Voluntary and Community sector forum for learning difficulties

The Voluntary Sector Forum for Learning Difficulties brings together around 65 voluntary and community sector organisations and interested individuals who are working to improve the quality of life for people with learning difficulties in York and the surrounding area.

The Forum recognises that organisations and individuals face barriers to working effectively : isolation, blocks to communication, access to key information, complexities in representing this diverse sector effectively. The Forum aims to offer a way of addressing these difficulties.

In order to promote its aim, all members joining the Forum are expected to listen to each other, speak up, share their opinion and experience and to recognise when there are opportunities to work closer together.

In practice the Forum:

• puts forward people to sit on multi-agency committees,
• acts as a means of gathering views from the Forum for representation at multi-agency meetings,
• contributes to policy planning by gathering information or feedback and by making reports,
• provides guidance on good practice in representation, consultation and service-user and carer involvement,
• offers opportunities where best practice can be identified and shared,
• exchanges information about new developments which relate to learning difficulties or other relevant subjects - both nationally and locally.