The Down Syndrome Bill completed its journey through the Houses of Parliament earlier this month and received Royal Assent yesterday (28 April 2022).
We now welcome the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the guidance that is at the heart of the Act.
It is crucial that the guidance that underpins the Act reflects the varied needs of people who have Down’s syndrome. To achieve this, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) needs to be as open and inclusive as possible with the consultation.
We are delighted to be participating in the DHSC consultation, and we want to reassure you that we will be consulting with all of our members to gather evidence and views, and to provide support to enable our affiliated groups and members provide their own responses to this consultation if they wish.
In addition to the Down Syndrome Act, the Government are consulting on the SEND Review, a new Health and Care Act which has recently received Royal Assent and an Independent Review of Children’s Social Care will shortly release its findings. All of this legislation will have a significant impact on the lives of people who have Down‘s syndrome and their families, and we will be sending out information soon on how members and groups can find out more and get involved in our work on these matters.