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I have lived in a number of group homes for more than five years and am currently in a flat in the grounds of a residential care home in Morden, south London.

For two years I have been campaigns officer for People First, a self-advocacy organisation run by people with learning difficulties for people with learning difficulties. We campaign for our civil and human rights. I have to stand down as campaigns officer at the next AGM, but I will still be involved in People First's campaign work.


I am also co-chairperson of the National Learning Disability Task Force, which the government set up to help make sure the ideas in the white paper Valuing People happen. Chris Davies, director of social services for Somerset Council, co-chairs the task force with me.

When I started at People First my old care home and my old case manager said I would not be able to travel on my own to London because they said I was a vulnerable adult. My old care home also rang the People First office and told my support worker confidential information about myself. It was not until my support worker said that they should not be giving this information to him that they realised that they had broken confidentiality and stopped what they were saying.

One day the night staff did not tell the day staff that I had left the house early to go to a Department of Health meeting. This resulted in me being reported as missing to the police. When I arrived at Victoria Station I was approached by the police who made me get into a police van in front of hundreds of people and drove me back to the group home. It made me feel like a criminal, but at least I had the satisfaction of the staff being told off for wasting police time.


The place where I live now treats me with more respect and the staff don't boss me about. I still have lots of day-to-day problems, though, with getting information and services. I have been waiting ages for an assessment to get a handrail and step for my bath. I spoke to Surrey social services which funds my residential placement but they told me I needed to speak to Merton social services where I live. I am always finding a problem with getting anything I need because I am an "out of borough placement". I am so frustrated that I am thinking about getting the handrail fitted myself.

I have also been trying to find out about direct payments from Surrey and Merton social services, but the information I have been sent is not accessible for people with learning difficulties. And, like the handrail, Merton and Surrey cannot agree who is responsible for my claim for direct payments.

The things I have done over the past couple of years have made my life much better. I feel that my life has improved despite social services rather than because of social services help.

Michelle Chinery is campaigns officer for People First and co-chairperson of the Learning Disability Task Force.