PMLD communication guide

Friday 17 December 2010

A new guide to communicating with people with the most complex needs

Mencap has published the new guide on ways to communicate with people who have complex needs, including profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).

The guide was launched yesterday (16 December) at the PMLD Network conference in Nottingham. It was commissioned by Mencap, in parternship with the Department of Health, and forms part of the Valuing People Now work to make sure that people with the most complex needs are included.

'Communication and people with the most complex needs' was written by Professor Juliet Goldbart from Manchester Metropolitan University. Professor Goldbart is an expert in the field of communication and people with PMLD.

The guide is aimed at those who commission services, but could also be useful for family carers, frontline staff and people with a learning disability.

"The new guide will be a valuable tool for families and professionals," said Beverley Dawkins OBE, chair of the PMLD Network and national officer for PMLD at Mencap. "Communication is a human right that many of us take for granted. It allows people to interact with others, express their feelings and be involved in the decisions that affect their everyday lives."

The guide is available in standard and easy read versions.

Read ‘Communication and people with the most complex needs'