Page 3 - Community Living 35-4

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An opportunity for everyone to

Community Living
return to society’s communal table

ISSN 0951-9815
Volume 35, no 4, summer 2022 f all the people in England who require government intervention and support,
one group stands out as having no strategy to ensure the quality of that support
Published by O– those with learning disabilities. Wales and Scotland both have strategies that
CL Initiatives Ltd
Link-Ability, Conway House, Ackhurst Business give clear direction to service development and investment of public funds.
Park, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 1NY In England, there remains only Valuing People from 2001, unmonitored, forgotten
probably by most in government and now gathering dust on some shelf in a back room
 www.cl-initiatives.co.uk
 clienquiries@outlook.com at the Department of Health and Social Care. The idealism, hope and actual
t @CommLivingmag_ improvements that Valuing People brought now feel like a distant dream. Whatever its
f www.facebook.com/ faults we can see in retrospect – no strategy is perfect – we miss it now it has gone.
CommunityLivingMagazine
 01257 241899 It is therefore with great pleasure and renewed hope that we feature (pages 14-15)
the work that Learning Disability England (LDE) is doing on its Good Lives framework.
Editor This is a collaborative mapping out of what it will take to ensure that people with
Simon Jarrett, simonjarrett1@outlook.com
learning disabilities in England have the opportunity to live rich and fulfilling lives, free
Publisher and subscription enquiries from abuse, loneliness, exclusion and isolation.
Jo Adshead, Link-Ability (address as above), Good Lives has the potential to form the basis of a new strategy that could reverse
clienquiries@outlook.com
alarming trends of neglect,
Production editor and designer public ignorance and state
Christy Lawrance, www.clcomms.com apathy, and bring people A coalition of groups of people with
Contributors with learning disabilities learning disabilities and those who
Welfare rights: Charlie Callanan back to the communal
Research: Juliet Diener table of society. support them can be a powerful force,
Arts: Tracey Harding
Photographs and interviews: Seán Kelly, LDE is very clear it does and it is essential that power is harnessed
www.seankellyphotos.com not own this strategy. It
Illustrator: Robin Meader, robinmeaderartist@ sees its role as bringing to achieve a better future
gmail.com, https://tinyurl.com/robinmeader
Legal: Belinda Schwehr LLM, legal framework together disparate groups
trainer and consultant, Care and Health Law, – people with learning
belinda@careandhealthlaw.com disabilities, families, supporters, staff, professionals, campaigners – to produce a new,
History: Susanna Shapland
Columnists: Simon Duffy, director, Centre for realisable vision of the future. Community Living is delighted to be promoting this
Welfare Reform; Suzanne Gale, social care vision and to be working with LDE to develop and realise it.
consultant; Sara Pickard, disabled people’s A coalition of groups of people with learning disabilities and those who support them
employment champion, Welsh Government;
Jan Walmsley, independent researcher can be a powerful force, and it is essential that power is harnessed to achieve a better
future. We appeal to readers – whatever their connection – to become involved in the
Editorial board development of the framework.
Jo Adshead, chief executive, Linkability
Helen Atherton, lecturer in nursing, University One of the areas covered by Good Lives, which marks a distinct departure from the
of Leeds more practical and concrete concerns of Valuing People, is “to love and to be loved”.
Noelle Blackman, chief executive, Respond This is an important recognition that, at the heart of ideas such as belonging and
Jo Clare, consultant and coach
Jenny Garrigan, director of quality and inclusion, lies the need for emotional ties to others. To be physically within a
involvement/director of strategy, Thera Trust community is not enough – the love of and for others is the real glue that binds us.
Isabelle Garnett
Simon Jarrett
Richard Keagan-Bull, self-advocate and Babies, sex and taboos
researcher Our cover story (pages 18-19) is on the issue of the reproductive rights of people with
Gill Levy learning disabilities. Rachel Eastham’s article asks some important questions. Who
Gabby Machell, chief executive, Learning
Disability Network London decides who should have children? And if or when you get pregnant? Or not?
Sue Pemberton, chief executive, Integrate She outlines the difficulties faced by people with learning disabilities who might want
Lynne Tooze, independent sexual violence (or not want) to have children. Clinical staff, social care staff and social workers often
adviser, Respond
Sally Warren, managing director, Paradigm assume people with learning disabilities should not have children and, indeed, not have
sex. There is a reluctance even to discuss sexual activity and contraception during
Printed by health checks and in other situations where such discussions should take place.
Character Graphics, Taunton, encouraged to use long-term contraception, which can be difficult to reverse.
All this can lead to lack of awareness about contraception, or women being
Cover image: www.goodthingscollective.co.uk Registered charity no 1141176 taken into care or for adoption are very high, and these options are far more likely to be
Tel 01823 279008
©CL Initiatives Ltd 2022
Once a woman with a learning disability gives birth, the chances of the child being
Company registered in England no 7530680
used than finding methods of support for the parents and the child.
The work Eastham and her research group are doing is addressing some of these
taboos. They are, in their own words, “shining a light on capacity and informed consent
in a way that is inclusive and understanding of people with learning disabilities”.

Editor

www.cl-initiatives.co.uk Simon Jarrett Community Living Vol 35 No 4 | Summer 2022 3