From Inclusion to Exclusion: Some Unintended Consequences of Valuing People

The paper examines aspects of the implementation of "Valuing People" by focusing upon four case studies of people, which are representative of a greater number of referrals to an organisation providing support for people with learning disabilities. It shows that despite many positive aspec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of learning disabilities 2010-09, Vol.38 (3), p.180
Main Authors: Simpson, Graeme, Price, Vicky
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case Studies
Developmental Disabilities
Economic Development
Foreign Countries
Political Attitudes
Public Policy
Social Isolation
United Kingdom
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Summary:The paper examines aspects of the implementation of "Valuing People" by focusing upon four case studies of people, which are representative of a greater number of referrals to an organisation providing support for people with learning disabilities. It shows that despite many positive aspects of the policy, it sometimes fails the most vulnerable, resulting in greater levels of social exclusion for this group. The paper draws on Scull (1983) and Burton & Kagan's (2006) documentary analysis of "Valuing People" (Department of Health, 2001) to argue that the policy, in its implementation, is firmly located within the Government's neo-liberal ideology. The conclusion is that whilst the policy is intended to be one which enhances social inclusion, its implementation has the unintended consequences of social exclusion, which could have been, and still can be, avoided.
ISSN:1354-4187
DOI:10.1111/j.1468-3156.2009.00572.x