Learning Disability Safe Space Cafés: creating spaces where people feel able to share, learn and be heard

People with learning disabilities are often under-represented in health research and are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes, especially in primary and preventative care. If research and healthcare are to reflect what really matters to people, it is essential to involve people with learning disabilities in ways that are welcoming, accessible and meaningful.

This blog shares learning from the Learning Disability Safe Space Cafés, a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement project funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research PPIE Grant in 2024, delivered in partnership with Reach Learning Disability.

Our aims: creating space to be heard

From the outset, this project was designed around five core aims: to create, be heard, educate, remove barriers, and inspire.

The project aimed to support adults with learning disabilities to share their views and take part in conversations about health and research. Through the project we wanted to reduce barriers to involvement by working in familiar settings and to support shared learning on topics people said were important to them. Building confidence, knowledge and ongoing involvement over time was central to the approach.

Developing the Reach Voice and Participation Group

A key part of the project was developing the Reach Voice and Participation Group. The group brings together adults with learning disabilities to work with Reach staff and clinical academic researchers. Since the project began, 14 group sessions have taken place. There are 19 members, aged between 22 and 64, with around 16 people attending each monthly session.

The group supports a range of research and engagement activities and helped shape the Safe Space Cafés by choosing topics and advising on how sessions should be run. Two members with lived experience were co applicants on the project and were involved throughout planning and delivery. Over time, they became more confident and took on more active roles, including helping with introductions and closing discussions. The group continues to meet monthly beyond the end of the funded project.

Image 1 Screenshot of the Voice & Participation Group on the Reach Website

Safe Space Cafés in familiar and trusted settings

Topics for the Safe Space Cafés were chosen by the Voice and Participation Group and reflected what people wanted to learn more about. These included accessing primary healthcare services, men’s and women’s health, menopause, and health and wellbeing.

Six cafés were delivered during the project, attended by eighty-nine adults with learning disabilities. Sessions were held in places people already knew, with support from staff they trusted. This reflected learning from previous research about the importance of meeting people in environments where they feel safe and comfortable.

As people with learning disabilities have described, familiar spaces help them feel able to relax, be themselves and speak openly, and being part of a group can increase confidence and support.

Each café included a healthcare professional who shared practical advice and signposting, alongside a clinical academic researcher who talked about relevant research in an accessible way. Where appropriate, members of the group were also told about ongoing research opportunities.

Impact and reflections

The project provided a supportive way for an under-served community to engage with health information and research. People were able to ask questions, share experiences and learn about topics that mattered to them in a setting designed around their needs.

Working in partnership with Reach Learning Disability was essential. Existing relationships with staff and carers, and the use of familiar settings such as day services, supported meaningful involvement. The project also led to further research opportunities, with some members of the Voice and Participation Group going on to contribute to national forums and other NIHR research activities.

Feedback from café participants was collected using a form co-developed with the Voice and Participation Group, helping to ensure the evaluation process was accessible.

Image 2 Example of the feedback form

Published in the Reach annual report, one of the PPIE co-applicants shared how she has found working on the project:

“.... Isobel’s role has been to help shape how health information is shared with people with learning disabilities, and included running these sessions, with other co-applicants and the university research team. Isobel’s confidence has grown to the point where she now allows herself to be filmed and photographed while explaining the importance of Reach’s projects – something she couldn’t have imagined a year ago. “It’s definitely helped my self-esteem to grow,” she shared.”

Looking ahead

The work has already led to further funding to build on the Safe Space Café model. From April 2026, a new twelve-month project will deliver peer-led wellbeing sessions, with people with learning disabilities co-leading sessions alongside tutors to share learning from the cafés. This next phase aims to continue to support adults with learning disabilities to improve health knowledge, take practical preventative actions and feel more confident using health services.

This project highlights the importance of dedicated PPIE funding, long term collaboration and creating genuine safe spaces where people with learning disabilities can have a voice in research and health engagement.

Acknowledgements & Further information:

To find out more about this project please contact Miriam via Miriam.Goldingday@york.ac.uk

The project, ‘Learning Disability Safe Spaces Café’ was funded by the NIHR SPCR grant ref 732