Last week Radio 4 re-broadcast a slightly edited version of my 2016 Four Thought talk about the acute loneliness frequently experienced by people with learning disabilities.  It can be heard again at    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07hgh5h   Unsurprisingly perhaps, a number of people have contacted me via social media and email in response to the talk, for this issue is both a shocking and challenging one.  Something of course that many people without disabilities also face.

The concept of community with its shared activities and deep connections to those living close by appears to have eroded enormously over the last 50 years. Today, most family members no longer live in close proximity to each other.  Children leave home to take up work, get married and have children themselves often many miles away.  Equally modern transport routinely enables our mobility far and wide on an unprecedented scale and social media has fostered often distant rather than local connections (even if only virtual) focused around shared interests, beliefs and values. Over the same period, the Welfare State has come of age and is almost universally viewed as one of the hallmarks of a modern, civilized Britain; there to educate our kids, heal our illnesses and yes … look after the most vulnerable. While I am a huge advocate of the Welfare State, I do wonder whether the ‘law of  unintended consequences’ has resulted in it being a toxic influence on our sense of responsibility to family and neighbours?  Has the idea that someone else is responsible for ‘others’ crept in to some deep part of our shared consciousness and so added to the breakdown in community?  Does this reduction in local connections mean that most of us no longer know our neighbours let alone people of different ages and stages of life?  Does it actually play a part in the loneliness crisis?

What makes me particularly angry, is that in the situations such as those I describe in my talk, the people concerned usually have formalised contact time with staff paid to support them. In theory this support exists to enable them to live as independently as possible and to experience a fulfilling life. Yet, despite this support, loneliness features large.  It is impossible not to conclude that those of us who work in Social Care are frequently getting it wrong.  Worse still, there is no excuse; paid support should include a focus on connecting people to others with the aims of sharing interests and forging meaningful relationships. Yes, I am proposing that despite the breakdown in community all around, people with learning disabilities should be able to break through these societal barriers because, they so often have the dedicated resources to help them to do so.

The most important question of all is what should we be doing about it?  There is, I am glad to say, some good news.  Over the last few years there has been a growing awareness of this issue, and as a result, some creative responses emerging. These responses I believe could be multiplied to make a meaningful difference on a larger scale if only we would sit up and take notice.

Helen Sanderson has for some time been supporting the development of Community Circles. This is a process that brings two or more people together around someone who wants to make changes in their life. Through discussions and planning it enables people to get out, to do the things they want to do and vitally to develop a growing network of friends and contacts.  It’s really worth visiting their website to understand more at http://www.community-circles.co.uk or following @HelenHSAUK and @C_Circles on twitter to hear what’s going on.

Another great example is the Supported Loving initiative that is being undertaken by Choice Support (take a look at http://www.choicesupport.org.uk) who have been running a campaign this year to address some of the biggest challenges people with learning disabilities face in forming and keeping relationships and then sharing best practice. Their conclusion is that it is all about staff and how they work to make this happen.  As an organisation they are learning lots and are very keen to share it, so that lives change for the better across the UK.  Sarah Maguire Choice Support’s Managing Director talks much about this and is worth following on twitter @SarahMaguire30

The last inspiring example I want to share at present is the work of Paradigm (take a look at http://www.paradigm-uk.org ) who have this year launched The Gr8 Support Movement. This aims to inspire and challenge support workers to connect with each other and to continually learn how to be better at what they do.  The movement has set out 8 qualities that make for a great support worker.  Two of the eight qualities (Connecting and Supportive of my loving) address this issue of loneliness directly.  Sally Warren, the Managing Director of Paradigm also talks about this on twitter and is worth following @SallyAWarren.  I would greatly encourage organisations and individuals who are wanting to learn more and find solutions for where they work to get involved with this.

There are likely many more great initiatives worthy of sharing and I really would welcome any feedback/comments that people reading this blog are happy to share, as sharing could just make all the difference.

It is of course a hugely complex issue.  However, I am sure of one thing, that if we are to counter this epidemic of loneliness in a society where the ancient practices of community have so broken down, then we need to be intentional about it.  If we take intentional action we could seriously make a difference.  And … you never know Social Care might just be at the forefront of changing our society for the better by acting as a catalyst for the rebuilding of our communities!

Lucy Hurst-Brown