Oliver Townsend
Party manifestos can feel like an outdated idea to a lot of voters. But they’re good for thinking about what a future government of that party might do, and especially in Wales with likely minority governments needing budget agreements, or even coalitions needing to thrash out a shared Programme for Government.
Two weeks ago we published the Good Life Alliance Manifesto, setting out the ideas that our movement wants to see put into action in the next Senedd term.
Today, with key manifestos published, I wanted to go through them and consider what ideas might help us get to where we need to be in Wales, for people with learning disabilities and autistic people.
Plaid Cymru
By most indicators, Plaid is likely to be leading the Welsh Government in some form. Things could be different than polls say, but the “most likely” scenario is they are best-placed to form a minority or coalition government in Wales.
The specifics first. We were really pleased to see their full manifesto include (on page 64) the following:
We will act on the recommendations of the Stolen Lives Homes Not Hospitals Task and Finish Group, to create a pathway to ensuring more people with learning disabilities and autistic people are able to live safely, closer to home.
This is one of the main reasons we exist as a Good Life Alliance, to do our part in delivering what is needed, and moving things forward across Wales, so that the Stolen Lives recommendations can be implemented.
There is a slight disappointment, I must admit, to that being the single mention of learning disability in the manifesto, but it is a very positive sign still to see these recommendations being fully endorsed by Plaid Cymru.
The section on Housing for Plaid Cymru is strong, particularly its commitment to more social housing, but we would ideally want to see this built on, if they form a Government after the elections, to explore how they would also meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and autistic people, who need social housing for supported living, shared lives and other approaches.
Whilst not directly called for within the Good Life Alliance manifesto, the themes of ensuring human rights are protected, means we were interested and highly supportive of Plaid’s commitment to “protect access for identified family carers to health and social care settings on the same basis as paid health and social care staff”. This could be revolutionary for people we support, who would have a right to have their parents, families and carers present on the same basis as staff. This is included in the section discussing dementia, so we would want to clarify if Plaid form a government, that learning disabilities and autism would be included in this proposal.
In the Good Life Alliance manifesto, we called for a merged fund to reduce bureaucracy and ensure the best decisions are made without introducing debates about funding. I was pleased to see a commitment to implementing standardised national guidelines on social care commissioning, and the commitment to require stronger collaboration with joined-up planning, better coordination of resources and shared responsibilities. Whilst not a direct commitment to merged funding, this is a positive step forward and presents Wales with a significant opportunity to reduce complexity in our funding, which often means people aren’t able to be put first.
Reform
The manifesto from Reform doesn’t mention learning disability directly, and there are no references made to people with learning disabilities and any support they may need. There is a policy that a fully costed integration framework will be developed, and a recognition that social care is an important part of the Welsh public sector.
In terms of housing, they are pledging at least 10,000 homes, but it is not clear whether this refers to social housing or housing in general.
Wales Green Party
There was no direct reference to learning disability, to Stolen Lives, or the need to bring people home. There is a commitment to build 60,000 social homes (over ten years, so across a four year Senedd term, around 24,000). As with all other manifestos, this doesn’t break down where those homes might be and therefore we can’t say how it would support people with learning disabilities, but that is common across all manifestos and we would need to establish that detail after the election.
There is a section of the manifesto which calls for coordination to be strengthened between housing, health and social support services, which does suggest there would be a positive hearing for working with the sector on answers to this question.
The manifesto also commits to reforming commissioning, avoiding the simple transferring of social care into health, and remaining locally delivered and accountable. These are aims that, whilst currently very broad, are very much aligned with the need for support for people with learning disabilities to be built around and with strong, connected communities.
The suggestion for a Minister for Disabled People is also welcome, and (if it included learning disability) might support with the requests from Stolen Lives and others for more accountability across Wales.
Welsh Conservatives
At the time of writing, the Welsh Conservative Leader, Darren Millar, is the only Welsh leader who has supported the Good Life Alliance manifesto, which we were hugely grateful for. Their manifesto does mention people with learning disabilities, and talks clearly about a right to independent living, and promises an Autism and Learning Disability Act. Whilst that Act in their short description does focus on diagnosis, it does provide an opportunity to explore how people’s needs can be met effectively, and more quickly.
