Voluntary Organisations: Learning Disability

Rosie Cooper
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps his Department is taking to support third sector organisations which provide support services for users with serious learning disabilities.

Mr. Ivan Lewis
I have been asked to reply.

The Department of Health supports such third sector bodies in a number of ways. Funding is given to voluntary sector organisations through the section 64 Grants scheme. There has been significant funding from the valuing people budget for advocacy including advocacy for people with high learning disability support needs.

In some very specific areas, Government Departments are already providing funding for advocacy, for example, in order to build capacity in learning disability focused and older people’s services and to meet legislative commitments.

Funding has been provided to some third sector organisations to support provision of homes for people coming out of the national health service campus accommodation for people with learning disabilities, which the Government are committed to close by the end of the decade. The Department is leading work to build the capacity of user-led organisations of disabled people, including those with learning disabilities, family and informal carers and other people who use support. The aim is to promote independent living with a range of services being provided by user-led organisations.