30/05/2012

People with learning difficulties are becoming increasingly isolated and cut off from their community since 1 in 3 local authorities have closed day services. Costs of attending centres, including transport have risen by 70%, on average.

Data for the report was gathered via 151 responses to a freedom of information requests sent to 152 local authorities responsible for providing care services.  Data was also obtained through a survey of two hundred and eight people, which included people a learning disability, their families and carers, 194 professionals were also surveyed.

Other survey findings were:

• 57% of people with a learning disability known to social services do not receive any day service, compared to 48% in 2009/10. 
• 1 in 5 local authorities that have closed days centres are not offering an alternative.
• 60% of the local authorities that have increased charges, 23% have more than doubled them 
• People with learning disability attending a day service on just one day per week has nearly doubled (from 12% to 20%)
• Those attending five days per week has decreased, from nearly half (47%) to under a third (29%).
• 61% of professionals believe that funding cuts have already had a negative impact.

It seems that local authorities are failing to recognise learning disability and are therefore not providing services to people who need them, as 28% of local authorities cited a decrease in the number of adults with a learning disability known to social services in 2011/12 compared to 2009/10, yet there is a steady increase in numbers in society in general. 

Sixty four per cent of respondents with learning disabilities were not asked for their views about the cuts in services, despite local authorities having a legal duty to do so. 

The full ‘Stuck at home: the impact of day service cuts on people with a learning disability’ report is available at: www.mencap.org.uk/news