They have also made a commitment to encourage the use of personal budgets and direct payments, which could unlock greater freedom for people with learning disabilities and autistic people to choose places to live, and support they receive, that they want to receive.
The idea of a single health and social care inspectorate is not in our manifesto, but it is an area that may support greater integration between health and care, and would provide an opportunity to establish shared principles between both sectors.
They have also committed to build 40,000 new homes, but as with Reform, they have not specified whether they are going to be social homes or not. One commitment that is very positive is a commitment to tackle the shortage of accessible homes for disabled people, which would also benefit people with learning disabilities and autistic people.
Welsh Labour
The Welsh Labour manifesto mentions learning disability twice. The main reference is on page 16, and says:
Ensure a hospital is not a home for someone with learning disabilities. We will also reduce the use of out-of-area placements.
This is a welcome commitment, but doesn’t come with the same direct endorsement of the Stolen Lives manifesto that we would ideally want to see.
The second reference is a welcome commitment to a new Learning Disability and Autism Employment Strategy, which is a key part of people being part of their communities, but not the only part.
Their manifesto also commits to the next phase of their National Care and Support Service, which may help meet the ask for merged funding, or at the minimum, for better partnership working across health and care. This would need further detail after an election. It was also positive to see a commitment to 45,000 home adaptations a year, although detail would be needed to see how many were available to people with learning disabilities and autistic people, to make it easier to live in their communities.
Welsh Labour have committed to 40,000 homes for rent in the social sector. This is welcome, but as with Plaid’s commitment, we would need to see whether this would make it easier to provide housing options for people with learning disabilities and autistic people, who need support to live independently.
Welsh Liberal Democrats
The Welsh Liberal Democrats do not mention learning disabilities once. However, in the details of their manifesto there are a number of promising ideas that meet some of the Good Life Alliance aims, and could also meet the Stolen Lives recommendations.
They are the first manifesto I have read that incorporates our commitment to the transition period, and a clear plan for people. Whilst this doesn’t directly reference housing, it is much broader and if this policy was adopted it would have a considerable impact upon people with learning disabilities and autistic people, so that transition does not become a point where people are let down.
Creating a new statutory duty on the NHS and local authorities to prepare transition plans for all individuals known to the services who will receive long-term support as a result of their disabilities from the age of 14, so that they have clear funded pathways in place for when they turn 18.
They also commit to reviewing the processes in determining funding balance between residential and Continuing Healthcare (CHC), and to addressing the delays and bureaucracy of that. Whilst not a direct commitment to merging, there is a reference to the Regional Integration Fund, which could be the start of conversations around merged funds for learning disability support. This could be a very positive development in funding discussions around merged funds and reducing bureaucracy.
They are committed to 30,000 social homes, which is welcome as well, but again no direct reference to how this could be used to help people with learning disabilities live in their local communities.
The main disappointment with this manifesto was that there was no reference to bringing people home, or ending the use of hospitals or out of county placements for people with learning disabilities.
Conclusion:
We still have three weeks until the election, and whilst manifestos are important, often it is about the negotiations and priorities that emerge after a new government is in place. Every manifesto has at least something in it, that will help Wales shape a new future for people with learning disabilities and autistic people. However, it is clear that there is a significant gulf between some.
It is critical that we work over the next three weeks to identify champions across the political spectrum who will speak out for the rights of people with learning disabilities and autistic people. We want the next Senedd term, and the next Welsh Government, to really grasp how important this issue is to so many families – but also how it is an achievable, realistic and affordable aim.
We did it years ago, without a Senedd. We can do so again, and better, with the Senedd.
So keep sharing the manifesto, ask your candidates to support it, and help us make the changes we need to see.
(And if you want a handy reference sheet about how the parties match against our main asks, see below!)
Oliver Townsend
email: contact@goodlife.wales
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