People with learning disabilities – COVID-19 Support and Action Group
Wednesday 11th May 2022
Time: 12:30pm-2:30pm https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97471173675 Meeting ID: 974 7117 3675
1. Present
Andrew Geraldine Russell Lorena
Apologies:
Sarah
Jenny Simone Olcay Phillipa
Sam Charles Ray Kieran Chris Kweku
Peter Gary
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Jenny and Andrew welcomed everyone. Everyone introduced themselves. |
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Prep for Alexis Quinn
Andrew – Introduced the topics that we need to work out the plans for Alexis Quinn’s visit and also need to talk about mental health
Jenny – Shared with he group two pieces to give concept. Piece 1 “This is Jim...” and “I live in a house or flat, you live in a setting...” (Open Learning)
The language we use matters.
We need to think about questions for Alexis Quinn.
Simone – Alexis Quinn fought hard to get out of the system as was locked up but escaped to Africa. She has now come back and is not section and works to national restraint reduction and is doing a lot of work around mental health and detainment.
Kerion – I hope she goes into detail of how she got out of the ATUF. Maybe we should wait and see what she says and then ask questions in context of her talk.
Jenny – we need to plan.
Andrew – In the queen’s speech there was about the changes to the mental health laws and the covid group did ATU statement. In light of the way the law is changing maybe questions as to how do we make sure people are supported, and with friends and family and living independently. All gelled together.
Kieran – If changes that are likely to happen now were
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there then they would have prevented her being locked up.
Chris – Alexis did an article. As a teacher she’s articulate but how can someone when not so articulate or language is not that great get out.
Ray – shared personal experience.
Kweku – Shared experience. Section should be las thing that they do. Not first. Suggest you’re a bad person. No one should be sectioned especially when its for having a learning disability.
Ray – This week is mental health awareness week. BREAK
Phillipa – read from G that Charles has left the meeting so she will too.
Christopher – What has mental health got to do with my learning disability. I get fed up of people saying learning disability is mental health.
Phillipa - That fits into the programme.
Jenny – we have big things coming up. Would be good
to have a programme of conversations
Phillipa – Human rights changing to a bill and changes in mental health act and understanding that/ It would be good to get everyone’s understanding on a similar level
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so then have a better understanding to consider action.
Andrew – the queens speech. The government are bringing an act of parliament to change the MH act. Don’t like UN convention and want a UK bill of rights. In all reports government have been taking away rights rather than improving so heading into a dangerous time. We need to have conversations about how organisations like ourselves and all user leg orgs need to find a way to come together. Protected characteristics rights are under threat. We are small organisations so only by coming together can we have a chance.
Keiron – is there a list of disabled user led organisations?
Phillipa – we just need the groups approval Simone – yes claiming our futures alliance has a list
Andrew – parliament going to go at speed they go at so it concerns me we wont keep up.
Ray – I agree
All – agree for Andrew and Jenny to organise these
conversations and discuss who to invite :
Keiron – that’s why I aske dif a list of organisations.
Simone – my view is Andrew is on committee of ROVA so I expect them to be having those conversations. We
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could work with inclusion London
Chris – Any MP? Shadow Disability Minister?
Ray – I think its carrying from Brexit
Keiron – Andrew suggested it affect all protected characteristics. Do people know what they are? Its about making it illegal to discriminate on account of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership. Pregnancy and maternity, race religion or sex.
Simone – covers anyone who can be marginalised by society
Keiron – the government will argue
Simone – Andrew said about UN act, it’s the European
convention on human rights
Andrews – Sibet Lana (??) at Inclusion London is a possible person
Simone – Liberty. I think inclusion London are working
with liberty.
Maybe a joint event with inclusion London and ROVA
Phillipa – What about someone for around the mental health act
Kieran – used to be a shadow minister for mental health – not sure if that now exists
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Simone – can I ask if are looking strategically and focusing group on these topics so more focus
Andrew – Gary said people with learning difficulties need to get organised. Ask Gary what meant by that? Also need to recognise small organisations that need to come together for bigger good.
Phillipa - Also if anyone knows what is going on relevant to human rights and mental health stuff – let us know
Simone – yes good for focus and everyone up to speed. Good to focus on mental health and human rights
Andrew – social care futures and ROVA to come along Keiron – also current shadow minister for mental health
is Rozeem allan Kaam (??)
Andrew – 2020 UK parliament education learning difficulties. What is in the training, how does parliament work on these thing?
Simone – So maybe we have a conference targeted at mental health bill and human rights act and invite Alexis Quinn to be speaker. Newsletter that asks what others are doing related to this and starts joining people together.
Ray – Conference is brilliant with what people first have
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been doing
Andrew – that’s why asked about Gary. The issue the support the self advocates would need to come together.
Kweku – All good ideas. Also need to think about learning disability week in June. What are we doing?
Phillipa - its 20-26 June. The theme this year is reconnecting with communities
Andrew so an action is a statement about the bills in the queens speech.
Meeting ends.
Action
Statement about the bills that are in the Queen’s speech.
Next meeting:
Wednesday 18th May 2022 12:30pm - 2:30pm
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97471173675
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