Following
the release of Sir Stephen Bubb’s working group’s report this week, there has
been much debate yet again in the learning disability field and social/health
care more widely in the UK. The focus has been on people in so-called
Assessment and Treatment Units, but as always the debate has been much wider.
These issues made the news on Wednesday, but where are we now? Personally, I
think we are lost. This is a very personal blog – not my usual style. And I am
just sharing some thoughts from this week and my real sense of dread that we’re
on the road to nowhere.
Personal agendas
Friday seems
like a good time for confessions. So, I was one of only three people I think
individually named in the Bubb report. Surely, by rights, I should have been on
BBC TV spouting forth about my views and the importance of the proposed Positive Behavioural Support Academy. I wasn’t. How did this make you feel Richard? Well, I was a little
jealous of course. We probably all enjoy the idea of five minutes of fame. I
was also a little cross because a practical proposal, built on clear theory and
evidence, failed to be interesting enough. A PBS Academy is not sensational
enough perhaps. Being critical of the Bubb report seemed to be the order of the
day. Comments about the Academy idea could be heard, and they focused on how
one model cannot be the answer.
Because I’ve
not made the headlines, I can also be smug about remaining independent of the
bickering and maybe appear wise and balanced by focusing on the fact that we
need some action with and for people with LD and their families rather than more Reports. As I’ve tweeted already, the Bubb report (to be fair) is only another
report. It is not action. What happens now is what is important.
The release
of Bubb’s report has been an opportunity again for everyone in the LD field to
offer a response about their particular take on the issues and to press their
agenda. I would have taken this opportunity if it had been offered. We are all
human and not perfect.
The
confessional question is which person were you? Being critical rather than
constructive? Making statements to get you noticed? Taking the opportunity to
make your point – riding on the back of tragedy? Staying aloof and appearing
superior? All of these? I’ve given you some idea of many of those that I was/am
this week. And I’m writing a blog now that I hope people will read! What’s that
about?
For those of
you affronted by my comments for whatever reason, I’m sorry. But I can justify
my position just as well as the next person. I’m offering these views for the
good of people with LD and their families, and you can’t beat that for a
motivation. I have the get-out that however misguided I am, at least I have the
right motivation. Probably, everyone else will say that too about their motivation. Great, we're all winners then.
In the end,
as appropriate for a confession, I feel guilty as well as jealous and angry.
Nice to have the luxury for some self-analysis, and here’s some more
justification/rationale. My self-analysis means nothing without some action. Hence this blog,
derisory as it is.
What is good about the Bubb report?
Of course
Bubb’s report is not perfect, and there are problems with the process etc etc.
It would be good to share though what is good about it. Here’s what I like:
- A clear recognition that there is a problem and that this is a complex issue – there is no single answer no matter what anyone says
- Recognition that people in the system generally mean well, but this isn’t actually enough
- A shift of power is needed towards people with a learning disability and their families
- We need some leadership, but also large scale intervention to shift the system – things won’t happen on their own
- A solution is needed with multiple components, addressing many contributing factors at the same time, and that will have long term impact
Perhaps it does matter that these points have been made before, but shouldn't we also say what is good about the Report?
I imagine
that working to develop the report has been a nightmare. Government and its
bodies don’t like centralised intervention, and the LD community spent a great
deal of time being critical of the idea of the working group and yet another
report right from the get-go. Between a rock and a hard place.
The other
thing that I think is good about the report is that it created an opportunity
to push for action – Yes, through the media, but also with NHS England and
government(s) in the UK. There is a small window for this. Soon, campaigning
for the general election will take over. Learning disability issues are
unlikely to be heard during that time. Then we’ll have the same or a new
government settling in, so little will get done. Very soon, it will be a year
later and we can all get back on the Winterbourne bandwagon by saying that
nothing has changed one year on from Bubb. I can just see the media and social media
headlines in November 2015 already. In fact, I might start writing my piece
now. I have 12 months to craft it, so it might actually be good.
We had a
window. The window is already closing. There are so many disparate voices on
the issues, and these are spoken in the room behind the window. No-one is
noticing that the window is being closed and soon those voices won’t be able to
be heard outside of the cosy learning disability debating lounge.
Too late? Lost?
Perhaps it
is too late already. Will the learning disability community actually come
together with one voice? Compromises will be needed. People who do not like
each other, or each other’s views, need to work together. If someone tries to
lead, others tend to question their right to do so. I don’t know the answer but
my suggestion is that we do need a consensus and strong action and that the
time is now. If anyone says “we’re already doing this”, I would ask “are you
really”? Where is the single movement and voice that we can all get behind to
make a difference? This is needed to deal with the legacy of Winterbourne and
it will be needed again and again in the coming years.
