Animal Farm

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” 
George Orwell, Animal Farm  

Unfortunately, in Scotland all citizens are not treated equally. Even though we have legislation that states that hospitals should not be homes, too many learning disabled people and autistic people are still living in institutions be that Assessment and Treatment Units, hospitals or congregate out of area placements not of their choosing. 

The Scottish Government wrote a report, as well as the Coming Home Implementation Plan, to help people move back home. Despite spending £22 million pounds people are still not having their European Convention on Human Rights respected, protected, and upheld, not least their Article 8 Rights to a private and family life. 

C-Change was originally started to support people who had been assigned big reputations for ‘challenging services.’  What we learnt was that by listening to people and trying to make things easier for them, many of the challenges disappeared. As people lived better lives and felt listened to, they didn’t have to fight so hard to be heard.  

C-Change is not alone in realising that respecting and protecting people’s human rights is key to supporting good lives and providing better and more cost-effective support. C-Change works alongside others to promote this approach to social care. We are also a founding member of the of the NDTi Small Supports programme funded by NHS England and the Local Government Association.¹ The aim is to cultivate the development of more small supports organisations like C-Change, and others, to help learning disabled and autistic people move out of institutions and to prevent them entering in the first place.   

C-Change also supports the work of In-Control Scotland’s New Routes Home project that champions the voice of individuals and families affected by institutionalisation.² 

It takes immense courage for individuals, families, and organisations to speak up and challenge the prevailing norm, in the belief that better is possible. However, as George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm,

 “If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”