The Office of the National Director sits within the Social Care Directorate (DH) under the steer of David Behan. The two National Directors also report directly to the Minister for Care Services, Ivan Lewis. This means that the ‘Office’ has a national role in advising other government departments in policy areas related to the Learning Disability agenda set out in the ‘Valuing People’ White Paper.  More recently the 'Valuing People Now' consultation paper has been published, and it is expected that the two National Directors will lead on the delivery of the Valuing People Now delivery plan, once finalised
 
The two National Directors also chair the Learning Disability Task Force, set up by the government as part of the Valuing People Strategy. Part of the function of the Office is to co-ordinate and support the Task Force as well as to respond to its call for action on national learning disability issues (e.g. in the commissioning of work or research).
 
Another aspect of the Office’s function is to work with the delivery arms of the Department of Health, particularly the Valuing People Support Team and the CSIP (Care Services Improvement Partnership) regional teams. In some cases, the ‘Office’ will commission work from the delivery teams in pushing forward particular policy objectives.

 

 

 
 
The ‘Office of the National Director’ provides national leadership and expertise within the learning disability policy context across health, social care and education issues. Specific functions are: 

 
  
 

• To act as a bridge between the Government and the Learning Disability field (both ways)   
• To steer the Department of Health and other government policy on Learning Disabilities
• To push for changes in policy where necessary
• To ensure the rights and needs of people with learning disabilities are represented at government level
• To support and co-ordinate the Learning Disability Task Force
• To commission work (and research) on behalf of the Task Force
• To lead/steer key projects or pieces of work
• To support DH or cross-Government projects or pieces of work
• To be a source of expertise, good practice and current information for the Government and the Learning Disability field
• To raise public awareness of key learning disability issues.

 

  

 

The Office of the National Director is founded on the belief that people with learning disabilities are full and equal citizens with full and equal responsibilities. Our values also underpin the way we work. In everything we do we will seek to: 

  

• Promote the rights of all people with learning disabilities to a full and meaningful life
• Promote the fact that we are all equal and should be valued as people
• Promote the rights and views of families and carers
• Be inclusive in the way we work
• Work in partnership across the LD field and government departments
• Seek the support of the field for our work (be representative)
• Be honest and realistic when facing difficulties

 
The Office of the National Director Team consists of: 
 

		Address	Phone
TBC	National Director: Learning Disabilities
TBC	National Director: Learning Disabilities
TBC	PA to the two Directors
TBC	Learning Disability Task Force Secretariat
Sally Hall-Demir	Head of Office	Department of Health Area 116 Wellington House 133-155 Waterloo Rd London SE1 8UG	020 7972 4035

Return to the top of the page