Involve Me

Involve Me is a three-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).

Staff and people with PMLD at four sites are taking part in the 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 and will show how the creative approaches have been used at each site. It will also 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 profound and multiple learning disabilities

Why is the project needed?

People with PMLD are some of the most excluded people in society. 

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.

The Mental Capacity Act says that when people are not able to make their own decisions they should be involved as much as possible. Involve me will help those supporting people with PMLD to work in line with this law and ensure that their legal and human rights are respected.

• Read more about the issues surrounding mental capacity and consent

Find out more about the project

• What do we mean by involving people in ‘decision-making'?
• The creative approaches
• Communicating with people with PMLD at the sites
• Evaluation of Involve Me
• Find out more about the Renton Foundation

Who to contact

For more information please contact:

The Involve Me team
Telephone: 079 4493 1433
Email: involveme@mencap.org.uk