Networks and Communities of Interest
Welcome to the membership section of our website. Learning Disability Wales is the umbrella body for all voluntary organisations in Wales that are active in the field of learning disabilities. We are proud of the tremendous contributions that our members make to promoting the rights of children and adults with a learning disability and to assisting individually in every aspect of their lives. Our members bring commitment, energy, expertise and passion to their work. They are active in all communities in Wales and are very diverse in the size, structure and mission.
Unity
What unites all our members is a commitment promoting the three principles of the All Wales Learning Disability Strategy and supporting the Learning Disability Wales Charter of Individual Rights for people with a learning disability.
A Powerful Voice
Membership of Learning Disability Wales enables voluntary sector organisations and groups to speak with one voice on matters of common interest, and to be a powerful influence promoting the rights of children and adults with a learning disability.
Accountability and Control of Learning Disability Wales
To speak with authority and credibility for the voluntary sector, it is essential that Learning Disability Wales has clear and strong lines of understanding with and communication with and from the members. Learning Disability Wales is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. Since its creation in 1984, we have been led by a management committee of trustees, elected by member organisations.
Our trustees have taken significant steps to strengthen the ‘governance’ of the organisation, and lines of accountability and communication. These include:
- Creating 8 communities of interest within our membership and changing the make-up of the management committee so that 11 out of a total of 16 trustees are elected by member organisation within a ‘community of interest’.
- Requiring those 11 trustees to represent, and report on their work as trustees, to those member organisations in the ‘community of interest’.
- Ensuring that member organisations that do not fit into a community of interest can continue to nominate representatives to one of the five trustee seats.
- Defining and structuring trustee responsibilities in line with National Occupational Standards for Trustees and Management Committee members in the voluntary and community sector. (U.K. Workforce Hub, April 2006)
Communities of interest
The elected communities of interest are:
- Children Provider Organisations
- Family Support Provider Organisations
- Parents and Carers Organisations
- Adult Provider Organisations
- Supported Employment Agencies and Vocational Training
- Self Advocacy Organisations
- Citizen Advocacy Organisations
- U.K Links
Here in this part of the website you will find dedicated pages for each of our communities of interest. You can find out:
- Information about the trustee who is representing your community of interest, their name and contact details, their organisation
- Other member organisations in your community of interest
- Important developments relevant to your community of interest, hot topics
- What the community of interest is looking to Learning Disability Wales to do
Networks
To meet their individual needs some of our member organisations have developed networks of more formal structure/ organisation within the communities of interest. These vary widely in their shape, structure, purpose, service and coverage. The existence of these networks/ structures/ organisations has provided an ideal route for Learning Disability Trustees representing a community of interest to have a responsibility/ accountability line with their community.
Identified networks/ formal structured/ organisations are:
- Children Provider Organisations – Disabled Children’s Policy Group
- Family Support Provider Organisations – Wales Carers Alliance
- Parent and Carer Organisations – All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
- Adult Provider Organisations – All Wales Community Living Network
- Supported Employment and Vocational Training – Wales Association of Supported Employment Agencies.
- Self Advocacy Organisations – All Wales People First
- Citizen Advocacy Organisations – All Wales Advocacy Network
- Organisations with substantial U.K links – Association for Real Change (ARC)
Of these networks the following are facilitated by Learning Disability Wales and you can find information on these in this section.
- All Wales Community Living Network
- Wales Association of Supported Employment Agencies
- All Wales Advocacy Network
In addition Learning Disability Wales facilitates a Person Centred Planning network. Click here for information.
For information on networks not facilitated by Learning Disability Wales click on the above links. For further information please Contact Us.
Two networks (Wales Carers Alliance and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers) currently do not have websites. For information on these please contact:
Wales Carers Alliance: Ros Williamson, Secretary to Wales Carers Alliance, C/O Carers Wales, River House, Ynsbridge Court, Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff, CF15 9SS,Tel 02920 811370, email
All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers: Ellis Jones, 78a Oxford St,
Mountain Ash, CF45 3HB. Tel 01443 477795, email
