Service Users Forum

The Enable Forum

What is the Enable Forum?

The Enable Forum provides a voice for and can represent the views of everyone who uses Enables services for their housing and support.

We want to;

• bring people together
• learn from peoples experiences
• support each other and do things that we think are important
• work together to help make a positive change

We want to make sure that:

• people’s skills and talents are identified
• peoples skills and talents aren’t wasted
• help is available for everyone to understand their rights
• everyone has good person centred plans
• plans include descriptions of peoples hopes and goals in life and the support they need to achieve them
• we create regular opportunities for people to meet up
• we find ways to involve people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) in decision-making and consultation

The Enable Forum run four open meetings a year and anyone that uses Enables services and support is encouraged to attend. We also run other events, campaigns, projects and training. The Forum has 12 Forum Representatives who meet up regularly to plan and run these meetings and training.

The Enable Forum supports inclusion, involvement and independence.

- Inclusion is about having the choice to join in activities that people without learning difficulties do.

- Being involved in your support and services is about making sure that your views are heard in order to make real, lasting changes.

- Independence is about having control over how support is provided, who provides it and when. We think everyone, including learning disabled people, should be treated fairly and with dignity and respect

People that use Enables services are all experts on what makes good support. They, their family and supporters are the people we go to first to find out about how services should be delivered.

What we do?

We bring people together and share what we know is happening out and about in our community. We also put on a range of different activities and events, including;

• Training
• Community activities such as yoga, line dancing and singing
• The Enable Community Choir that meet every month to rehearse and perform.
• Campaign on issues like the cuts to services and support
• Supporting people who use our services to raise issues and advocate for change at events and conferences (see some of our presentations)
• Collect and share good stories around what makes good support and what this looks like (see Bob Langfords Inclusion Project)

We have also created guides and accessible information for people and their supporters.

Getting Involved

To be successful we need people to get involved and have a commitment to making our forum something great to be involved in. Everyone has strengths, skills and assets to share with the Forum.

If you are interested in receiving more information and getting involved please contact Tom Whittaker, our Inclusion Officer on 01246 599999 Ext.157 or 07881 244 805 or email him on TomW@Enable-Group.org.uk