Camphill Scotland is the membership body for the 11 Camphill communities in Scotland. Together, our members support around 600 people with learning disabilities and other support needs, ranging from children to older people.
Our mission is to ensure that Camphill in Scotland is fully recognised for its distinctive and valuable contribution to Scottish society.
How We Do This
We build members’ national profile and influence. We build cohesion and mutual support amongst our members.
We build national profile and influence through:
- Representing members’ interests and perspectives on the formation and implementation of relevant policy and legislation
- Building supportive alliances and networks with key people and organisations in Scotland
- Promoting the Camphill brand in Scotland
Our policy and influencing work is founded upon the values and ideals that inspire the Camphill movement as a whole. These include:
- The rights of people with a learning disability to have full and equal access to social goods including work, relationships, and a cultural, artistic and spiritual life.
- The rights of people with a learning disability to have an equal say in how society’s resources are allocated and to shape their environments according to their needs and interests.
- The value of shared living as a powerful means to release individual potential and reduce isolation and loneliness.
- Taking a global and sustainable approach to social and economic challenges and thereby transcend narrow national or sectional interests.
- The value of the arts and of cultural life generally to promote individual and group development.
- The rights of people with a learning disability to choose where they live, and the type of support they receive.
- The rights of parents and carers of people with a learning disability to receive an appropriate range of support.
We aim to exert influence on the wider social and political environment in Scotland so that it reflects these themes. We do this in various ways including:
- Responding to policy developments and legislation affecting people with learning disabilities at Scottish Government level, and in the Scottish Parliament
- Engaging with key policymakers up to Scottish Government Ministerial level on issues impacting upon people with learning disabilities
- Representing our members’ interests in key policy fora, including Scottish Parliament Cross Party groups.
- Responding to policy consultations initiated by the Scottish Government, and by public bodies including the social care regulators, and to parliamentary inquiries
- Using social media to raise awareness and offer commentary on the issues of the day
- Organising workshops, giving speeches and making presentations at national events
- Writing articles and making appearances on the local and national media
- Working with partners including the Scottish Commission for Learning Disability, Coalition of Care and Support Providers Scotland (CCPS), the Scottish Council for Social Services, the Care Inspectorate and many others to promote the interest of people with learning disabilities and other support needs
