The Effectiveness of the Legislation and Policy Reforms in Practice

The Effectiveness of the Legislation and Policy Reforms in Practice

In this essay I will set out to identify key legislation, which has

impacted and shaped the lives of my particular client group, adults

with learning disabilities. Learning disabilities can be hard to

define, but it is widely accepted that impairments in the ability to

read, write, spell, speak or perform any mathematical calculations can

lead to a diagnosis of learning disabilities. The campaign group

Values into Action defines learning disabilities as “A disorder in one

or more of the basic cognitive and psychological process involved in

understanding or using written or spoken language”. I will give an

overview of service provision from the incarceration of individuals in

long stay institutions to the present day practice of caring for these

individuals in the community. The key legislation I will be focussing

on is The N.H.S and Community Care (1990) Act; key components of this

act were the concept of the therapeutic community, psychiatric

rehabilitation, sheltered employment, day hospitals and talking

therapy.

I will also identify other key legislation and government reports,

post 1990. I will be examining what this act has meant in real terms

for people who have learning disabilities. Most people would agree

that provision is better now for this particular group than it’s ever

been in the past, but gaps still exist in service provision. I will

also discuss society’s perceptions and understanding of people who

have learning disabilities, and how this mirrored government policies

of the time.

Historically the 18th and early parts of the 19th century were ...

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...ersy. Many people believed that

the closure of the long stay institutions would mean that people with

learning disabilities would be “dumped” into homes or houses unable to

support themselves. It was felt that the government would be reluctant

to put enough resources into social care or provide enough provision.

Many believed social care provision would become another “bottomless

pit” as far as funding was concerned. It is evident that community

care is working. New legislation like the Special Educational Needs

and Disability Act 2001 and the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001

are just now only beginning to make a difference. With this new

legislation all the signs point to the fact that the Government have

put social care provision quite high on their agenda and are taking

the issue of community care seriously.