Toolkit: Consultation Template
Utilise this draft text for either running or responding to consultations to challenge how the views of people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities are being considered.
Consultation Template: For people leading consultations:
Purpose: If you are leading a consultation and would like the responses to consider the lives of young people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities, we encourage you to include the text below.
Sample text: To inform this consultation we would like responses to include views, preferences and experiences of young people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities who have no, or very limited, verbal communication.
Including this group may require non-traditional consultation activities and should be led, or closely informed, by people who know the person well, including family carers and the staff who work with them regularly. It may take longer and require additional funding. For more information on engaging with people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities, we recommend that you visit the Challenging Behaviour Foundation’s website: What Matters to Me | Challenging Behaviour Foundation
Consultation Template: For people responding to consultations:
Purpose: If you have responded to a consultation but feel as though the consultation hasn’t considered the lives and experiences of people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities, please use the text below within your consultation. We have tried to keep this as short as possible to account for consultations with strict word limits, but please do shorten or expand on this point as necessary with further information or personal experiences.
Sample text: We are concerned that [consultation name] has not considered the lives and experiences of people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities, nor has it provided opportunities to directly consult with people who have learning disabilities.
Somebody with a severe or profound and multiple learning disability will typically have little to no speech, need support with daily activities such as dressing, washing, eating and keeping safe, and will also require life-long support. Therefore, it is crucial that the needs of these individuals are acknowledged, and ultimately supported, by all sectors of society. For further information on severe learning disabilities, including on how to support an individual with severe learning disabilities, we recommend that you visit the Challenging Behaviour Foundation’s website: What Matters to Me | Challenging Behaviour Foundation
Consultation Template: For people responding to consultations