Labour’s Mental Health Policy Consultation – our response

Inclusion London responded to the Labour Party’s policy consultation Mental health: the way forward available at: http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/agenda-2020/commissions/health

People with mental health support needs have seen their life chances go dramatically backwards since 2010 along with other groups of Disabled people, resulting in a United Nations investigation into grave and systematic violations of Disabled people’s rights in October 2015.  The adverse impacts of austerity measures on other groups of Disabled people and the wider population has in turn contributed to a worsening of mental health.

Meanwhile issues such as coercive treatment, negative models such as the “recovery model” underpinning service design and treatment commissioning and unequal access for people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities continue to need addressing.

Inclusion London made twelve recommendations for Labour party policy, which are below:

Recommendation 1 – Inclusion London promotes the principle of ‘Nothing About us Without us’ and recommends that the Labour Party continues to consult with experts by experience, i.e. children and adults with mental health support needs to help inform their policy making on mental health.

Recommendation 2 – Commit to making funding available for mental health support services with the specialist skills to work with Deaf and Disabled people across different impairment groups.

Recommendation 3 – Labour party to consult with Deaf and Disabled campaigners on social security policy.

Recommendation 4 – Labour party to adopt a position that opposes government plans to integrate health and employment services and consult with Deaf and Disabled campaigners on a disability employment support policy.

Recommendation 5 – Labour party to consult with mental health service users and professionals concerned at the current decimation of the therapy provision linked to the welfare reform agenda and under-funding, and to commit to funding a range of provision including longer term interventions.

Recommendation 6 – Labour party to continue strong public opposition to the government’s welfare reform agenda.

Recommendation 7 – Labour Party to commit to repealing the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016. (See Appendix A for specific reversals of cuts and changes that have adversely impacted on Disabled people including those with mental health support needs).

Recommendation 8 – Labour party to consult with Disabled people including people with mental health support needs on all areas of social policy including social care, employment and transport.

Recommendation 9 – Labour party to ensure its social care and mental health policies are joined up and that commitments to independent living support for Disabled people include people with mental health support needs.

Recommendation 10 – Labour party to sign up to Disabled People Against Cuts Mental Health manifesto (see Appendix B).

Recommendation 11 – Labour party to consult with the Justice for LB campaign and their legislative proposals to aimed at protecting people with autism and learning difficulties from mistreatment within the mental health system.

Recommendation 12 – Labour party to commit to tackling racial inequalities in the mental health system.

The full consultation response is available to download below:

Inclusion London response Labour Party Mental Health Policy Consultation 2016 (Word Doc)

Inclusion London response Labour Party Mental Health Policy Consultation 2016 (PDF)