Report to the

National Forum of People with Learning Disabilities

Region:
Date:

East Midlands
February 2016

What do you want us to tell the Learning

Disability Programme Board about?

What is going well?

Work across the Region

We have begun to make contact with all
the Partnership Boards in the Region. We
did a presentation on the Regional and
National Forums at the Leicestershire
Board in January. This went well and we
are hoping that some new people will
come to our Forum meeting in March.
Newsletter
We produced our first Newsletter and we
have opened a Facebook Page for the
Region.
Nottingham City
The self-advocacy group were not happy
with the Advocacy service. They spoke up
about this and made complaints to
commissioners, as a result some things
have changed. The commissioners are
now working with the group on the new
advocacy contract.

What are your 3 big issues?

Cuts - Within Local Authorities this is

happening across the Region. There is
less money for
Partnership Boards
Involvement work
Support for people to speak up
Advocacy
There has been a big increase in
Statutory advocacy this is this is advocacy
that has to happen like IMHA, IMCA and
Care Act Advocacy.
This means there is less money for
general advocacy some areas are
thinking about not funding this work.
This means people will have less support
to help them speak up.
Employment
There is not enough support to help
people get jobs. Where there are
projects these are often short term and
can only work with certain groups of
people. People say that the Job Centre do
not understand how to work with people
with learning disabilities

Other news:

Central England People First Visited

the Houses of Parliament their MP
Philip Hollobone arranged this.

We are beginning to work with the

Families Forum in the Region.
They are coming to our next Forum
meeting in March.

Central England People First will run

a CQC Workshop on 14th March in
Kettering.

Please email this report to: lucyvirgo@inclusionnorth.org