Our experience over 40 years has shown that adult social services are not able to fully meet the needs of everyone who needs support.
There are also wider issues and opportunities that we believe are important to address in the long term.
So we have worked extensively with stakeholders to identify the key issues people with learning disabilities are facing and what needs to change.
We are aiming to break down the barriers facing people with learning disabilities in society throughout the UK.
We are currently focusing on some of the following areas:
- Helping people to understand the lives and views of people with learning disabilities, both in our communications and providing opportunities for greater interaction at our venues with our wider communities.
- Encouraging all workplaces to be inclusive in hiring and recruitment practice, in order for them to experience the benefits that people with learning disabilities can bring to business, as well as the social benefits for each new recruit.
- Developing new ways of working more closely with family carers.
- Supporting the professionalisation of the care sector workforce.
- Identifying ways to help people in their first steps into adult life after education.
As we develop our work in each area this page will grow to show the impact we are having.
The We Just Work campaign will run until the end of October 2025 and seek to begin to reverse the learning disability unemployment crisis through:
- Gathering knowledge from employees, managers and business owners on their own perceptions and experiences of inclusive employment. This knowledge will inform future work with businesses and workers to make workplaces more suitable for people with learning disabilities.
- Offering tips to employees and managers on working with someone with learning disabilities and how they can benefit from the unique perspective they can bring
- Engaging businesses through Empowering Employment to discuss how they could offer placements or jobs for people with learning disabilities
- Raising awareness of the employment crisis among people with learning disabilities and the impact it can have on them.
The campaign will run across social media, our websites, email and at our social enterprises. Watch out for stories of inclusive employment successes, startling stats, thought-provoking articles and opportunities for you to get directly involved.
Find out more