All Wales People First has played a central role in the Homes Not Hospitals campaign. As the national self-advocacy organisation for people with learning disabilities in Wales, we partnered closely with the family-led group Stolen Lives to challenge the human rights scandal of individuals being inappropriately locked away in secure hospitals due to a lack of community-based social care and housing.

In March 2024, the All Wales People First National Council officially backed the Stolen Lives Manifesto. The Manifesto asks questions  about people with learning disabilities and/ or autism being held in hospital settings when the services they need are not available in the community. It calls for change.

Stolen Lives Manifesto here https://www.ldw.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Easy-Read-Homes-Not-Hospitals-Stolen-Lives-Manifesto.pdf

All Wales People First Position Statement on Homes not Hospitals here https://allwalespeople1st.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Position-Statement-on-Homes-not-Hospitals-2024.pdf

 

Joe Powell is a member of the Bring our People Home (from Psychiatric Hospitals) network. Joe attends regular meetings.

More information about the network here: https://www.inclusionlondon.org.uk/campaigns-and-policy/free-our-people-now/bring-people-home/bring-people-home/

 

We are part of the Good Life Alliance, a Wales-based alliance of individuals and organisations. We meet monthly.

More information about Good Life Alliance here: https://goodlife.wales/

 

Work is ongoing. Here is a timeline of progress so far:

April 2024

Protest in Cardiff Bay: All Wales People First and regional People First self advocacy groups joined hundreds of campaigners at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. We lobbied Members of the Senedd to demand an end to institutionalisation.

 

2024 -2025

Following pressure from the protests, the Welsh Government established a dedicated Task and Finish Group under the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group (LDMAG).

AWPF has several representatives on the LDMAG.

Our Chief Executive Joe Powell, and Board Co-chair Sophie Hinksman Co-chaired the LDMAG Stolen Lives Task and Finish Group.

The group talked about the problems and possible solutions.

They worked on a report.

Joe co-authored the report with Stolen Lives – ‘From Hospitals to Homes’

 

April 2025

Chief Executive Joe Powell and Board Co-chair Sophie Hinksman joined members of the Bring our People Home from Hospital network in a demonstration at Parliament square.

More information here: https://allwalespeople1st.co.uk/joes-soapbox-16/

 

January 2026

The From Hospitals to Homes report was published and the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing released a statement about Welsh Government’s commitment to improving services and support for people with learning disabilities.

More information here and links to the statement and report here:

https://allwalespeople1st.co.uk/welsh-government-announces-commitment-to-support-and-services-for-people-with-learning-disabilities/

 

July 2026

NHS Wales and Welsh Government published the first ever official data tracking information on inpatients with learning disabilities.

More information and links to the data here: https://allwalespeople1st.co.uk/inpatients-with-learning-disabilities-in-specialist-hospitals/

 

7 July 2026

Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health – Delyth Jewell MS, spoke in the Senedd about her vision for the areas she is responsible for. She stressed the need for work to press on, following the ‘From Hospitals to Homes’ report.

This is what our Chief Executive, Joe Powell had to say about the statement…

“There was a clear energy and genuine commitment in Deputy Minister Delyth Jewell MS’s recent address to the Senedd. She spoke openly about the wider challenges people with learning disabilities face,  spotlighting the need to progress work identified in the From Hospitals to Homes report. While our experience and the latest inpatient data show that the gap between policy and lived experience remains vast, we remain hopeful. The Deputy Minister’s passion must now be backed by a clear roadmap and the right funding to deliver what is needed to have a real impact on the lives of people with learning disabilities. We look forward to working collaboratively with the Deputy Minister, colleagues across Welsh Government, and sector partners to support the delivery of these commitments”.

Senedd TV clip here:

http://www.senedd.tv/Meeting/Clip/768916e7-9a3b-4c63-a2ff-a278ae051043?inPoint=03:43:32&outPoint=04:32:40