A better life for people with learning disabilities

Valuing people now: from progress to transformation - a government consultation on the next three years of learning disability policy

The white paper Valuing People (2001) set out the Government's vision for people with a learning disability, across a range of services based on four key principles of rights, independence, choice, and inclusion. The white paper's vision covered a range of issues including health, housing and employment. Valuing People Now seeks people's views on the priorities for the learning disability agenda over the next three years.

Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis has launched a consultation to seek views on the priorities for learning disability for the next three years. He said: "People with learning disabilities have a right to live independently as equal citizens in our society. Valuing People represented a major step forward in policy and has led to many improvements for some people with learning disabilities in some parts of the country. However, our challenge now is to make independent living and equal citizenship a reality for all people with learning disabilities in every part of the country.

Valuing People Now retains fundamental principles of Valuing People while seeking to secure transformation over the next few years on issues such as housing, employment, access to mainstream NHS services and maximum control and choice for people with learning disabilities, and where appropriate carers oversee their support.

I urge people with learning disabilities, their carers and front-line professionals to respond to this consulatation so the final strategy can achieve a major revitalisation of the Valuing People agenda and reflect people's everyday aspirations and experiences."

The consultation will run until 28th March 2008. The Department of Health will set out proposals  for the next three years based on the responses that they receive to the consultation, in a document to be published by summer 2008. You can access the consultation at the Department of Health website.