Useful resources and links
Links to national charities and local resources for people with learning disabilities and or autism.
North East and Cumbria Learning Disability Network website
The brand new North East & Cumbria Learning Disability Network website launched on 1 February 2021, 11 years to the day that the Network was formed.
The North East & Cumbria Learning Disability Network exists to tackle health inequalities and variation experienced by people with learning disability and their families; our vision remains that the North East & Cumbria will be the best place in England to live if you have a learning disability.
Supported by all of our CCGs, NHS Trusts and Health Education England across North East & North Cumbria and hosted by NHS England & NHS Improvement as part of the North East & North Cumbria Clinical Networks, the Learning Disability Network provides leadership, innovation, service improvement and initiatives to ensure people with learning disability & their families have equity and equitable access to health and healthcare to enable the best possible quality of life for people and their families.
All of the Network’s work ensures that people with lived experience are central and is led and influenced by their invaluable contributions.
The Network website will go from strength to strength in the coming weeks, months and years and will be an invaluable central repository for all our ICS stakeholders and partners with whom we work.
Back to topSunderland Action for Health
Sunderland Action for Health provides useful information for people with learning disabilities, their carers and all health professionals.
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Easyhealth
Easyhealth was made so that people know where to find ‘accessible’ health information. ‘Accessible’ information is information that uses easy words with pictures.
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National Autistic Society
The National Autistic Society is the UK’s leading charity for autistic people and their families and the country’s largest provider of specialist autism services.
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Mencap
Mencap is the UK’s leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers. Mencap works collaboratively, fighting for equal rights, campaigning for greater opportunities and challenging attitudes and prejudice. Mencap also provides help and support through supported living, supported employment, respite services, organised activities, systemic and individual advocacy, and outreach support.
Back to topLearning Disability Matters for Families
The ‘Learning Disability Matters for Families’ WebApp will enable this by giving parents, carers and families straightforward, pragmatic, realistic information that is aimed to help them day to day, know where to go for further help and understand what they are entitled to.
Back to topBILD, the British Institute for Learning Disabilities
BILD was set up in 1971 and has been championing the human rights of people with disabilities ever since. BILD works to develop the skills and culture necessary to understand people’s needs and improve their quality of life, and helps those supporting people with complex needs – including their members, universities, government departments, local authorities, NHS trusts, service providers and mainstream organisations – to champion rights, ensure excellent support and continually improve practice.
Back to topPositive Behaviour Support
Makaton
Makaton is a language programme using signs and symbols to help people to communicate. It is designed to support spoken language and the signs and symbols are used with speech, in spoken word order.
Back to topTalking Mats
Talking Mats is a social enterprise whose vision is to improve the lives of people with communication difficulties by increasing their capacity to communicate effectively about things that matter to them.
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Local voluntary sector groups
These are a few of the local voluntary sector groups that we regularly work with. Please check their websites to see where they work, as while we have indicated the areas they work in, they may be subject to change.
This list is not exhaustive; please feel free to let us know of additional groups or sites by email to [email protected].
Your Voice Counts
Your Voice Counts runs advocacy services, support self-advocacy and user-led groups, and run drop-in sessions which offer people personalised help with a range of issues. Your Voice Counts helps their clients to become better connected to their local communities and raises awareness of the issues that the people we support are facing.
Sunderland People First
Sunderland People First is a Community Interest Company based in the North East of England. Their business is about improving the lives of people with learning disabilities and autism.
Skills for People
Based in Newcastle, Skills for People was established in 1983 and works to make sure disabled people and their families are well supported, have good lives, are in control of their own lives, and are included in the communities of their choice. They support people across the North East and promote good practice nationally.
Toby Henderson Trust
The Toby Henderson Trust (TTHT) is an independently funded charity supporting children and young adults with autism, their families, and carers in the North East. TTHT is the only charity in the North East focused on post-diagnostic support and life-changing early intervention with autistic children and young people.
Autism Able
Autism Able are a specialist education service and well-being centre for people with Autism Spectrum Conditions in South Shields. The service provides positive educational, social and life experiences, enabling their clients to develop personally, vocationally and academically within an autism friendly environment with high expectations facilitated by supportive and experienced staff.
Autism in Mind
Autism in Mind has been commissioned by NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group to provide low level preventative support. They are a solution-focused service that works with individuals and families to enable them to live as independently as possible, with the knowledge that if they need any further support, it is available.
Autism Friendly Newcastle
Autism Friendly Newcastle is a community led organisation which brings together people on the autism spectrum who live, work study or spend time in Newcastle upon Tyne.
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