Effective care and support starts with communication—yet inaccessible environments continue to isolate people with learning disabilities across health, social care, and society.

Hosted by the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Learning Disability Community of Practice, this webinar features Alix Lewer (CEO of Include.org) sharing practical strategies, lived-experience insights, and real-world tools to embed inclusive communication into everyday practice.

This recording includes British Sign Language (BSL) communication support.

Key takeaways from the video:

• Core principles of inclusive communication and why adjustments matter.

• Practical tools to adapt your practice in care settings.

• Real-world examples of breaking down barriers for people with communication needs.

A new ‘Beyond Words’ Book Club is available, meeting on Friday 25 September. This is a wonderful opportunity for people to come together, and focus on social stories with the use of pictures – for people with learning disabilities and others.
The meeting is 1.30-2.30pm, at The Rossetti Room, Beach House, Beach Street, Herne Bay, CT6 5PT.
To join or to find out more please contact Sue at suec.carmichael@gmail.com or call on 07703770919 ‘Beyond Words’ Book Club | Beach Creative

NHS England is reshaping All Age Continuing Care (AACC), the umbrella term covering both NHS Continuing Healthcare for adults and Children and Young People’s Continuing Care. A recent meeting on this work flagged a gap: learning disability and neurodivergent clinicians are underrepresented in the conversation. 

Beacon CHC is hosting a survey on NHS England’s behalf, open to commissioners, providers, people with lived experience, their carers, and anyone else with a stake in AACC. It explores the challenges people currently face within the system and asks for views on how care might be described, commissioned, and funded more consistently in future. Part of the engagement looks at whether “currencies,” a way of grouping people with similar care needs into clinically meaningful categories, could help make care more comparable across systems. NHS England has confirmed this work will not change who is eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare or impose a single national model regardless of local need.

The survey takes around 30 minutes in total, including 15 minutes to read the background information first. It closes on 18 September.

https://www.beaconchc.co.uk/we-want-to-hear-your-views-on-the-future-of-all-age-continuing-care

If you work with, support, or represent people with learning disabilities or who are neurodivergent, please take the time to respond, and share it within your own teams and networks. Feedback gathered through this engagement will feed into a public consultation later this year.

The Kent, Surrey & Sussex Learning Disability Community of Practice are pleased to host an online event to promote the work and writing of Saba Salman, Paul Christian and Sue Ledger.
This hour long webinar, in recognition of Black History Month, will focus on Saba’s new book, Double Discrimination alongside a focus from Paul and Sue on the importance of sharing intersectionality stories and the idea of intersectionality strength.
Please join us on Wednesday 7 October 2026 at 12-1pm, register via Eventbrite

Do you know or support someone in Kent who has a learning disability, and would like to share their stories about love, relationships and the support they have received over the years?

This project is exploring how experiences of love, relationships and sexuality for people with learning disabilities have changed over time.
The research team would be keen to speak to people with learning disabilities, and people working in health or social care to hear their stories. They are keen that these stories and experiences are captured and not forgotten.
Please see attached flyer with contact details for more information.