A brief history of learning disability in Scotland
In a population of 5.3 million, there are an estimated 120,000 children and adults who have learning disabilities in Scotland.Although still one of the most vulnerable groups of people in Scotland, the lives of those who have learning disabilities have changed dramatically over the last 100 years.
In the late 19th and early 20th century the ills of society were blamed upon people who had learning disabilities, referred to as ‘feeble minded’ people. To prevent the spread of social problems like alcoholism, prostitution and crime, society sought to remove people who have learning disabilities from the community.
This led to the segregation of people with learning disability from the rest of society, including institutionalisation. Initial attempts at institutional care for people with learning disabilities reflected the belief that the disability could be removed through education. Later models of institutional care became more custodial – with an emphasis on excluding people from society from birth.
The European Convention on Human Rights in 1950 led to increasing recognition of the damaging effects of institutionalisation on people. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, reports into the living conditions of British citizens highlighted that people with learning disabilities were able to lead lives in their local community.
In 1957, government recommendations ended compulsory certification and led to the discharge of many people with learning disabilities from long stay institutions. In the 1970s, Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped and The Jay Report were published, calling for a reduction in hospital places that eventually led to the closure of most institutes in the 1990s, replaced with local authority-based care in communities.
In 2000, however, the first Scottish learning disability strategy was published. ‘The Same as You?’ - a review of services for people with learning disabilities in Scotland and a series of recommendations for future development.
In addition to improvements to residential care, the strategy called for more opportunity for people who have learning disabilities through the introduction of personalised services, giving more control and greater choice.
The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act became law in January 2013 with the aim of creating a fairer, person-centred social care and support system, with an increased focus on user participation.
It was implemented on 1 April 2013 and will change the way local authorities provide services so that people who have learning disabilities can live in their communities, choosing the support that helps them to live the lives they want.
ENABLE Scotland
In 1954, five sets of parents met in Glasgow to discuss the possibility of setting up a Scottish organisation to help parents such as themselves, and to get better services for their children who had learning disabilities. Several meetings later they published a notice in the local paper inviting people to attend a meeting in Glasgow Corporation’s Education Offices on 9 April 1954.More than 300 people turned up and an organisation was born - the Scottish Association of Parents of Handicapped Children. Nearly 40 years later, that society became ENABLE Scotland and now the organisation approaches the 60th anniversary of that eventful meeting.
ENABLE Scotland is now Scotland’s leading charity of, and for, people with learning disabilities, their families and carers. We support children, young people and adults:
· By campaigning, lobbying and fighting for greater equality and better opportunities, providing a national information and advice service, legal and advocacy services.
· By providing innovative, community based services that help them to live, attend school, work and enjoy meaningful participation in their local community.
We employ 1700 people throughout Scotland providing personal support, advocacy and employment services to children and adults with learning disabilities. Our National Office is located in North Lanarkshire and we have a number of regional offices throughout Scotland.
· Integrity – we are honest and truthful in our actions.
· Equality – we treat everyone as our equal.
· Ethical – we will always do the right thing.
· Ambition – we raise expectations for people who have learning disabilities, their families and those who work for them.
ENABLE Works, the employment arm of ENABLE Scotland, has over 15 years experience of providing employment services to people who have learning disabilities. Each year we support around 1000 people with learning disabilities and additional support needs to develop employability skills and confidence.
Our services fall into 5 broad categories:
Youth services: We manage youth groups that support young people who have learning disabilities to engage in social activity with people their own age, develop social skills and take part in community training. We support young people to become advocates and campaign on issues that matter for them. This year we have launched our HUBS campaign, raising awareness of access issues with public transport.
Transitions services: We deliver embedded employment services in over 70 schools and 17 colleges across Scotland – supporting young people with learning disabilities to make the transition into employment after school and college.
Government programmes: We deliver the British Government’s Work Choice programme for adults who have a learning disability, and the Scottish Government’s Employability Fund, supporting people aged 16-24 into employment.
Supported Employment: We provide employability services to adults who have learning disabilities in partnership with social work services in Glasgow, Inverclyde, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Additionally, we are delivering the Re-Connect programme, supporting ex-Remploy workers who have a range of disabilities back into employment.
Social enterprise: We operate 2 social enterprises, Darling’s Coffee Shop in Arbroath and Hazeldene Horticulture in Kilwinning, supporting disabled trainees to develop employability skills in a real working environment before supporting their transition into further employment.
In the first half of 2013/14, we supported 171 individuals into employment. 129 of those have a learning disability with the remaining 42 consisting of both people with other long-term conditions and young unemployed people.
However, in many cases, the people we support come from families that are suspicious of external organisations or do not work themselves. As a result we find that some young people do not get the additional support that would help them make a successful transition.
