Overview of the Down Syndrome Act 2022
- The aim of the Down Syndrome Act is to ensure that health, social care, education, and other local authority services (such as housing and youth offending) take account of the specific needs of people with Down syndrome (or alternatively "Down’s syndrome" - we use "Down syndrome" throughout this document for consistency), when exercising their relevant functions. This builds on the government’s stated commitment to improve outcomes for people with a learning disability.
- The Act places a duty on the Secretary of State to give guidance to certain National Health Service authorities (as defined in paragraph 2(1) of the Schedule to the Act), social care authorities (as defined in paragraph 3(1) of the Schedule to the Act), housing authorities (as defined in paragraph 4(1) of the Schedule to the Act) and education and youth offending authorities (as defined in paragraph 5(1) of the Schedule to the Act). These are referred to collectively in the Act as "relevant authorities". This guidance will set out the steps it would be appropriate for those relevant authorities to take in order to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome when exercising certain functions (referred to in the Act as "relevant functions"). Before producing the guidance, the Secretary of State must consult such persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate. This guidance will be laid before Parliament by the Secretary of State once it is published.
- The Act also places a corresponding duty on those relevant authorities to have due regard to the guidance issued by the Secretary of State when exercising their relevant functions, as set out in the Schedule to the Act.
- The Act has two sections and one Schedule. Section 1 covers duties in relation to issuing and having regard to the guidance, and section 2 covers extent, commencement and short title. The Schedule covers interpretation, including the meaning of "relevant authorities" and "relevant functions" in relation to the Act.
