Response to The Assembly video – Monday 19th August 2024

Our network members in East Renfrewshire, and members of our previous networks in South Lanarkshire, were recently invited by The Assembly to share their views on their networks coming to an end due to local authority funding constraints. The Assembly are a project of VIAS who support political engagement in its communities of people with learning disabilities and/ or autism.

Although we understand the strength of feeling from our members and their families we do need to highlight that this film was made independently from Neighbourhood Networks. The film was made by The Assembly after being approached by one if its own members affected by the decision to end funding for their local service. The Assembly aim to give members a voice in actions and funding decisions that impact them directly.  

In Neighbourhood Networks, however, we are equally concerned about local authority funding constraints. The risk is that highly effective preventative and intervention services like ourselves are seen as less critical. Research, however, shows early intervention saves public money in the long term and aligns with The Scottish Government  Learning/intellectual disability and autism: transformation plan, ‘Towards Transformation’.