Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities
Valuing People Now: From Progress to Transformation
Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities is a national voluntary
organisation that promotes opportunities to empower young people and adults
with any kind of disability to realise their potential in further, continuing and
higher education, training and employment throughout the United Kingdom. Skill
works by providing information and advice to individuals, promoting good
practice and influencing policy in partnership with disabled people, service
providers and policy makers.
The Big Priorities
Do you agree that we should identify a small number of priorities and give
them more attention?
Yes
No
Do you think that the priorities we have identified are the right ones?
Personalisation (choice and control)
Yes
No
What people do with their days (including work)
Yes
No
Better health
Yes
No
More Choice about housing
Yes
No
Making Valuing People Happen
Yes
No
Any other topics you think should also be one of the Big Priorities?
Education.
Other comments about the Big Priorities?
Skill agrees that the Biggest Priority is making this all happen. It is important
that change isn’t just researched and talked about, but implemented. Skill also
agrees with the emphasis throughout Valuing People Now with identifying what
will change.
Skill believes that a strong emphasis is needed in implementing Valuing People
Now on cross-Departmental working as demonstrated in the joint strategy
Progression through Partnership1.
1
Progression through Partnership (2007) Department of Health, Department for Work and
Pensions and the Department for Education and Skills (now the Department for Children,
Schools and Families and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills)
1
Please tell us what you think about the different sections on
Valuing People Now
We would like you to tell us whether you think they have identified the right
issues and actions, whether you disagree with anything, or whether we have
missed out important things. Please mark the boxes, then put any comments at
the end.
Section
Personalisation
What people do
during the day
Better Health
Improving People’s
Housing Situations
Advocacy
and
rights
Partnership
with
Families
Including Everyone
People as Local
Citizens
Transition
Improving
the
Workforce
National and Local
leadership
Better
commissioning
Checking How We
Are Doing
About Right
Missing
Something
Has Things I
Disagree With
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Comments:
What People Do During the Day
Skill welcomes the Government’s commitment to provide learning opportunities
for young people with a learning difficulty, through new legislation strengthening
funding entitlement for adults to free training in basic literacy and numeracy
skills, and to achieve their first full Level 2 qualification2. Skill also welcomes
curriculum and qualification developments including the Foundation Learning
Tier and the Qualification and Credit Framework which will support learners
learning at their own pace and in step-by-step stages.
2
World Class Skills: Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England, DIUS 2007
2
It is important to acknowledge the problem of the ‘revolving door’, where people
with learning disabilities are continually on a revolving cycle of courses without
progression and without consideration of what would be best for their learning
and development. This should not be the case, as a young person’s transition
plan should look at curriculum needs and be person-centred and therefore
enable them to progress. Person-centred planning should continue for adults
with learning disabilities so that they continue to get the most out of learning.
This includes lateral progressions and consolidation of learning, as well as
pursuing areas of interest and relevance to them, for example a range of
courses must be available as not everyone will want to learn the same thing.
Progression for disabled people also needs to be a reality in terms of nonaccredited provision. Not all learners, especially those with learning difficulties,
will gain a Level 2 qualification, for example, but this does not mean that they
have not succeeded in their learning goals. Education, at all levels, needs to
monitor progression and participation as well as attainment, and must look at
how achievement and attainment can be recognised without accreditation
through the RARPA mechanism (Recognition and Recording of Progress and
Achievement). Indeed, non-accredited courses should not be considered as a
lesser product, as they can be of equal high quality as accredited courses.
There are a number of quality approved (by QCA) non-accredited courses, but
post-16 providers, particularly smaller providers such as those in work-based
learning, are often unaware of the content or availability.
In order to support the learning of young people with learning difficulties and
disabilities, it is essential to have recognition that achievement and attainment
can be lateral across a breadth of experiences, and does not have to always be
vertical progression. Adults with learning disabilities should have an entitlement
to Information, Advice and Guidance, and guidance workers need training on
progression and working in partnership with providers.
The Foundation Learning Tier3 provides qualifications with a range of levels of
learning entitlement for all learners, including learners with learning disabilities.
