Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the temporary closure, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, of day care facilities for people with disabilities has had on the health and mental wellbeing of (1) the service users and (2) their carers.

We continue to provide guidance, funding, and support to individuals and groups affected by local service disruption. This includes an ethical framework to support local prioritisation decisions, guidance for unpaid carers, and guidance for the public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of COVID-19. We are also working with national learning disability and autism charities to identify how, with Government funding, they can boost their online and helpline capacity to support people with learning disabilities, autistic people and those with the most complex needs.

The Department is also working with the Care Quality Commission and Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) to understand the impact on individuals, including disabled people and their carers, of the changes to Care Act 2014 duties. TLAP hopes to speak to local authorities which are operating under easements to understand what this means for adults with care and support needs. A TLAP Insight Group will be meeting regularly to coordinate intelligence of TLAP partners on the impact and views of people accessing care and support and unpaid carers.