Following the July election, Campaign 4 Change and Achieve together have been carefully monitoring what the government is doing for people with learning disabilities.
Ahead of the 2025 Learning Disability England Conferences (26 February and 5 March), Campaign 4 Change has recorded a podcast episode. It calls for action on three of the priorities defined in the Good Lives Manifesto:
- Becoming a champion
- Reforming social care
- Employment and poverty
Important changes
Members of Campaign 4 Change contributed to the Good Lives Manifesto prior to the election. It laid out six important changes that people with learning disabilities, family members and the people who work with them would like to see in this government.
The manifesto is linked to the Good Lives Framework. The framework outlines what it will take for everyone with learning disabilities to be able to live their good life.
Guest debaters
For this Wheel of Engagement podcast episode, Campaign 4 Change invited CEO Zak Houlahan and Learning Disability England Membership & Engagement Lead Gary Bourlet to join the debate. They discussed the following topics:
Being a champion for the rights of all people with learning disabilities, including people from minority ethnic communities and with high support needs.
Reforms needed in social care so it meets the rights of people with learning disabilities and their families and provides fair pay for social care workers.
How MPs can help people with learning disabilities get the jobs they want supported by a system that recognises contributions not forcing poverty.
Key comments
In the podcast Gary Bourlet says: “It’s fine to talk about this, but what we need – the next stage – is called action.”
On employment, Director of Wellbeing and Collaboration Michael Fullerton says: “The rates of people with learning disabilities in employment is really low – 4.6% of the adult population. The government needs to do more.”
Campaign 4 Change member Mary Woodall agrees, adding that people with greater needs – those with profound and multiple learning disabilities – need to be given opportunities and services as well.
Zak Houlahan is keen for Campaign 4 Change to challenge policy and stand up for their rights. He comments: “It’s ok to be assertive about what you want, what is right for you and for your future. [Tell people] what you need from the system to make your life as easy as possible but also as productive as you’d like to be and going to places you want to go.”
Listen to the full podcast.
Please subscribe to Campaign 4 Change’s YouTube channel if you haven’t yet, Campaign 4 Change members would greatly appreciate your support. You can listen to or watch the podcasts here:
Wheel of Engagement Podcast – YouTube
Wheel of Engagement Podcast | Podcast on Spotify
Wheel of Engagement Podcast | Campaign 4 Change / Unity / Achieve together (podbean.com)
Wheel of Engagement Podcast on Amazon Music
Wheel of Engagement Podcast – Podcasts on Audible – Audible.co.uk