Skill’s response to the QCA on the Foundation Learning Tier welcomed the
principle that prior achievement, the interests, needs and aspirations of learners
should be taken in to account and that disabled learners should be involved in
the design and structure of their personal curriculum to enrich their learning
experiences and facilitate progression. Skill agrees with the Skills for Life4
publication on person-centred approaches to adults with learning difficulties that
for some learners it may be inefficient and ineffective for them to spend time
acquiring literacy and numeracy skills when there are more appropriate ways for
them to develop their skills in a particular area, such as independent living. The
3
The Prospectus for Progression Pathways, LSC 2007
http://www.lsc.gov.uk/publications/latestdocuments/Detail.htm?id=d7d54a0d-e870-44b7-9cdc0c2c59cdb052
4 Skills for Life: The national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills. Personcentred approaches and adults with learning difficulties NIACE and DfES 2006
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principles of the Progression Pathways5, and in particular the pathway to
Independent Living and Supported Employment, are that they are suitable for
learners of all ages. Skill believes that this principle must be realised and
the Foundation Learning Tier must meet the needs of adults.
In order for the Foundation Learning Tier to meet its initial policy objectives of
progression, Skill believes it is vital that employability skills are embedded
throughout and employment is seen as a key destination for those completing
the pathways. This remains important for those with learning difficulties who are
completing the pathway and are in a position to enter supported employment, or
use the services of a specialist employment broker to enter employment.
Advocacy and Rights
Disabled people are often not adequately consulted about what they want for
their future or about what service provision in general suits them best. This was
a principle recognised in Valuing People, and again in Valuing People Now it
has been recognised that further work needs to be done in this area. Service
providers must ensure that any initiatives relating to disabled people should
incorporate the views of disabled people to ensure their needs are being met
and to ensure that provision is appropriate. All of the learners that Skill
interviewed for the Skills for Life Review conducted in 2006 commented on how
important they felt it was for planners to hear their views. The requirement of the
Disability Equality Duty on public bodies to actively involve disabled people has
bought about much good practice and positive developments in this area. Skill
is particularly concerned that this duty is not eroded as suggested in the
Proposals for a Single Equality Bill Green Paper6.
Skill recommends that Valuing People Now ensure that existing law and
human rights legislation are seen as the minimum standard for a single
public sector duty and opposes any erosion of this duty.
Including Everyone
Research carried out by Skill7 (Aasha, a copy of which is enclosed with this
response) has shown that people with a learning difficulty from a minority ethnic
group can face particular difficulty in accessing services, including education. A
lot of the issues highlighted in the research related to identity, particularly
belonging to two cultures and not often identifying themselves as having a
“learning difficulty”. Their independence and place in the family were also
factors affecting identity and therefore access to services. The “double
discrimination” felt here has been recognised in Valuing People Now, and Skill
would like to emphasis that neither people with learning disabilities nor people
from minority ethnic communities are homogenous groups. There are many
reasons for this, such as segregation of race and disability issues which
5
The Prospectus for Progression Pathways, LSC 2007
http://www.lsc.gov.uk/publications/latestdocuments/Detail.htm?id=d7d54a0d-e870-44b7-9cdc0c2c59cdb052
6 http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511245
7 Skill (2003) Aasha: working with young people with a learning difficulty from a South Asian
background
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pervades peoples’ ways of thinking, providers’ lack of understanding of
particular cultural attitudes to disability, and the difficulty these groups can often
have accessing information.
Skill recommends that Valuing People Now work with the Equality and
Human Rights Commission to ensure that specific attention be paid to
those people who cross over boundaries of equalities legislation strands,
eg race, disability, age.
The Prison Reform Trust report, No One Knows, highlighted the significant
number of prisoners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. In particular,
studies cited indicated that 6.7% of the prison population have a learning
disability (as defined by the Valuing People white paper) and a further 25.4%
are borderline, compared to only about 8% of the general population who have
a learning disability or are borderline8. Positive Practice, Positive Outcomes9
focuses specifically on the identification and support needs of those with
learning disabilities in the criminal justice system, as well as the duties on the
criminal justice system towards those with learning disabilities. Skill believes
that it is important that people with learning disabilities in the criminal justice
system are included in Valuing People Now, and that the Valuing People
Support Team continue to work with the Care Service Improvement Partnership
in the criminal justice system to ensure that this group is not left out and that
they feel the effects of Valuing People Now.
