Learning Disability Week 2020

COUNTDOWN TO THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT’S
COMING HOME DEADLINE

RECENT UPDATES

The Scottish Government has made the promise to ‘significantly reduce’ long hospital stays and out-of-area residential placements for people with learning disabilities or complex needs by March 2024.

People First (Scotland) welcomes this announcement but a single day longer living in these places is too long. We will post updates here on this work, too many promises have been made before and not kept.

We ask the Scottish Government to abolish substitute decision-making and establish supported decision-making across Scotland, realising and respecting our human rights to independent and family life

A list to make housing and support better for all citizens with a learning disability:

• No-one should have institutions or hospitals as their home
• We should not be forced to live with other people we don’t like or don’t know
• We should be supported to have the same life choices as other citizens
• We should be supported to set up our own homes when we reach an adult age rather than continuing to live with parents or family members
• We should have the choice of living by ourselves or living with a partner or a friend
• We should be supported to become home owners if our income can support that
• We need more accessible and affordable housing

People First (Scotland) Annual Report

People First (Scotland) have published our Annual Report for 2021-2022.

You can read it by clicking on the hand symbol below.

Information about the Cost of Living

People First (Scotland) have created an Easy Read document with information about the Cost of Living.

You can read it by clicking on the hand symbol below.

What is Domestic Abuse?

People First (Scotland) have created some Easy Read information about Domestic Abuse in partnership with the Scottish Commission for Learning Disability and Scottish Government. If you are experiencing Domestic Abuse, or are worried about someone that is, then remember that you are not alone and help is available. You can read more by clicking on the hand symbol below.

What is Coercive and Controlling Behaviour?

As well as Easy Read information about Domestic Abuse, we have also created information about Coercive and Controlling behaviour and where to find help. You can read more by clicking on the hand symbol below.

Easy Read on new covid guidance

People First (Scotland) have updated the Easy Read information announced by the Scottish Government on 18th April about the Coronavirus rules.

You can read more about this by clicking on the hand symbol below.

Statement regarding Supported Decision Making pilot and Vaccination

Figures now show Scottish citizens with learning disabilities are three times more likely to die and twice as likely to be infected from COVID 19.

Offer us accessible and up to date information and the support to make a decision on the vaccine. Make us visible, see the numbers and see us human beings. Move us all into vaccine priority group 4 now.

You can read our statement on supporting us to make a decision about the vaccine by clicking on the hand symbol below.

FACTS Campaign

People First (Scotland) have made an Easy Read document about Scottish Governments FACTS campaign. The campaign is to remind all of us what do to keep safe and stop the spread of Coronavirus. You can read about it by clicking on the hand symbol below.

People First Alternative Summary on the Scottish Mental Health Law Review

At the beginning of 2020, the Scottish Mental Health Law Review carried out a consultation for Phase 1 of the review. People First (Scotland) met with the chair of the review, John Scott, on a number of occasions and submitted a written response to the consultation. The Review has now published a summary of the various responses that were gathered.

We were disappointed to see that the summary makes no mention of the contributions and views that People First provided. Although John Scott kindly reassured us that learning disability issues would be included in the next report, the Law and Human Rights Group have decided to go ahead with our alternative summary to address this. You can read our version by clicking on the hand symbol below.

(Please note that the summary is not in Easy Read format. It has been developed with the intention of influencing professionals and decision-makers and is aimed at them)

Learning Disability Week 2020 was from the 18th – 24th May and this year was a little different. People First (Scotland) had been planning an event but this could not go ahead. Instead, we held a series of video calls to discuss the issues that are important to us. We looked at the words and labels that are used to describe people with a Learning Disability and the decisions that are often made by others, particularly with regards to housing. You can read more about this by clicking on the hand symbol below.

WHAT’S NEW?