Involving people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in decision making

December 2009

Involve Me is a 3 year project about how to creatively involve people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) in decision making.

The project is supported by the Renton Foundation and is being run by Mencap in partnership with the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD.

Most people with PMLD don’t use formal communication like words and symbols. This makes communication very difficult and can mean people with PMLD are not involved in important decisions, such as where to live. But people with PMLD should be involved in all decisions which affect their lives. They have important preferences and experiences to share. We just need to give them the opportunity to do this.

Staff and people with PMLD at 4 sites are taking part in the Involve Me project. Each site is using a different creative approach to involve people with PMLD.

An interactive DVD and training guide will be produced at the end of the project. They will show how the creative approaches have been used at each site. They will show how everyone including staff, families and policy makers can start involving people with PMLD in decision making. We will also be running training workshops and conferences.

• Find out more about Involve Me on the Mencap website