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letters
Letters

Write to Community Living at simonj@jarr.demon.co.uk. Note: all letters may be edited
People earn more from work than money
Following your issue on employment, (CL Meader’s view
31:1), recent NHS Short and Long Term
Care (SALT) figures reveal a worrying trend
in national employment patterns for
people with learning disabilities.
From a high of 6% in 2014-15, they fell
to 5.8% the following year then 5.6%.
Most of those in paid employment work
for less than 16 hours per week.
Kudos to Bexley – the only council to
report a rate of more than 20% in its area.
Congratulations also to North east
Lincolnshire, which achieved a 15%
increase, the most nationally, over
2014-17. They prove that people with
learning disabilities can work successfully.
Fourteen authorities – birmingham, City
of London, Hull, Isles of Scilly, Lambeth,
manchester, Nottingham, Oldham, Rutland,
Sandwell, South Tyneside, Telford & Wrekin,
Warrington and Wigan – report levels of 1%
or less. They should be asking themselves
some tough questions – as should those who is employed within our business living in a way that suits them is allowed to
seeing sustained, substantial declines. development team. His profoundly do so, they will always depend on the
Why does this matter? Work means far moving story belongs in his words alone. “institutionalisation” of services as dictated
more than money and productivity. It Read it – it might just change your life: by others – more so if they are not capable.
means self-esteem, confidence and social www.dimensions-uk.org/corey. The move towards a culture of provision
opportunities. People supported into If you have any influence over how by profit rather than of knowledge and
employment by Dimensions have real jobs companies and councils prioritise care is leading to a culture of “bums on
where they can fulfil work aspirations and employment for people with learning seats based on costs” and “if we can’t
achieve social and economic inclusion. disabilities and autism, please use it. afford to take you in” then “disappear
Dimensions also directly employs more Duncan Bell quickly” – you don’t matter to us.
than 50 people with learning disabilities Head of marketing, Dimensions The case of Scope illustrates such
as quality checkers, as film makers, on the troubling outcomes. I write as the parent
reception team and in other roles. Beware the mini institutions of an adult with limited capacity who has
But the story that prompted me to write Robin Jackson’s column (CL 31:2) used their services for many years.
this letter does not come from any of summarises the trend towards miniature Cerebral palsy is complex and everyone
them. It comes from a thank you letter institutions and services from the past. affected is an individual; without the
from a young autistic man called Corey, Unless a disabled person capable of expertise gained from a specialist
organisation such as Scope, expertise and
resources for those individuals, families
and professionals in the community will
Do you know some be lost.
Then off we will go again! People will be
‘bloody awesome’ parents? tucked away (especially in later life) where

they don’t matter: in old people’s homes,
Community Living magazine is proud to announce our where care staff have enough on their
continuing sponsorship of bringing Us Together’s bloody plates; hidden among people with
Awesome Parents (BAPS) awards. dementia; unable to cope in a strange,
These monthly awards aim to recognise some of the many amazing parents out hostile environment; unable to make their
there who make a real difference to their child’s developing life. views and wishes known because of the
Some, as we have seen in our own pages, have to battle against huge odds to get lack of appropriate communication; and
their adult son or daughter back into the community. unable to interact with peers. They can
We are sponsoring the awards jointly with Choice Support. If you would like to become trapped in a horrifying cycle of
nominate someone, let us know. misunderstanding and abuse.
email nominations to Community Living editor Simon Jarrett on simonj@jarr. This is indeed a troubling sign of things
demon.co.uk. to come. Perhaps it is time for the wheel
See who won the April BAPS award at: to be reinvented.
http://bringingustogether.org.uk/baps-of-the-month-april Betty Fisher
Chester

6 Vol 31 No 4 | Summer 2018 community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk