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Hi readers, it’s Kerry and Emily here again. Following on from last week, we’re still thinking about what support really looks like in practice for people with a learning disability.

For many of our members, just getting to the starting line is hard. People tell us they want support, but they do not know where to go, who to ask, or what help they are entitled to.

Easy read information is meant to help, but often it does not reach people. Even when it does, it does not always come with the support needed to read, understand, and use it.

If someone needs help to access information, but cannot get that help, they are stuck before they even begin. This can leave people feeling excluded, frustrated, and forgotten.

We also think about the pressure placed on people working in services. As we explained last week, even within our sector, staff are often expected to understand a very wide range of needs, communication styles, and life experiences. Without enough time, training, and support, this is unrealistic. When staff are stretched too far, the quality of support suffers and people feel the impact.

It’s why good quality training matters. Right now, we’re concerned about how Oliver McGowan training is delivered going forward (more about that, in case you don’t know what it is, another time). There is a risk that the high-quality training could be undercut by large providers. If so, expert lived experience voices may be lost, replacing them with trainers, not properly trained or supported.

It’s rubbish that ‘learning disability’ has had no national strategy for over twenty five years, but other areas, like mental health, autism, and neurodiversity, do.

We believe real change starts by listening. We hope our voices help you, our readers, understand us better!

The writers of the Our View column are supported in their editing by People First Dorset - a charity led and run by people with learning disabilities with support from staff