Lambeth Learning Disability Assembly: Our Year 2024-25
The Lambeth Learning Disability Assembly is the group in Lambeth specifically for people with a learning disability and carers to meet and share news and information, support each other, and represent their needs to decision makers. They do this through Forum and Assembly meetings, as well as different activities throughout the year.
Forum meetings
Forum meetings are held every month and are for people with learning disabilities and invited speakers. These are planned and chaired by Learning Disability representatives (with support from Laura, Liz, and Jane).
In 2024-25, forum meetings were held in We are 336, L’Arche, and the Crescent Day Centre and Community Room at Coburg Crescent. Each was attended by about 30 people with a core group of 10, with around 60 people from different day services attending in small groups on some days.
Assembly meetings
Assembly meetings are held quarterly and are open to everyone – people with learning disabilities, parents, carers, and professionals (service providers and decision makers). These are chaired by two co-chairs representing people with a learning disability (Maggie and Neil) and carers (Liz).
In 2024-25, three were held in We are 336 and were attended by around 50 people. The fourth was held at the OUTRUS centre in SLAM, part of the Estia Centre conference for Learning Disability week. At this conference, the Reps presented a workshop on the Good Life Manifesto just before the elections. The Assembly meeting was held as a breakout group at lunchtime.
Over the year, they recruited and trained new representatives and elected a new Co-chair (Neil). The representatives held a planning meeting each month, held at the Healthwatch offices or online.
They also continue to aim to hold two social events a year – a summer party and a Christmas Party following their AGM.
Key Activities in 2024-25
Here are some of the topics and activities covered by the LLDA in 2024-25.
- Improving services for when people are dying, including a visit to St Christopher’s hospice.
- Staying healthy, including looking at Health Action Plans and Annual Health checks. They also continued working with local hospitals in Lambeth on a Red Flag project, looking at how people with learning disabilities are recognised and supported on hospital admission.
- Updates on local activities from members and partners, including presentations from organisations like L’Arche, Stockwell Park Community Centre, Books Beyond Words, and the Estia Centre.
- Preparing for elections, including information on local and national elections and their own LLDA representative elections.
The Friendly Ear Project
The LLDA receives funding from the council, which is used to cover their monthly meetings (including planning). They continue to look for funding to enable them to develop projects. In 2024-25, they ran one special project.
The Friendly Ear project was a pilot of individual informal coaching and mentoring held at a local GP, where people could come to a dedicated space and time and talk through anything worrying them. It was much appreciated by the people who came but was sadly unable to continue after the pilot phase due to lack of funds.
