About Policy Shapers
Policy Shapers are people with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
and their families who help us by answering surveys each month.
The surveys help us tell
the Government
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much tax people should pay and how things like the National Health Service (NHS) should work.
and decision makers what life is like for people with a learning disability.
How Policy Shapers help
After you sign up to be a Policy Shaper we will send you short surveys about issues that matter to you each month.
Issues are problems you have, and they will be about things like benefits, healthcare,
employment
Employment means having a job.
, schools and
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
.
Your answers will be anonymised.
Anonymised means we will make sure any information which could tell people who you are, will not be made public.
We will use your answers in Mencap reports and in our face-to-face meetings with the Government and other decision makers.
We may also get in touch with you to join
focus groups
Where a group of people meet to talk about a topic, and a researcher asks them some questions.
with other Policy Shapers, or to tell us about your experience so we can make a
case study
A case study is a piece of writing that tells people more information about someone's experience.
.
As a thank you, every time a Policy Shaper answers one of our surveys, we enter them into a prize draw to win a £25 gift card.
How Policy Shapers have already made a difference
-
Policy Shapers influenced the Government to introduce mandatory training on learning disabilities (helped by people with lived experience).
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Policy Shapers influenced the Government to include EasyReads of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system reforms.
Sharing information: Note for families and carers
If you are sharing information about someone with a learning disability, please check with them that they are OK with you sharing their information before you do so.
If the person is not able to
consent
Consent is when you say yes to something, like an operation, or Mencap using your photo for a story. You may have to sign something to say yes. If you can't make your own decisions, someone else can say yes or no for you. They must think about what is right for you.
to sharing their photos/film/story, visit our best interests assessment page.
Find out more
If you would like to find out more about becoming a Policy Shaper, our surveys or the Policy Shaper prize drawer, please email the Mencap Policy Team.