People as Local Citizens
Skill is pleased that Valuing People Now has recognised the importance of
tackling issues of hate crime, which was also reflected in Mencap’s choice of
focus for Learning Disabilities Awareness Week 200710; “Don’t stick it, stop it!”
Research has also found that nine out of ten people with learning disabilities
report harassment as a feature of everyday life11 and disabled young people
have told Mencap “I don’t like getting bullied by people. It makes me upset. I
wish it would stop”12 The National Autistic Society (NAS) has also recently
published research13 on bullying which found that four out of ten children with
autism are bullied at school, rising to six out of ten more able children with
autism or Aspergers Syndrome being bullied. This has a significant effect on
their lives, especially when they may already be struggling with social
communication. My Future Choices, the magazine of the Transition Information
Network (TIN, of which Skill is a member) also covers bullying in their Autumn
2007 issue.
8
Loucks (2006) No One Knows: Offenders with Learning Difficulties and Learning Disabilities.
Review of Prevalence and Associated Need
9 Care Services Improvement Partnership: Health and Social Care in the Criminal Justice
System and Valuing People Support Team (2007) Positive Practice - Positive Outcomes: A
Handbook for Professionals in the Criminal Justice System working with Offenders with
Learning Difficulties
10 http://www.mencap.org.uk/html/campaigns/children/bullying.asp
11 Mencap (1999) ‘Living in Fear’, Mencap; National Schizophrenia Fellowship (2001) ‘Give Us
A Break – Exploring harassment of people with mental health problems’.
12 http://www.mencap.org.uk/html/campaigns/children/bullying.asp
13 www.autism.org.uk/bullyingengland
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Skill thinks that there is something missing in Valuing People Now, as although
it recognised that many people with learning disabilities face hate crime and that
this is “often from young people” (12.1.1.1), no mention is made of tackling the
causes of hate crime with this group. Skill is pleased that the Government has
asked the Council for Disabled Children (CDC) and the Anti-Bullying Alliance
(ABA) to write a guide for schools about what they should do if disabled young
people are being bullied and how to stop this from happening. Skill
recommends that Valuing People Now should link in with this work and
work with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to embed
curriculum developments that promote disability equality.
School governing bodies currently record reports on racist bullying and
harassment. Skill believes that this should be extended to include
recording reports of disablist bullying and harassment. Issues of bullying
and harassment are included in the National Curriculum for Personal Social and
Health Education, however racist, homophobic or disablist bullying can be very
specific issues. Skill recommends that disability equality training be
included in the National Curriculum to help address this issue.
Valuing People Now also discusses the importance of “Relationships” for
people with a learning disability. Skill appreciates that no targets for action have
been set in this area as the central government cannot play a direct role in
promoting personal relationships. An additional point that should be made about
relationships in general though are the value placed on relationships with those
we work with. “What People Do During the Day” can include education and
support in to employment or volunteering; activities which can allow people to
develop friendships. Achieving the vision for “What People Do During the Day”
is therefore important for many reasons.
Transition to adulthood
Skill strongly believes that there needs to be effective transition arrangements
to enable young disabled people to move smoothly into adult services, as
currently there can be difficulties with this transition. Skill therefore agrees with
this headline and issues, in particular our work corroborates the fact that young
people and their families still say that this is the most difficult time in their lives
(13.1.1) and that we know the problems with the process and what is needed to
make things work (13.2.1).
The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities carried out an evaluation
of Connexions: ‘Developing Connexions for young people with disabilities,
mental health needs or autistic spectrum disorders’.14 The report found that the
Personal Adviser is a key role as a supporter and advocate, and that their
independence was essential: enabling them the freedom to support the young
person and perhaps challenge the status quo. People with learning disabilities
can continue to need a supporter or advocate after the age of 25 and as such
an appropriate agency needs to be established for adults with learning
14
http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/connexions/intro.htm
6
disabilities to provide this role and independent and professional Information,
Advice and Guidance. The Children’s Plan15 states that there will be a personal
tutor for every individual pupil (point 3.2) and Skill believes this is essential for
young disabled people to help them with their transitions. Skill would support
work of Valuing People Now to extend this entitlement to adults with learning
disabilities. Skill has been involved through the Transition Information Network
(TIN) with the initial development of the Transition Support Programme (Point
13.2.2). Skill believes that it is important that this programme builds on current
good practice and does not spend more time or money than needed on trialing
or developing new ways of working, rather it focus on extending and applying
the good practice already exists.
