Learning Disability Network
Forum Central coordinates a network of third sector learning disability organisations in Leeds.
About the Learning Disability Network
We support our members to improve services and opportunities for people with learning disabilities in Leeds.
More than 100 third sector organisations are members. They work with and for people who have learning disabilities in Leeds. Forum Central facilitates relationships across the membership by working across all sectors, using partnership working, facilitating collaboration, and connecting with decision makers.
More about this network
The aim of the network is to drive positive change for people with learning disabilities. Forum Central aids this by developing the network of third sector organisations working for positive health and care outcomes for people with learning disabilities in Leeds. This development is facilitated practically by connecting people, sharing information, campaigning, hosting events, networking, representing members and influencing health and care strategies in the city.
Forum Central have built up excellent working relationships with partners in the third sector, with the council, including care management teams and commissioners, and with colleagues from across all areas of health services in the city. We work in ways that ensure people with learning disabilities voices are heard and that services are designed to be person-centred and tailored to priority and individual needs.
Forum Central have built up excellent working relationships with partners in the third sector, with the council, including care management teams and commissioners, and with colleagues from across all areas of health services in the city. We work in ways that ensure people with learning disabilities voices are heard and that services are designed to be person-centred and tailored to priority and individual needs.
Get in touch
If you’re looking for more information on joining the Learning Disability Network, please get in touch with Dominique Burley.
Learning Disability Member Meet ups
We hold regular Learning Disability Members meet ups, open to everyone with an interest in the learning disability third sector. These meetings are an opportunity to network, get the latest strategic updates and hear from guest speakers.
These are also attended by statutory services including Leeds City Council Commissioning Team, to encourage direct conversation between members and commissioners.
To confirm attendance at member meet up or for more information please contact:
These are also attended by statutory services including Leeds City Council Commissioning Team, to encourage direct conversation between members and commissioners.
To confirm attendance at member meet up or for more information please contact:
Last meeting
Upcoming Meeting Dates
Next Learning Disability Member Meet up dates
Next Joint Network Meeting dates
Previous Meetings
Please email hello@forumcentral.org.uk for previous meeting notes not listed below.
2024 Meetings
Learning Disability Pop-Up Sessions
The Pop-Up sessions with the Care Management Team, hosted at Technorth, provide a great opportunity for Forum Central members to talk to the Care Managers about your services, and what you can offer people with a learning disability in the city, in an informal setting.
If you would like to host a stall, please contact:
If you would like to host a stall, please contact:
International Day of Disabled People – Leeds For All
International Day of Disabled People (IDODP) is observed annually on 3 December. In Leeds a celebration event is coordinated the Leeds for All working group.
The Learning Disability network is part of the group, lead by our Physical Sensory Impairment network, alongside members from Leeds City Council, and a range of third sector health and care organisations.
Leeds for All has coordinated events to mark International Day of Disabled People each year between 2019 – 2024. The most recent event was held on Tuesday 3 December 2024 at Leeds City Museum.
To find out more about IDODP and Leeds For All, please go to our IDODP page linked below.
Leeds for All has coordinated events to mark International Day of Disabled People each year between 2019 – 2024. The most recent event was held on Tuesday 3 December 2024 at Leeds City Museum.
To find out more about IDODP and Leeds For All, please go to our IDODP page linked below.
City wide representation at Boards, working groups and meetings
To find out more about Forum Central’s link to key learning disability meetings in Leeds, click on the links below.
1. Leeds Learning Disability Partnership Board
The Leeds Learning Disability Partnership Board meets quarterly and is made up of, councillors, commissioners from health and social care, people with learning disabilities, advocacy, reference groups including family carers and the people’s parliament, forums including Forum Central and providers from statutory, third sector and public health services.
The board focuses its work around the Being Me Strategy 2018-2021 and is the strategic board for learning disabilities in Leeds. The aim of the strategy is that Leeds is best city to live in for people with learning disabilities. The board supports Leeds Health and Wellbeing Board, Transforming Care Programme Board and the Being Me Project Team.
The strategic work is divided into task groups with themed leads: Being Well, Being Social, Being Safe, Employment and Travel.
The Board has 2 Chairs – A Councillor from the local authority and a People’s Parliament representative.
