Learning Disability England is a member-led organisation, that means the members help to decide how we run, the decisions we make and the action we take.
The membership is made up of people with learning disabilities, families/friends/allies and paid supporters.
Many members raise a wide range of important issues that deserve attention.
Learning Disability England will always try and support the issues and topics that might matter to members by sharing information about them in different ways.
Find out more about how Learning Disability England shares news here.
Unfortunately, further action can’t be taken on all of them at once.
To make sure Learning Disability England is being member-led and responding in the fairest and most effective way, we follow a process to decide if we should respond and how.
This process often means that Learning Disability England can take longer to respond to issues than other organisations might.
Sometimes it is clear straight away that something is an important issue for lots of members, so it will be brought straight to the rep body to decide what happens next.
The Representative Body are elected by the members and work to represent Learning Disability England members and acts on their behalf, making important decisions about what Learning Disability England says and does.
Other times, Learning Disability England members need to talk about something first, to see how it is affecting other members.
This might be through a workshop, short survey or newsletter item asking for members’ experiences.
If the outcome is that it is a priority for members, the Rep Body then make a decision on what we could do about it.
Learning Disability England members then begin taking action to help tackle the issue.
What Action Might Look Like
Sometimes this will involve working with people from partner organisations.
Sometimes Learning Disability England chooses to support a campaign about an issue that another member or partner group or organisation is running.
We speak to this organisation about what we can do to make people more aware of the issue and how it can be tackled.
Learning Disability England’s members then take action to support the other organisation’s campaign.
The Representative Body also write letters to people who have the power to change things.
This includes MPs and health and social care professionals.
You can find out about all the campaigns led by members and partners here.
Do you have a policy or influencing idea you would like others to get involved in or support?
Please send some details of your idea to info@LDEngland.org.uk and we will get in touch to talk to you about it and how Learning Disability England members might be part of a louder voice together.