Overview

This bill mandates a public consultation to review access to healthcare and other services for adults with learning disabilities in England. The review will examine service adequacy, quality, and accessibility, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and compliance with equality duties. The consultation will inform government proposals for service improvements and may lead to a statutory code of practice on equality for this group.

Description

The bill requires the Secretary of State to conduct a public consultation reviewing services for adults with learning disabilities, their families, and carers. This consultation must assess:

• The adequacy, quality, extent, and accessibility of services for children and adults with learning disabilities.
• Whether local authorities and NHS bodies are meeting the public sector equality duty and providing relevant training.
• Progress towards the objectives of the Building the Right Support programme.
• Whether the provision of learning disability nurses meets demand.
• Whether local authorities are fulfilling their responsibilities under the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014.
• The accessibility and adequacy of government services for adults with learning disabilities (communications, websites, forms).
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on service provision, including the effect of powers under the Coronavirus Act 2020 and compliance with the public sector equality duty.
• The need for a statutory code of practice on the public sector equality duty regarding learning disabilities.

A person or persons with learning disabilities will co-chair the consultation. A report outlining the findings and government proposals will be published and presented to Parliament within six months of the Act's enactment.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't specify direct government spending figures. However, depending on the consultation's findings and subsequent government recommendations, significant expenditure could be required to improve services and address identified shortcomings.

Groups Affected

• Adults with learning disabilities: Will directly benefit from improved access to services and potentially a more equitable system.
• Families and carers of individuals with learning disabilities: Will experience the impact of improved or unchanged service provision based on consultation findings.
• Local authorities: Will need to review and potentially change their service provision to meet the requirements of the bill.
• NHS bodies: Will be subject to the same review and potential changes as local authorities.
• Government departments: Will need to address identified shortcomings in government service accessibility and potentially implement a statutory code of practice.

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