Forum Central has 5 seats on the board and represents the third sector.
The board focuses its work around the Being Me Strategy 2018-2021 and is the strategic board for learning disabilities in Leeds. The aim of the strategy is that Leeds is best city to live in for people with learning disabilities. The board supports Leeds Health and Wellbeing Board, Transforming Care Programme Board and the Being Me Project Team.
The strategic work is divided into task groups with themed leads: Being Well, Being Social, Being Safe, Employment and Travel.
The Board has 2 Chairs – A Councillor from the local authority and a People’s Parliament representative.
Forum Central has 5 seats on the board and represents the third sector.
2. Being Me Strategy – Employment Task group
Leeds Learning Disability Employment Task Group
Part of the Being Me Strategy – Led by Asking You
The Leeds Learning Disability Employment Task Group is a partnership group that works to improve employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities across the city. It forms part of the Being Me Strategy, a city-wide plan aimed at ensuring people with learning disabilities are well, safe, and connected. Employment sits under the “Being Connected” theme.
The group is now led by Asking You, and is co-chaired by a person with lived experience of a learning disability, ensuring that the voices of people with direct experience are at the centre of all decision-making.
The Leeds Learning Disability Employment Task Group is a partnership group that works to improve employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities across the city. It forms part of the Being Me Strategy, a city-wide plan aimed at ensuring people with learning disabilities are well, safe, and connected. Employment sits under the “Being Connected” theme.
The group is now led by Asking You, and is co-chaired by a person with lived experience of a learning disability, ensuring that the voices of people with direct experience are at the centre of all decision-making.
What the Employment Task Group Does
The Task Group brings together a wide range of partners, experts by experience, third sector organisations, public services, and employers from across all sectors. Working collaboratively, the group aims to:
- Improve access to meaningful, paid work for people with learning disabilities
- Support employers to become more confident and inclusive
- Strengthen pathways into work, training, and volunteering
- Promote digital inclusion so people are not left behind in an increasingly online world.
New Focus: Digital Inclusion
Asking You is leading a renewed focus on digital inclusion in employment, ensuring people with learning disabilities can access online tools, training, and job opportunities.
The group is accountable to the Leeds Learning Disability Partnership Board and works from a shared five-year action plan to deliver lasting change.
The group is accountable to the Leeds Learning Disability Partnership Board and works from a shared five-year action plan to deliver lasting change.
3. Employment Hub – Advisory Group
Forum Central sits on the advisory group for the development of the learning disability employability hub, current group members include Connect in the North, Leeds City Council, and the DWP.
Lead: Connect in the North
Lead: Connect in the North
4. Being Me Strategy – Health Task Group
The health task group leads on improved health and wellbeing outcomes for people with learning disabilities in the city. The priorities set include:
- I am supported to have good health
- I am able to exercise regularly and I have choice about the activities I do to keep fit
- I have the right support and information I need to eat healthily
- I am supported to access the right services to keep me healthy
- I receive a good quality annual health check and health action plan
- I attend the right national screening programmes
- I know about cancer and how to check myself
- I am confident visiting health services like the doctors, chemist, dentist, optician and podiatrist
- I have good communication with health experts and I receive reasonable adjustments when I need them
- I am always listened to
- The information they give me is easy for me to understand
Forum Central attend the health task group and support the work of the group.
5. Being Me Strategy – Task Group Themed Leads
Themed lead meetings bring together task group leads and Leeds City Council to share updates on task group progress and trouble shoot problems in the various work-streams.
Lead: Lana Northey – Leeds City Council – Commissioning Programme Leader
Lead: Lana Northey – Leeds City Council – Commissioning Programme Leader
6. The People’s Parliament
The People’s Parliament meets quarterly and is a group of adults with learning disabilities. There are around 40 members. They are a reference group for the Partnership Board and have 8 seats. They:
- Tell the Board what is important to people with learning disabilities and their families
- Share information about plans and changes to services with people outside the meetings
- Provide opportunities for people to share ideas and support each other
Forum Central attend the People’s Parliament meetings.
