Making Connections - Making A Difference

Too Busy?

In the face of public questions over the management of social care in Edinburgh, senior staff and councillors at the City of Edinburgh council have declared themselves too busy to meet with 175 carers and service users in a public meeting.

“Who really gets to choose” is a conference to be held on 15^th April by 3 Scottish voluntary organisations, ECAS, LDAS and ARC Scotland who are worried about the quality and provision of care services in Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland. Speaking at the event will be leading politicians such as Johann Lamont and service users like the Reverend Graham Monteith.

Campaign launched to save vital service for adults with learning disabilities.

The Learning Disability Alliance Scotland along with carers and service users have today launched a campaign to save an essential service for adults with learning disabilities in the Glasgow area.

Independence Options, a support service which supports adults with disabilities to become more confident and fit for work has had its funding withdrawn by Glasgow City Council in January of this year. By August, this service will be closed. Its parent organisation, Unity Enterprises has appealed against the cut and now LDAS has met with angry carers and service users and agreed to launch a campaign to save the service.

Relationships - a right for everyone

On Sunday 29th March LDAS had a letter in the Sunday Herald about sexuality and people with learning disabilities. Unfortunately for reasons of space it was cut slightly. The full version is below

Dear Sir

I read with interest Sylvia Patterson column in last week’s Sunday Herald (22^nd March) where she contrasted the attitude of Lucy Baxter to the sexuality of her son, Otto who has Down’s Syndrome with that of her own mother.

Recently the Westminster Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights heard that people with learning disabilities all over Britain were not getting the help they need to form relationships and to learn about their own sexuality. One witness told them “Our carer says we can’t kiss (me and my girlfriend). She says ‘we’ve got to draw the line somewhere’.

Edinburgh Council Health And Social Care Managers Too Busy To Meet With Carers And Users

Reviewing The Same As You

THE SAME AS YOU? was published in 2000. It said what needed to happen to help people with learning disabilities have better lives.

It said that services could do more to help people with learning disabilities to achieve a full life.

The main aim was to help people be included - in community life, in education, in leisure and recreation, in day opportunities and particularly in employment.

They should also have far greater access to mainstream services and rely less on specialist services.

The report said there were 29 things that local authorities, health boards and the government could do to make things better. Now that the government is thinking about reviewing the guide we thought it would be a good idea to remind ourselves what the report said.

Read our guide to these reccomendations.

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