Citizenship & Neighbourhoods: solutions for our economic problems

These slides are from Simon Duffy's talk in Taunton the Learning Disabilities & Autism Commissioners Network event in May 2025. The talk outlined the two core problems we face: (a) the service system is failing to offer people the right kind of support and this is driving up institutional practices (and costs) and (b) there is little attention paid to supporting neighbourhoods or community structures to flourish and to preventing people from coming into crisis. We need a neighbourhood Care strategy that addresses both these challenges and pays far more attention to the needs of families and carers and to the untapped potential of citizens.

1. Dr Simon Duffy | Citizen Network | learning Disabilities & Autism Conference
Citizenship & Neighbourhoods
Solution to our economic problem

14. What’s really expensive
•Institutional services and residential care services that effectively set prices.
•Letting people to reach crisis point and services organised in a panic or conflict.
•Weakening family and neighbourhood connections.
•Failing to build in peer support and stripping out community options.
•Building phoney markets and moving support away from neighbourhoods.
•Offering no support ro families, children and young people from birth.
•Buying services from organisations you don’t trust.

15. The crisis is upon us…
the time for action is now.