Feedback on New Learning Disability Service Model

New Learning Disability Service Model — We Matter

The 14-week consultation, launched by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, closed on 25th November.  This consultation offered major opportunities for interested people in shaping the future of learning disability services.

Despite progress, people with a learning disability in Northern Ireland still face significant inequalities in areas like health, education, housing, and employment. Services can be fragmented, difficult to navigate, and slow to respond. This new Model aims to change that — by defining what good support should look like and setting out a roadmap for how services can better meet the needs of people and families.

What makes this Model stand out is the central role of lived experience in shaping it. Over 3,600 people — including individuals with a learning disability, carers, and practitioners — have already contributed their insight.  This allowed a draft model and delviery plan to be shared for wider views.

The Model is built around six ambitions:

• Life Changes – Support through key life stages and transitions
• Health and Wellbeing – Better access to health care and tackling inequalities
• Families and Carers – More emotional, practical and respite support
• Meaningful Lives and Citizenship – Opportunities for education, work and inclusion
• Home – Supporting people to live independently, in their own homes
• Mental Health and Behaviours of Concern – Timely, joined-up specialist support

ARC NI as a key player in the learning disability community was keen to support the views of people supported and providers of services being heard by policy makers.

At ARC NI, we believe that people with a learning disability have the same rights as everyone else — to live with dignity, be part of their communities, and access the support they need: We Matter.

A Collective View

There were three ways that we encouraged and enabled groups of people sharing their views in this public consultation.

Providers and the People they Support (Experts By Experience) Together

The Department of Health asked us to facilitate a face to face workshop for people with a learning disability and a workshop for providers.  This happened on the 3rd October and a total of 64 people attended.  21 senior staff from 19 organisations attended the provider workshop.  27 people with a learning disability and 16 support staff attended the Experts by Experience Workshop.

People welcomed the vision behind the “We Matter” model, but they want action, not just words. Both providers and people supported said the same key things:

• Services must be person-led and flexible
• Funding must be fair and long-term, especially for community services
• The system must be joined-up, easier to access, and consistent across NI

This feedback highlights strong support for the new model but also clear worries about delivery, staffing, and accountability. Future plans must focus on practical steps that make a real difference to people’s lives.

You can read the full feedback in the report here.

Telling It Like It Is (Experts By Experience)

Forty-six of our Experts By Experience TILII, drafted and sent in their response.  TILII members agreed that the six dreams (ambitions) describe what a good life should look like but stressed the importance of practical delivery. The biggest concerns were around consistency across Trusts, staffing, funding, and follow-through.

TILII members strongly support the six dreams but want to see action, not just words.  Their key messages were:

• Health, social participation, and meaningful community life must come first.
• Ideas often fail because of funding, staffing, and inconsistent delivery.
• Solutions must be practical, sustainable, and monitored.
• Technology, peer-led initiatives, and local projects can support delivery if resourced.
• Involvement of people supported, families, and carers in planning and decision-making is essential.

TILII members are hopeful and willing to contribute to change, but they want proof that this time, the ambitions will be implemented.

Providers Together

We support 60 providers and we listen to their concerns, realities and experiences.  We bring them together and discuss what things might help to make real change happen.  A number of recommendations were identified and submitted in ARC NI’s response.  Some of these were:

• ARC NI would welcome within the delivery plan, the inclusion of a specific ambition and action to address sustained investment for the learning disability community and to achieve the ‘We Matter’ Model.
• ARC NI would welcome within the delivery plan, the inclusion of a specific ambition and action to address workforce development specifically for the learning disability community.
• ARC NI would welcome within the delivery plan, the inclusion of a specific ambition and action to address legislative reform required specifically for the learning disability community.

You can read the full consultation response here.