Mencap’s ‘Get My Vote’

A campaign to ensure that people with a learning disability can use their right to vote

As most of us already know, a general election is due to take place later this year so Mencap’s ‘Get my vote’ campaign has been launched to kick start the government into making sure that those with a disability can be heard correctly.  To do this they are suggesting that something as simple as make sure that accessible information about how to register to vote is available along with encouraging the main parties to make their manifestos in an easy to read format. … Continue Reading

Direct Payments – What are they and what’s changing?

What are Direct Payments?

Direct Payments are cash payments given to people that have been assessed as needing a particular type of service, in lieu of social service provisions.  These Direct Payments can be made to disabled individuals who are aged 16 years or over, to carers aged 16 years or over in respect of Care Services and to people who have a parental responsibility for disabled children.

It is important to note that the Department of Health explains that also a person eligible for Direct Payment must “be able to consent to have a direct payment and have the capacity to manage one, although they can have assistance to manage their payment on a day-to-day basis.”

The main objective of the Direct Payment is to allow more flexibility, more choice and control over the lives of those individuals who qualify for this scheme by encouraging them to decide about how their care is delivered with the money given in lieu of their social care services. … Continue Reading

Who are Lansdowne Care Services?

Lansdowne Care Services are a Bedfordshire based provider of services for people with a learning disability who may also have additional or complex needs.

Through our network of services we work with individuals, families and service commissioners to support people within the community in our Residential and Day Care facilities.

Founded in 1985 Lansdowne Care Services lead the way in social care by becoming Bedfordshire’s first independent provider. Over the decades that have followed we have strived to maintain this leading position in the field of care through the development of innovative services, carefully designed not only to meet the needs of the individual but to also enable them to aspire to and achieve their personal life goals. … Continue Reading

Personalisation Agenda

Our Government has a shared ambition to put people first through a radical reform of public services. This will mean that people will be able to live their own lives as they wish; confident that services are of high quality, are safe and promote their own individual needs for independence, well-being, and dignity.

The Personalisation Agenda offers this opportunity to make home care (and other services) more responsive and adaptable so that it is actually doing what people who use the services want and need, rather than being limited because of rigid tasks and time specifications. According to The Department of Health:

“Personalisation, including a strategic shift towards early intervention and prevention, will … Continue Reading

The Big Care Debate – The reform of the adult care and support in England

The above video was shown at the launch event for the Government Green Paper Shaping the Future of Care Together.

So what really is ‘The Big Care Debate’?  Well, it is clear to most that there is an obvious need for a reform of the adult care and support in England and this is exactly what the government is now offering however, ‘The Big Debate’ is a way of giving everybody the chance to have their say on this reform.

The main objectives are to a create a service that is fair, simple and affordable and one that can meet the challenges it now faces and those of the future.

A public consultation document or Green Paper has been published to help kick start this new National Care Service and it has been called ‘Shaping the Future of Care Together’. … Continue Reading

Valuing Employment Now – real jobs for people with learning disabilities

‘Valuing Employment Now’ is a strategy that The Government have set out to drastically increase the number of people with learning disabilities in employment by 2025.  The Department of Health explain that The Government want:

“..as many as possible of these jobs to be at least 16 hours per week. We aspire to close the gap between the employment rate of people with learning disabilities and that of the disabled population as a whole. The current employment rate for disabled people is 48%. Closing this gap in today’s terms would mean around 45,000 more people with learning disabilities in work than we believe is currently the case.” … Continue Reading