Skill remains concerned about the substantial minority of learners who may
never achieve a Level 2 qualification, yet for whom work is still a reality. It is
important that appropriate vocational training should be available for them
without always having to have the proviso that it must lead to a Level 2
programme, and that those ready to enter employment are fully supported with
this transition.
Skill is particularly concerned about the high number of disabled people,
particularly those with learning disabilities, who attend a sequence of learning
programmes, often entitled preparation for work, yet who never actually achieve
employment.
Skill recommends that clear and effective strategies should be developed
which support the full range of disabled people into full or part time
employment rather than providing them solely with work preparation
programmes.
One of the recommendations of Through Inclusion to Excellence16 was that the
Learning and Skills Council “ensure that employment-related provision is
accessible, and actively encourages participation of those with learning
difficulties and/or disabilities.” The LSC accepted all of the recommendations in
their response; Learning for Living and Work17 and Skill believes that Valuing
People Now has a role to play to encourage opportunities for supported
employment that can really benefit adults with learning disabilities. Skill warmly
welcomes the commitment of the LSC in driving forward this agenda, including
the series of regional conferences (January – April 2008), which included input
from people with learning disabilities as well as professionals.
The participation of people with learning disabilities in employment related
provision is patchy. To improve access to quality employment related provision,
awareness and understanding of learners needs and achievement needs to be
raised. The benefits of supported employment programmes for this group of
The Children’s Plan: Building Brighter Futures (December 2007) Department for Children,
Schools and Families
16 http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/2005/research/commissioned/through-inclusion-toexcellence.pdf
17 http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/Learning_for_Living_and_Work_Complete_2.pdf
15
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learners are currently receiving neither the recognition nor the funding they
deserve. Supported Employment has always been a fringe rather than a
mainstream activity, often existing only in short-term pilot project resources. Yet
many practitioners, particularly those working with people with learning
disabilities, say it is one of the most effective ways of supporting young people
and adults in to work. Skill is aware of the Shaw Trust project 'Young People
with Learning Disabilities - What Works?' which will culminate in a blueprint
Good Practice Guide for parents and education authorities when research is
completed later this year.
Skill recommends that there is a real commitment to building up and
sustaining this kind of employment where it is appropriate for people with
learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
Skill supports the vision that three years from now “every young person with a
learning disability and with a “statement” will have person centred reviews from
the age of 14-19” (Point 13.4), however Skill believes this should go further.
The process of “statementing” is currently inconsistent and Skill believes this
vision must extend to every young person with a learning disability, regardless
of whether they have a “statement” or not.
Skill supports the vision that young people should have person centres reviews,
and that these should take place over a number of years leading up to a young
persons transition to adult services. The Children’s Plan discusses Excellence
and Equity18 and Skill looks forward to the review, to be carried out in 2009 by
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools, on the progress on special
educational needs, in the light of the impact of greater personalised learning.
Skill believes this review is very important, especially in light of the current
proposals of the Education and Skills Bill surrounding provision and assessment
of Special Educational Needs, as well as the associated “Section 140
Assessment”. Skill recommends that Valuing People Now links with this
review and that the cross-department working outlined in Progression
Through Partnership19 is seen in action.
Improving the Workforce
Skill agrees with the need to improve the workforce supporting people with
learning disabilities, and welcomes the move to ensure people with learning
disabilities and their families are employed as paid trainers (14.3.2) on staff
training. It is important that people with learning disabilities receiving payments
for their input as trainers or general involvement are advised about implications
this may have on any means-tested benefits they receive.
The Children’s Plan: Building Brighter Futures (December 2007) Department for Children,
Schools and Families
19 DWP, DH and the then DfES (2007) Progression Through Partnership
18
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There are some questions where we are particularly interested
in knowing what you think. Please answer the following
questions:
Do you agree that a major focus on supporting people into paid work
should be at the centre of planning day service changes?
