People with learning disabilities have been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown. They need support now more than ever

Lockdown has been a difficult time for everyone. Many people have found being stuck at home boring, frustrating and lonely. In some cases, it has taken a toll on people’s mental health, making them feel low, worried and anxious. Yet this Learning Disability Week, it’s important to remember that for many people with a learning disability these feelings of loneliness and isolation are nothing new.

Before this coronavirus crisis, one in three people with a learning disability spent less than an hour outside their homes on a typical Saturday. Lockdown has only exacerbated their feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Research published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week showed that nearly half of disabled people reported that they were spending too much time alone during lockdown.

Disabled people are less likely to have left their homes and more likely to be feel lonely and anxious than the general population, and we know that for people with a learning disability this picture is likely to be even worse. While many people might be benefiting from the relaxation of lockdown by having socially distant BBQs with five other friends in their local park or working alongside colleagues at a 2m distance for the first time in months; for people with a learning disability they continue to be hit incredibly hard by the coronavirus crisis.

There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK who are all unique individuals, but many struggle to cope with significant changes and a loss of routine. Many people have seen their day services, colleges and activity groups close - in some cases they are the only places where they are supported to meet with friends or take part in meaningful activities.

This is only compounded for people with a learning disability who often need support to take part in everyday tasks we take for granted like video calling a friend, baking a cake or creating NHS rainbows to decorate your window. It’s no wonder that people with a learning disability are facing unprecedented levels of loneliness and anxiety.

One young woman with a learning disability and autism, whose mother contacted Mencap for advice and support, has found it difficult to understand and process the huge changes. Her activity group where she was supported to take part in art and craft classes closed at the start of lockdown, while staff sickness saw all of her support hours at home also fall away.

This loss of support at a time when her routine was completely changed had a devastating impact: her anxiety levels shot through the roof and she has been withdrawing into her own world as a coping mechanism – which has taken its toll on the whole family. Her mother, who is in her late 60s, is struggling to cope and is worried about the long-term impact this crisis will have on her daughter who will need intensive support to overcome her anxiety and re-build her confidence to go out into the world again.

We at Mencap are doing all that we can to help people with a learning disability feel less lonely and more socially included during this time, coming up with creative solutions to support people with a learning disability to stay connected during lockdown. We have adapted our programmes, like Gig Buddies, to support people with a learning disability to stay in touch with their friends during this period. For example, we have hosted virtual social events, like quizzes, sing-al-ongs and music bingo, and supported buddies and volunteers to stay in touch via videos calls, phone or even by letter for those who struggle to access technology.

Our extraordinary support workers are also working extremely hard in challenging circumstances to help people and their families who need support. Whether it’s holding discos in our residential services or building tuckshops in the garden, Mencap’s support workers are going above and beyond to deliver vital social care support and create a sense of normality and community in these difficult times. In some cases, support workers are the only contact some of the people we support have.

It’s clear that the coronavirus crisis has hit people with a learning disability incredibly hard. The CQC reported that there has been a 134 per cent increase in deaths of people with a learning disability over the course of lockdown; this is a huge loss to our whole community and people with a learning disability will need support to process their grief.

Yet our already overstretched and underfunded social care system is struggling to cope. Many providers are facing soaring care costs and yet emergency funding is not always reaching the frontline. Many families have also contacted Mencap’s learning disability helpline worried that because they have seemingly “coped” during lockdown that vital support services like respite and day services might not be reinstated after the crisis. Families are rightly worried about the future of social care support and the long-term impact not having any support will have on their loved one with a learning disability.

This Learning Disability Week, we are reflecting on the unique challenges that people with a learning disability have faced during lockdown and celebrating the resilience of people with a learning disability who with the right support have overcome huge challenges. But what we must remember is that not every person with a learning disability is coping well during lockdown and that together we must make sure that the social care sector is there for them to give them the support they need not just today but for the rest of their lives.

People with a learning disability must not be forgotten in this crisis and we urge government must make sure that every person with a learning disability can get the support they need to lead the independent and fulfilling lives they deserve and have a right to.

Edel Harris is chief executive of the Royal Mencap Society