Resources and Information
You are welcome to use these resources and information as long as the source is acknowledged and there is no infringement of copyright.
Please get in touch if you have any queries about this.
Scroll through the resources or jump to a topic using boxes below.
How to be part of the world of work
Our latest resource is a new section of the I’m Thinking Ahead guide: ‘How to be part of the world of work’.
Download this version to read, save to your computer or print.
Download and save this version on your computer, write your ideas in the templates and save for future reference, sharing and updating.
Thinking Ahead: a planning guide for families
A guide to support families in talking about, and planning for, the future. Download this version to read, save to your computer or print.
Thinking Ahead: a planning guide for families (rewriteable version)
A guide to support families in talking about, and planning for, the future. You can download and save this version on your computer, write your ideas in the tables and templates and save for future reference and updating.
Individual sections of the guide (printable version)
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2. Making plans for the future in a person-centred way
3. Building friendships and support networks
4. Talking about difficult subjects
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7. Making a plan for emergencies
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I’m Thinking Ahead
An easy to read book for people with learning disabilities to help to think and talk about plans for the future. Download this version to read, save to your computer or print.
I’m Thinking Ahead (rewriteable version)
An easy to read book for people with learning disabilities to help to think and talk about plans for the future. You can download and save this version on your computer, put your thoughts in the tick-boxes and tables and save for future reference and updating.
Individual sections of the guide (rewriteable version)
Thinking Ahead: Improving support for people with learning disabilities and their families to plan for the future
A short report about the research and development work behind the planning guide as well as recommendations to implement good practice in planning the future in your area.
Information for family carers to get the support they need and put emergency plans in place.
A guide for family carers, people in their network and organisations providing support.
This resource on emergency planning is part of Thinking Ahead: a planning guide for families. It can help families to think about what they can put in place to prevent an emergency turning into a crisis.
Making a plan for emergencies
Guidance and template to make an emergency plan.
Making a plan for emergencies (rewriteable version)
Template for your Annual Review: thinking about what’s working well and what could be better
A template to help people plan for their review. Use it to think about what’s working well and what could be better. Make sure discussions at the meeting are focused on what is important to the person whose review it is. Comments can be written under headings for topics you are likely to want to cover in a review. There is space for the views of:
- the person whose review it is
- their family carers
- providers of support
Download and save this version, to write in text boxes and share with others to add comments.
Download this version to read or print and fill in by hand.
How to support people with learning disabilities and/or autism to take part in their Annual Review
A guide written for family carers and support providers who are helping people to take part in their annual review (and other meetings) with Adult Social Care. Use it to help people participate, particularly those who find meetings stressful, difficult or boring. It also includes ideas to help people who do not feel able to go to meetings, to contribute in other ways.
Growing Older Evaluation Toolkit
The toolkit provides an assessment tool and action plan for organisations to improve support to people with learning disabilities as they grow older. It can also be used by families to check the quality of their relative’s support.
Planning Ahead: supporting families to shape the future after a diagnosis of dementia (chapter in Intellectual Disability and Dementia)
This book chapter, written by Christine Towers and Heather Wilkinson, is based on the ideas in Thinking Ahead for planning the future. It suggests ways in which practitioners can support families to think about the options, following a diagnosis of dementia, to make sure their relative is supported in a person-centred way.
Talking Together: facilitating peer support activities to help people with learning disabilities understand about growing older and living with dementia
This handbook describes 20 activities to help people with learning disabilities to think and talk about the changes that may occur as they get older. The activities will be helpful to a variety of people including those working in housing and support, daytime activities and community teams.
In addition, we wrote training resources for Pavilion Publishing:
- A self-study guide (useful in any support organisation, for PAs, family carers, community organisations)
- A training manual (for organisations and trainers)
People with Learning Disabilities as Carers
An easy to read presentation about people with learning disabilities having a caring role.
Being a Carer and Having a Carer’s Assessment
An easy to read resource pack to help people with learning disabilities, who help to look after someone else, to have a carers’ assessment and get the support they need.