Yes
No
X
Comments:
Skill believes that this question is phrased in a leading way. Skill would have
preferred the question to be “Do you agree that a major focus on supporting
people into employment…” It is important that the broadest definition of
employment is considered here, and this should not be limited to paid work.
RADAR’s publication Doing Work Differently20 demonstrates the number of
different ways of working there are, including voluntary work, working part-time,
working from home, running your own business and paid-work.
Skill appreciates the concerns of some parts of the community that the aim of
“employment in its broadest sense” could lead to some disabled people being
left to underachieve with poor employment placements and lack of support to
progress, when they could be in or progressing to paid work. Skill however
believes that “employment in its broadest sense” is an empowering aim, rather
than a limiting one. Skill recommends that a major focus at the centre of
planning what people to in the day should be on supporting people into
employment, and that employment opportunities should be considered in
their broadest sense.
Skill is particularly concerned about the high number of disabled people,
particularly those with learning disabilities, who attend a sequence of learning
programmes, often entitled preparation for work, yet who never actually achieve
employment. Similarly there are many people with learning disabilities attending
day service provision, yet for whom some form of paid employment is a
possibility. Allowing and supporting these people to achieve their potential is
key.
Do you agree that people should be offered regular comprehensive health
checks?
No comment.
Do you agree about the increased focus on people having assured
tenancies and owning their own homes?
No comment.
20
RADAR (2007) Doing Work Differently
9
Do you agree that Partnership Boards should continue – but helped to be
more effective?
Yes
No
X
Comments:
Partnership Boards have an important role to play in encouraging joint working
across a number of organisations in an area. Skill believes that it is important
that disabled people are represented on Partnership Boards and that cochairing is a means of not only involving disabled people, but demonstrating the
value and importance that this involvement has on the whole work on the
Partnership Board. Skill agrees that effective partnership boards are co-chaired
by a person with a learning disability. Skill believes that one factor that will help
assess the progress three years from now will be the effective involvement of
disabled people in partnership boards, including in co-chair positions.
People with learning disabilities can have a complex set of needs, and these
needs are often best met by contributions from different organisations. A multiagency approach can be beneficial for the disabled person, as each
organisation can bring their own expertise to meet someone’s individual
requirements. Coordinated action can assist disabled people to pass
successfully and smoothly between the different stages of their life.
Unfortunately, a study for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)21
suggested that there was insufficient joint working and an overall lack of
planning for disabled people.
One of the major barriers for people with learning disabilities is that service
provision is very often disjointed rather than truly joined up. Different people
tend to be eligible in different ways for different services and therefore disabled
people find themselves having to fulfil different criteria for services that they
access. Eligibility for services is often based on specific disability categories and
therefore many individuals with complex or multiple disabilities and impairments
are not having their needs fully met because of the service structures. In
addition, another major contributory factor is the confusion regarding the
responsibilities of different organisations, as well as lack of general
communication between different agencies. It can also be difficult for people
with learning disabilities to understand which organisation provides a particular
support or provision.
Morris (2002)22 states that, “There are still significant differences between the
intention of inter-agency working expressed at Government and policy level and
the experiences of disabled young people and their families. Strategic
commitments to joint working are rarely translated into effective co-operation in
practice.” More specifically, this study found that there was poor co-ordination
DWP research report no. 204 (2004) – Making the transition: addressing barriers in services
for disabled people
22 Morris, J (2002), Moving into Adulthood: Young Disabled People moving into adulthood,
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
21
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between children and adult social services and between education institutions
and social services departments.
Do you agree with funding and commissioning of learning disability
services (apart from what is clearly healthcare) moving from the NHS to
local government?
Yes
No
X
Comments:
Learning disability services can and should cover a very broad range of
provision, for example education, supported employment, job brokers, it is
important that provision for people with learning disabilities is not medicalised.
Overall:
Do you think that Valuing People Now has identified the most important
issues for the next three years?
Definitely
X
Yes – on the whole
In some ways – but some important things are missed
No – it has got many things wrong
Comments:
None.
Do you think the actions proposed in Valuing People Now will help
change things:
X
A lot
A bit
Not at all
What other actions would you like to see in Valuing People Now?
None.
Skill Policy Team
March 2008
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