Editorial Comment: Left behind by personalisation

Councils are making progress towards personalising services.

A Commission for Social Care Inspection analysis of councils reveals that there has been a big increase in adults using direct payments. Independent living is also being promoted though improved access to intensive home care and more support for carers. The increase in young adults with mental health problems now living at home is a particular success.

But progress has been patchy. Community Care has been campaigning to promote opportunities for people with learning disabilities and has received widespread support from the sector. But, councils still vary in performance, particularly in getting people with learning disabilities into work. More worryingly, the number of people with learning disabilities who are wrongly stuck in a hospital environment has increased.

It comes as an expert warns that people with both learning disabilities and challenging behaviour are being left behind, with many suffering placement breakdown and being placed out of area.

This could change. We have two new council targets that, if adopted, will concentrate minds on getting people with learning disabilities into work and living in their own homes. And the refresh of Valuing People is due.

But it is going to take more than just targets and guidance to overcome these inequalities in provision for people with learning disabilities and other client groups.

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Services for people with both learning disabilities and challenging behaviour lag behind

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Mike Broad