The Scottish Government's publication Growing up in Scotland: Parenting and the Community Context recognise that a lack of resources inhibits friendship networks that impact young people into adulthood.
The Same as You? highlighted the fact that families are responsible for the most support for people with learning disabilities and that community service assessments allowed greater access to support. Only 48% of families were found to have been assessed, however.
Older carers of people who have learning disabilities have reported their concerns about the lack of support available to help them plan for the point in the future when they become unable to care. Many of these carers experience anxiety and reduced peace of mind as a result.
We hope that through engaging more families across Europe, we can define and agree best practice for engaging families successfully.
In partnering with European agencies in this exciting project, we hope to be able to:
1. Define the best method for engaging families
2. Understand family’s needs better
3. Develop support that take families needs into account
4. Enhance our services with this family support
5. Share good practice for transitions for young people who have learning disabilities
· By campaigning, lobbying and fighting for greater equality and better opportunities, providing a national information and advice service, legal and advocacy services.
· By providing innovative, community based services that help them to live, attend school, work and enjoy meaningful participation in their local community.
We employ 1700 people throughout Scotland providing personal support, advocacy and employment services to children and adults with learning disabilities. Our National Office is located in North Lanarkshire and we have a number of regional offices throughout Scotland.
Our Vision
That all people who have a learning disability have the choice and control to live a life they choose.Our Mission
With our members we effectively campaign to improve the lives of people who have learning disabilities, and work with our customers to create excellent Personalised services that reflect our values and enable customers to live the life they choose.Our Values
· Respect – we respect our customers, members and staff at all times.· Integrity – we are honest and truthful in our actions.
· Equality – we treat everyone as our equal.
· Ethical – we will always do the right thing.
· Ambition – we raise expectations for people who have learning disabilities, their families and those who work for them.
ENABLE Works
The most recent Scottish Government statistics suggest as few as 3,393 people (13%) of all adults who have a learning disability were in employment or training for employment in 2012. This is a drop of 16% from 2011 and suggests that the employment prospects for this excluded group are declining sharply. Clearly the economic recession and slow recovery have impacted disproportionately on people who were already vulnerable.ENABLE Works, the employment arm of ENABLE Scotland, has over 15 years experience of providing employment services to people who have learning disabilities. Each year we support around 1000 people with learning disabilities and additional support needs to develop employability skills and confidence.
Our services fall into 5 broad categories:
Youth services: We manage youth groups that support young people who have learning disabilities to engage in social activity with people their own age, develop social skills and take part in community training. We support young people to become advocates and campaign on issues that matter for them. This year we have launched our HUBS campaign, raising awareness of access issues with public transport.
Transitions services: We deliver embedded employment services in over 70 schools and 17 colleges across Scotland – supporting young people with learning disabilities to make the transition into employment after school and college.
Government programmes: We deliver the British Government’s Work Choice programme for adults who have a learning disability, and the Scottish Government’s Employability Fund, supporting people aged 16-24 into employment.
Supported Employment: We provide employability services to adults who have learning disabilities in partnership with social work services in Glasgow, Inverclyde, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Additionally, we are delivering the Re-Connect programme, supporting ex-Remploy workers who have a range of disabilities back into employment.
Social enterprise: We operate 2 social enterprises, Darling’s Coffee Shop in Arbroath and Hazeldene Horticulture in Kilwinning, supporting disabled trainees to develop employability skills in a real working environment before supporting their transition into further employment.
In the first half of 2013/14, we supported 171 individuals into employment. 129 of those have a learning disability with the remaining 42 consisting of both people with other long-term conditions and young unemployed people.
YAID - Young adult with Intellectual Disability: an European learning partnership for a new approach to the family system.
We find that by engaging parents and carers in the support for transition, young people with learning disabilities are more likely to be successful.However, in many cases, the people we support come from families that are suspicious of external organisations or do not work themselves. As a result we find that some young people do not get the additional support that would help them make a successful transition.
The Scottish Government's publication Growing up in Scotland: Parenting and the Community Context recognise that a lack of resources inhibits friendship networks that impact young people into adulthood.
The Same as You? highlighted the fact that families are responsible for the most support for people with learning disabilities and that community service assessments allowed greater access to support. Only 48% of families were found to have been assessed, however.
Older carers of people who have learning disabilities have reported their concerns about the lack of support available to help them plan for the point in the future when they become unable to care. Many of these carers experience anxiety and reduced peace of mind as a result.
We hope that through engaging more families across Europe, we can define and agree best practice for engaging families successfully.
In partnering with European agencies in this exciting project, we hope to be able to:
1. Define the best method for engaging families
2. Understand family’s needs better
3. Develop support that take families needs into account
4. Enhance our services with this family support
5. Share good practice for transitions for young people who have learning disabilities
