The Our Life Our Choice campaign group have created a new video which highlights the importance of allowing adults with learning disabilities to have a choice on where they live.
The group is comprised of three different families who’ve successfully saved village communities from closing down – each area has been a space that one of their loved ones with learning disabilities have lived.
To give context, village communities are neighbourhoods made up of small scale housing – including bungalows, flats and shared housing – and are situated in semi-rural settings. Like ‘ordinary’ care homes, they’re also staffed by carers. However, the settings offer residents a sense of independence as they can wander to their friends house for drinks or a bite to eat whilst staying safe.
Today, Tuesday 28th January, group members gathered in Westminster – where they showcased the video – to call on the government to help stop these facilities from going extinct. This has stemmed from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) publishing a report two years ago which outlined they ‘will not register or favourably rate congregate settings’. What’s more, in the same document the CQC said adults with learning disabilities should live in towns and cities with no more than six people under one roof.
Since 2023, members of Our Life Our Choice have tried engaging in conversations with the CQC but have unfortunately had no luck.
Group members congregated in the Jubilee Room in Westminster Hall to hold their lobby and launch event, which was hosted by Connor Rand MP. In a bid to draw more people’s attention to this issue, the campaign group have also organised a national conference which will be taking place on Thursday 3rd April at Woburn House, London.