Lead: Imogen Day
Lead: Imogen Day
7. Care Management – Being Me Project Team meetings
The Being Me Project Team at Care Management mirrors the task groups of the Being Me Strategy. This project is in its second stage and the project team works to provide strengths based social care in the Learning Disability and Transitions Care Management teams. Sharing of the results, learning and recommendations of the various work-streams is expected in 2020.
Forum Central represents the third sector at the project team meetings.
Lead: Fiona Martin – Service Delivery Manager – Joint Care Management (Learning Disabilities)
Forum Central represents the third sector at the project team meetings.
Lead: Fiona Martin – Service Delivery Manager – Joint Care Management (Learning Disabilities)
8. Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR)
People with learning disabilities die younger. LeDeR (The Learning Disability Mortality Review) has found that the difference between the age at death of people with learning disabilities and the general population is 23 years for men and 27 years for women. Yet many of the causes of these deaths are preventable.
In 2019 a local review panel was set up to review cases in the Leeds area. The purpose of the reviews is to help health and social care professionals and policy makers to:
In 2019 a local review panel was set up to review cases in the Leeds area. The purpose of the reviews is to help health and social care professionals and policy makers to:
- Identify the potentially avoidable contributory factors related to deaths of people with learning disabilities.
- Identify variation and best practice in preventing premature mortality of people with learning disabilities.
- Develop action plans to make any necessary changes to health and social care service delivery for people with learning disabilities.
Forum Central represent the Third Sector at the quarterly LeDeR Panel Review meetings.
9. Transforming Care Oversight Meetings
The NHS Transforming Care Programme is about improving health and care services so that more people can live in the community, with the right support, and close to home.
The NHS national plan, Building the Right Support, published in October 2015 set out what they are doing to make sure this change happens.
Locally in Leeds the Transforming Care Partnership is made up of:
Clinical Commissioning Groups
The NHS national plan, Building the Right Support, published in October 2015 set out what they are doing to make sure this change happens.
Locally in Leeds the Transforming Care Partnership is made up of:
Clinical Commissioning Groups
- Leeds North CCG / Leeds South and East CCG / Leeds West CCG
Local Authority
- Leeds City Council
SRO: Tim Ryley
Email: england.fasttracknorth@nhs.net
Forum Central represent the Third Sector at the Transforming Care Oversight monthly Meetings.
Email: england.fasttracknorth@nhs.net
Forum Central represent the Third Sector at the Transforming Care Oversight monthly Meetings.
10. Learning Disability Digital Inclusion Network
The Autism & Learning Disability Digital Inclusion Network (‘ALaDDIN’) brings together 20 Third Sector organisations in Leeds to improve digital inclusion and participation for people with autism or learning disabilities, supporting the ambition to make Leeds the most digitally inclusive city for everyone.
Forum Central support the work of the network.
Lead: Carley Stubbs – Pyramid of Arts
Forum Central support the work of the network.
Lead: Carley Stubbs – Pyramid of Arts
11. Learning Disability and Autism Steering Group
The Learning Disability Steering Group is held every 3 months by Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
Helen Christodoulides, Director of Nursing (Corporate), chairs the meeting.
One of the Get Me Better Champions co-chairs this meeting with Helen.
Forum Central represent the third sector at the steering group meetings.
If you would like to have a copy of the terms of reference, agenda or minutes or would like more information about these meetings please contact the Learning Disabilities team.
Email Leedsth-tr.ldautism@nhs.net or phone 0113 2066836.
Helen Christodoulides, Director of Nursing (Corporate), chairs the meeting.
One of the Get Me Better Champions co-chairs this meeting with Helen.
Forum Central represent the third sector at the steering group meetings.
If you would like to have a copy of the terms of reference, agenda or minutes or would like more information about these meetings please contact the Learning Disabilities team.
Email Leedsth-tr.ldautism@nhs.net or phone 0113 2066836.
12. Learning Disability Week Steering Group Meetings
Every year in June Learning Disability Awareness Week takes place. Forum Central attends the steering group meeting to plan events and activities across the week.
13. Learning Disability Awards Planning Team Meetings
Every two years the Learning Disability Awards Ceremony takes place as part of Learning Disability Awareness week. This is a celebratory event to recognise all the hard work of individuals working in Learning Disability services across the city.