From complaining to campaigning

Abstract

The introduction of new legislation about community care in Britain and increasing financial constraints (Chapter 1) raises many concerns for parents of people with learning disabilities about the level and quality of services available to their sons and daughters. Parents’ groups are one vehicle for the expression of such concerns. The ability of such groups to exert pressure on services is one important factor in the development and maintenance of high quality provision for people with learning disabilities. This chapter reports some preliminary work on understanding parents’ groups and their role.