Kelly Stuart 20/01/2026 News

Today Sarah Murphy MS, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, has released a statement about Welsh Government’s commitment to improving services and support for people with learning disabilities.

“We are committed to improving – and transforming specialist inpatient services – in line with the Stolen Lives Wales: Homes not Hospitals review of community and inpatient provision”.

The Minister announced Welsh Government’s commitment to a  three‑year integrated learning disability service transformation programme across health, social care and housing, from April 2026 to March 2029

The report from the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group’s (LDMAG) Stolen Lives Task and Finish Group has also been published today.

You can read the Minister’s statement on Welsh Government’s website, here: https://www.gov.wales/written-statement-learning-disability-policy-priorities-achievements-and-plans

You can read the report form the LDMAG on Welsh Government’s website, here: https://www.gov.wales/hospitals-homes-learning-disability-inpatient-services

You can read the Easy Read version of the Stolen Lives report here: https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2026-01/from-hospitals-to-homes-easy-read-version-20-01-26.pdf

The Minister’s statement gives credit to the input of the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group (LDMAG). AWPF’s Chief Executive and several members are part of LDMAG and therefore your voices have been heard as part of this work.

This is what AWPF’s Chief Executive, Joe Powell has to say about working on the report and the latest announcement….

“I am delighted that we can finally share the From Hospitals to Homes report today, following its publication alongside a Ministerial Statement from Sarah Murphy MS. The report was co-authored by myself and members of the Stolen Lives team, and developed through the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group’s Task and Finish Group on Homes not Hospitals, which was co-chaired by myself and Sophie Hinksman.

The report sets out clear recommendations for how we can support people with learning disabilities and autistic people to move out of secure hospitals and into homes within their local communities. Too often, people are placed in secure hospital settings not because they need to be there, but because the community-based services and support they are entitled to are not being provided.

To the best of my knowledge, this report is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom and represents an important step forward. However, the work is far from complete. In many ways, it is only just beginning. What matters now is what happens next: turning these recommendations into meaningful, lasting action”