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Current and future work

  • Last modified date:
    29 July 2008

User-led Organisations Development Fund

Applications for a new User-led Organisation Development Fund for 2007/08 closed on Thursday 29 November 2007. 

User-led organisations were encouraged to apply in two funding categories to deliver action and learning sites up to March 2009. 

The Category 1 grant was open to user-led organisations wanting to improve their capacity and capability to become the user-led organisation that meets the User-led Organisation Design Criteria for their area.

The Category 2 grant was open to user-led organisations that have been running for more than three years, were willing to act as a mentor and help develop a new user-led organisation that would meet the User-led Organisation Design Criteria in an area where nothing similar exists.

101 applications were received and were assessed by a panel against criteria set out in the User-led Development Fund Guidance. 12 organisations were successful in meeting the criteria and being awarded the grant.

The panel members that assessed the applications were:

  • Patience Wilson 
    Head of Programme, Independent Living, Social Care Directorate, Department of Health.
    Chair of the Selection Panel.
  • Ann MacFarlane MBE
    Leading Disability Rights and Equalities Consultant. A wheelchair user, she focuses on health and social care as it affects disabled adults and other older people. She is vice-president of Arthritis Care and Kingston Centre for Independent Living.
  • Clenton Farquharson
    A wheelchair user campaigning for disabled people’s rights and a founding director of Gallant 2000 Ltd focusing on issues of Social Inclusion, Equality and the Equality threads. Member of Equality 2025, the UK Advisory Network on Disability Equality.
  • Linda Cooper
    A consultant working in Social Care and member of SCIE’s Partners Council.  Chairperson of Kent Learning Disability Partnership Board. CEO of Carers FIRST 1996 – 2006.  Carer for son and brother with autism and learning disabilities.
  • Emma Jenkins
    Policy Consultant working on community well-being at the Local Government Association.  Focusing on developing person centred services in adult social care.

A mapping exercise to establish the current position and inform future planning.

  • The research phase of the project has ended. It focussed on understanding the requirements of disabled people and their organisations to underpin delivery of recommendation 4.3.
  • The key output from this phase of activity is a comprehensive report, which has been prepared by disability consultants from a user-led organisation.

The report has drawn together the findings from all the strands of research activity:

  • extensive mapping activity to establish the number, location and features of existing organisations.
  • in-depth survey activity covering six local authority areas and 28 existing user-led organisations representing a mix in terms of the types of areas and organisations.
  • a series of nine conversations, to consult with disabled people and their organisations to gain the grassroots input into the definition, purpose and function of a successful user led organisation.

Disabled people were involved in the design of the events and in their facilitation. Over 400 people attended. We are starting to use the outputs from the research phase as critical input into defining the key features and values of a ULO which will underpin policy development and implementation planning.

We will post updates on progress against the ULO recommendation on this webpage but should you have any general questions or queries please email:

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