Conclusion

Abstract

This book has set out to tell the story of how, in the relatively short period of 50 years, 1948–2001, the fortunes of people with learning difficulties changed quite dramatically It has primarily been a story of what happened in the United Kingdom, although Part III of the book has also addressed developments in other parts of the Western world, highlighting significant convergences. The book has examined community care, the growth of services, through the lenses provided by our core themes of care, control and citizenship. Furthermore we have tried to look beneath the surface by focusing not just on policy but at the experiences of people with learning difficulties and those of their families. Here, in the Conclusion, we draw together the threads of the book and reflect upon the relevance of the book to contemporary care. We try to sum up some of our arguments by focusing on four themes: the forces for change; the core themes of care, control and citizenship; comparing community care for people with learning difficulties with other types of service users; and finally, the practice of social history itself.