “inflicting terrible suffering on those detained and causing anguish to their distraught families”.

Edel Harris will be the next Chief Executive Officer of Royal Mencap Society. She is currently CEO of Cornerstone, one of Scotland’s leading charities, which provides a range of services to people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, autism, and dementia.

NHS chief Simon Stevens has announced that a new taskforce will be set up to improve current specialist children and young people’s inpatient mental health, autism and learning disability services in England. News of the new taskforce is not the only initiative announced this past week to improve the experience of autistic children/teenagers in inpatient settings. 

Police figures obtained by the charity United Response show that fewer people are being charged or prosecuted for disability hate crimes despite ongoing increases in reports across England and Wales.

Having a learning disability should never stop anyone enjoying a great night out - that's why Stay Up Late has launched their #NoBedtimes campaign to challenge institutional culture in residential settings.

The head of health and safety at national learning disability charity United Response has won an industry award recognising her work to transform fire safety advice for people living at its registered care homes across England and Wales.

71% of autistic adults in England aren't getting the support they need. This could mean up to 327,000 autistic adults aren’t getting help to do things other people take for granted, like socialising, managing money, or getting out and about.

Chancellor Sajid Javid's Spending Review promises to inject £1 billion into social care.

The parents of a pupil living with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sensory processing difficulties have successfully won a case against their child’s independent prep school, Ashdown House, for an unlawful discriminatory exclusion.