What is Valuing People?

Valuing People is the Government's plan for making the lives of people with learning difficulties, their families and carers better.

It was written in 2001, and it was the first White Paper for people with learning difficulties for 30 years. It covers England.

Different people were involved in writing Valuing People including: people with learning difficulties, family carers, and people who work in services or other organisations for people with learning difficulties.

The four main points of Valuing People are:

• Rights - people with learning difficulties should have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
  
  
• Inclusion - people with learning difficulties should be included in everything that effects them
  
  
• Choice - people with learning difficulties should have a choice about what services and support they need
  
  
• Independence - people with learning difficulties should be as independent as they want to be.

Valuing People came with an easier to understand version, as well as a report from the service users advisory group called 'Nothing about us without us'and a report on family carers called 'Family matters'.

You can download copies of the valuing people report from the Valuing People Support Team Web site.