People First Dorset (PFD) is led and run by adults with learning disabilities with support from skilled staff. We want to be treated equally and be included in our community.
To achieve this People First Dorset (PFD) run activities which help us to build reduce our social isolation and confidence (Friendship Club). We also learn about our rights, improve our communication skills, and develop our ability to challenge decisions together, known as self-advocacy (Speaking Up).
Self-advocacy is a crucial skill for someone with a learning disability as it helps to protect us against abuse, neglect and institutionalisation. However, we cannot learn or maintain these skills if we are excluded from society, with few opportunities to meet others and socialise.
People First Dorset’s solutions to this begins with laying the foundations for all our self-advocacy work, in the Friendship Club project, which is then developed in our Speaking Up project. PFD also run other bespoke projects and workshops where possible, which meet our needs.
The best way to see what we do is to visit one of our activities first hand. This short vibrant video of just over 2 minutes, gives an overview of our core work and its impact on members
Being connected to each other and the community is the foundation of self advocacy. If you are not connected then you cannot come together, speak up and lead change.
People First Dorset therefore runs the Friendship Club, which is one of the largest social inclusion projects for adults with learning disabilities in England. It provides approximately eighty supported social events each year for around four hundred people with learning disabilities.
Events take place in mainstream settings, all of which are chosen and often run by members. Outcomes include people feeling safer in the community, more accepted by the public, feeling happier and healthier (many events include physical activity) and more confident. It also gives an opportunity for respite to many carers
‘My Client has become more confident making new friends and becoming integrated within the community. He takes more pride in his appearance and will instigate more conversations. He has become much happier in himself, no longer lonely, isolated or self conscious. Many of my other previous clients have benefited tremendously as well’ (Professional carer). ‘It’s like counselling for me. Good talking to people as it’s a way of making me feel better’ (Member).
We also run other projects or workshops where possible. These have included Womens and Mens Groups, course on better understanding climate change and the environment, course on social communication skills, workshops on improving money management, project to improve involvement in local sports, workshops on wellbeing, project to support 4 members to move into their own home etc.
We also support 3 members to write a weekly column in the local paper, the Dorset Echo. They can write about anything they want and as far as we know, they are the only individuals with a learning disability writing in any UK newspaper. We are currently supporting these 3 members. who together with a local illustrator, are writing a childrens book about a famous Cat in Dorchester (see Facebook page 'Susie's Travels in Dorchester') which will hopefully be out by Christmas and funds raised will also support the charity.
With these foundations in place, our members have the opportunity to join our Speaking Up groups, that work to develop our members’ communication skills. These groups run across Dorset and outcomes have already included working alongside the NHS to help them prepare an Easy Read document, taking part in local health and local authority consultations or learning about cyber crime.
Elected members then take concerns to decision makers such as the Local Authortity, Health Bodies or businesses, to create solutions. This is the vehicle by which the voices of people with learning disability and complex needs can affect change and also heard at a strategic level. We represent our members at a range of Local Authority and other meetings i.e. Health Action Group, Better Lives, EDI Reference Group etc. The aim is to identify issues that affect people in their everyday life, and we use our networks and contacts to make this change for the better.
We are a very small team of 4 individuals currently (this can change from time to time depending on funding available) and including one person with a learning disability.
We are governed by a committed and professional board of trustees, who work together with our Management Committee of 7 elected individuals who sit alongside the board, and oversee the strategy and operations of the charity.
The impact we have is not often immediate. We are part of a wide network of organisations, and this type of strategic change happens slowly, sometimes over years. Patience is essential! We still stand by the principles set out in Valuing People (2001);
People First Dorset have strong partnerships with many organisations, both local and national. This includes statututory bodies, social care services, providers, other third sector organisations i.e. Volunteer Centre, Dorset Mental Health Forum, People First Forum. We also work nationally with other oragnisations in our sector, i.e. Learning Disability England, Mencap, People First etc, and where possible work with our members on research projects which may improve the lives of people with a learning disability i.e.UCL, Manchester University, Warwick University Southampton University etc.
