The Lisieux Trust recently welcomed Amy Coombs, Senior Public Health Programme Officer, and Jamie Perry, Public Health Programme Officer, from Birmingham City Council’s Evidence Team to meet with our Friends and Family Steering Group. The council team is leading a six-month research project, the Learning Disabilities Housing Needs and Solutions Appendix, commissioned by Adult Social Care, to explore the housing needs of citizens with learning disabilities in Birmingham.

The focus of the project is to capture lived experiences from individuals, families, and carers to help shape recommendations, identify best practice, and inform future housing provision. Amy explained: “One of the really important parts of this project is capturing voices of lived experience. We want to hear directly from people about what good housing looks like and how it affects their health and wellbeing.”

The team gathered insights from our steering group about previous experiences of housing and ideas for improvement. Amy added: “Hearing from groups like yours gives us rich insights that surveys alone can’t capture. Every perspective really matters and helps shape the recommendations we make.”

This collaboration was the idea of Jess Alsop-Greenacre, CEO of Lisieux Trust, who saw the survey and then invited the team to engage directly with our Friends and Family Steering Group, as well as our Residents and Tenants Steering Group and a group of employees to share their experience and expertise. Jess said: ‘It is vital that research projects such as these take into account the real experiences of people with learning disabilities and autism, their loved ones and the professionals who work with them so that changes can be made that make a genuine difference. As an expert and specialist provider of services for people with learning disabilities and autism, Lisieux Trust is perfectly placed to facilitate this engagement. We were thrilled be to able to host this session.’

Amy and Jamie also explained that the project involves surveys through Birmingham City Council’s “Be Heard” platform to reach professionals, citizens with learning disabilities, and carers. The contributions from our Friends and Family Steering Group provide valuable perspectives that will directly influence the final report.

The findings will be published in a full report by May 2026, alongside an easy-read version, ensuring accessibility for all. The evidence collected will directly inform future commissioning decisions by Birmingham City Council.

The Lisieux Trust is proud to support initiatives that amplify the voices of those we support and help shape better outcomes for all people with learning disabilities.