As we kick off Learning Disability Week, a couple of thoughts about looking back as well as looking forwards. What have we heard people tell us, and have we listened?
A Small Victory by Faith No More
Having been involved in the Ladysbridge Stories Project www.ladysbridgestories.com and the related BBC1 documentary, Beyond The Asylum - 30 Years Of Care In The Community https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b3lfk1 (not my choice of title). I have been reflecting on how far we have come in the last 30 years.
If you had told my 19 year old self back then, that despite people physically moving to the community, and the implementation of national policy in the form of the Self Directed Support legislation, for many the goal of deciding who supports you, when and how that happens (and what risks you take to achieve these opportunities) would still not be the norm - 30 years on, I would have been gobsmacked. There have been some great developments over the years, but for many, the fundamental issues of rights and inclusion are still far from complete.
Despite new language and Mission and Vision statements, what actually makes a difference is a clear commitment to listen, empower and create a culture that supports that development. There has always been a core of people who "get" this, and whether within positive cultures or in hostile environments, have continued to try to make this happen. Trust that you won't be judged, or shut down for making a mistake, takes time, and so many people still are not in that position of equal power that they should be. It's not complicated, it does require honesty, integrity and a will to listen and change. Some things don't work out how we would like, but the measure of the quality of what we offer is in the ability to learn and develop to meet expectations, rather than find reasons to shut things down and retreat to the familiar.
People feel safe when they have choice and control, not when someone else decides what that should look like. Let's make sure that we keep going in the right direction and not rebranding things that don't work. We have a choice we can listen and act on what people tell us is important to them, or we can say, I think what you actually mean is... / you are only entitled to... or some other approach that continues to deny people's humanity and rights.
The work of Stay Up Late https://stayuplate.org/ shows what can be achieved with a clear focus on good times and non service solutions.
In Control Scotland is engaging in development work on risk and opportunity in the North of Scotland this summer, based on Risking a Real Life a paper developed by Louise Close and myself. We are exploring issues of inertia, answerability and creating confidence in empowering decisions.
The National Development Team For Inclusion (NDTi) has shown that large scale culture and systems change - through the Community Led Support programme, can give real results https://www.ndti.org.uk/resources/publications/what-works-in-community-led-support
Lets keep listening and calling out the excuses when people say these things can't change (or worse, say that they have, when they haven't!).