The historic policy of institutionalisation kept many people with learning disabilities on the margins of society. It isolated them from family and denied them everyday opportunities to participate in community life. In many cases, they were left vulnerable to neglect and abuse. Thankfully, the last 25 years have seen huge change: most people with learning disabilities now live in the …
For Scottish Housing Day, The Life I Want have written a blog to highlight our forthcoming work with Housing Associations to support inclusion and community participation of tenants with learning disabilities. The Life I Want is a member of SCLD’s Housing and Independent Living Group which is working to advocate for the right to adequate housing and independent living in …
When we think about what it means to live a good life, most of us imagine having a safe, secure place to call home. Yet, for many people with learning disabilities in Scotland, finding the right kind of housing – where they feel safe, can make choices, and live independently – remains a significant challenge. That’s where Housing Options Scotland …
“Over the past year, the project has shown how powerful co-production and lived experience can be in making real change. Together we’ve built a toolkit that helps services be more inclusive, fair, and accessible for women with learning disabilities facing gender-based violence. And word spread fast! It’s clear there’s real energy and interest in getting this right!” (Quote from People …
The Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD) has today confirmed that its Chief Executive, Dr Simon Webster, has decided to move on from SCLD at the end of this month (May 2025). Confirming the Chief Executive’s departure, Eddie McConnell, Chair of the Board of SCLD, said: “We are immensely grateful to Simon for the contribution he has made …
At CSE Aware we work to increase awareness of commercial sexual exploitation and support frontline staff to become more confident in responding to affected women. Like any form of abuse, commercial sexual exploitation, or CSE for short, can happen to any woman. CSE is when a person (usually a man) offers another person (very often a woman) some form of …
In late 2024, the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities advertised for the role of Admin Assistant. This was a newly created role to help the admin team. SCLD interviewed 6 people for the position and offered the role to Oliver Kennedy. Oliver happened to be a part of VIA’s Supported Employment program. SCLD has staff who have come …
During my time at SCLD I undertook an extensive literature review with the initial focus being on supported decision making (SDM) practice and how we can encourage better practice in Scotland. While the initial plan was to focus solely on practice, after beginning my research I decided to expand this to examine legal and cultural perspectives as well so that …
SCLD’s latest report, led by our Human Rights Intern, Struan Hay, examines the legal context and cultural and practice issues impacting the development of supported decision making in Scotland. The report highlights that: People with learning disabilities report feeling more independent and empowered when they have greater choice and control and support to make decisions. Many people with learning disabilities …
In February, we partnered with The Global Leadership Exchange to host a webinar about the importance of leadership roles for people with learning disabilities. SCLD Development Worker, Cameron and Include For Good Rapporteur, Rosie shared their experience of attending the GLE Conference 2024 in Utrecht, Netherlands.
