Learning Disability Week aims to make sure the world hears what life is like if you, or someone you know, has a learning disability. Throughout the week, people will tell their stories about their experiences with a learning disability to raise awareness and understanding.
What is this year’s theme?
The theme for 2024 is ‘Do you see me?’, which is about challenging the barriers people with a learning disability face.
What does ‘Do You See Me’ mean to Brandon?
At Brandon, we work with people we support to ensure that all our decisions and the way we work is co-produced. People with a learning disability and autistic people are employed by Brandon as our Adventurers, and their lived experience is invaluable to our charity and to external organisations they provide a consulting service for.
Working with the prescribers
One of those external partners is the University of the West of England (UWE), in Bristol. Brandon’s Adventurers work as trainers with lived experience, teaching and assessing students who are learning how to prescribe medication.
Debbie Moreno-Chamorro, Associate Professor Independent Prescribing Lead at UWE, said: “The last year of working and learning together with Brandon’s Adventurers has given me a deeper understanding of what true co-production can bring to all parties. I believe that we have developed a framework of co-production which evolves and grows and is embedded in a mutual respect.
“One of the biggest learning points for me is that ‘we see each other’. Understanding how each organisation works and how that can affect interactions and the experiences of individuals, is so powerful and enabling for us all. Personally, the impact of that understanding has been inspiring to be part of.”
Involvement and our Adventurers
The Adventurers team live across the South of England where Brandon provides support, from London to Cornwall. They travel to meet regularly in person as well as online. Their work at Brandon so far has included:
- Contributing to the development of our five-year Plan B strategy
- Consulting on and co-producing Brandon’s policies as well as accompanying easy read documentation
- Working as Quality Checkers
- Taking part in the judging of our annual staff awards
- Supporting the development of our Partnerships and Fundraising strategy
- Providing consulting services for all our central support teams, to make sure Brandon’s ongoing work, such as management training programmes, induction for staff, and new IT systems, are inclusive and accessible to all
- Providing advice on current projects through Adventurers Consultancy
The Adventurers’ work with UWE’s prescribing students also saw them win a regional co-production award in the Great British Care Awards in 2023.
Rachel Roberts, Brandon’s Involvement Lead, said: “I think Do You See Me is a great theme for our work with UWE – how we have both ‘seen each other’ and how we understand the prescribers’ world more, and they understand us more, fostering a really understanding and positive relationship where both parties are willing and able to understand why things can’t be done in a certain way. Partnership working at its best!”
